DETAILED NOTES FROM DIVERSITY MATTERS CONFERENCE
These are the extensive notes I took at the Diversity Matters conference, which I co-founded with author Tony Bradman back in 2003. Our initial emails to Abigail Campell at Arts Council England led to the formation of a steering committee to plan this conference, as the beginning of a series to address the issue of diversity in children's publishing in the UK.
These notes are a result of my frantic scribbling during the full two-day event, so any mistakes or misrepresentations are mine alone. If you feel that something is inaccurate, please email me at laura@lauraatkins.com.
The full programme is on the left, and you can link to various sections from there. You can also find the programme on the Arts Council England website.
Opening address: Shami Chakrabarti
John Hampson, Senior Literature Office, Arts Council England started the day:
This is the first in a series of conference. The Arts Council plays a central role in diversity in the book trade (such as the In Full Colour report published with the Bookseller). The book trade is not very diverse. This report has been followed by the Books for All report with the Bookseller, part of which has been included as a special supplement in the delegate pack. He encouraged attendees to participate fully. He then introduced Shami Chakrabarti, Director of Liberty.
Shami Chakrabarti, now director of the human rights organisation Liberty, used to be a barrister and lawyer in the Home Office from 1996-2001. She spoke of her 4 year old son and reading. She said that our political leaders are good at telling us there are problems, but they don’t offer antidotes or inspiration. They say things like ‘the rules of the game are changing’ or ‘multiculturalism is dead’ – but where is it all going? We look to other places than politics for inspiration. There was a post-war human rights consensus that developed after WWII, and that is being questioned now. She sees children’s books as an ally.
About children’s books she said:
- Reading is power. Her career grew out of reading and learning from books.
- Through presenting diversity and aspiration, we give children an opportunity for the future.
- Books can share values. Some people are threatened by difference/diversity in thinking, that it is leading towards fragmentation. She sees it as an opportunity to show what unites as well as what differentiates.
She sees Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix as the most intelligent commentary on the war on terrorism. His owl is intercepted – intrusive surveillance. They subject Harry to a kangaroo court, and later, he is subjected to torture. Terms like muggle and mudbloods are thinly veiled metaphors for racist terms. But it offers an optimistic take.
Then she spoke of an American picture book, Marshall, The Courthouse Mouse. How do you convey the importance of the rule of law? She thinks constitutional education is very important. She thinks this book is a source for values and optimism – preserving democracy, for negotiating challenges.
There are many debates around multiculturalism – it is not an issue of moral relativism as many say. Still must exist within laws, free speech, human rights. But within that, there is lots of room. Publishing books featuring different cultural backgrounds is not for one audience, but rather presenting diversity and complexity for all readers. So they will be reflected. She spoke of Planet of the Apes as a disguised treatment of racial strife in the US.
Panel Discussion 1: Books for All, Arts Council Research
Catherine Johnson, children’s author (OUP) and screenwriter (wrote screenplay for Bullet boy)
Louise Kanolik, School Librarian, Loxford School of Science and Technology
Francesca Dow, Managing Director, Puffin Books
Chair: Liz Bury, Features Editor, The Bookseller
Liz Bury, chair, opened the session. Books for All, published by the Bookseller, looked at levels of commissioning and marketing for Black and minority ethnic (BME) readers. The supplement got lots of media interest. They found a sense of apathy within the industry regarding cultural diversity in terms of what’s published and who writes it. There are pockets of good practice, but generally, the sense that ‘we don’t know the market and we don’t know how to address it’. A lot of good questions asked, but lacking action point, what are we going to do. Area with room for improvement in marketing, not engaged even if they had the materials to get them out. The need for more historical books for BME readers. In children’s books, booksellers saying we need more books for this market, a growing population, but lags behind in the industry. Publishing both to reflect British experience, but also publishing of world literature – lack of both. Looked at Penguin/Puffin research, more materials needed. Also for white children to learn about mate’s culture. Gap in the market.
Catherine Johnson objects to being labelled as a ‘Black’ writer. She sees herself as mixed race (rather than dual heritage). She’s a Londoner, British. She grew up in the 1970s and didn’t see herself in books. She has written black, white, Asian protagonists. But wants to give children character to be as modeled in books, wants people like herself to carry the story, be the main characters (not the sidekicks, not the one who dies). Multiculturalism is a gift – all people are essentially the same. She wants books with different sorts of people in them. Race comes before you open your mouth, but different people have different experiences.
Writers are usually outsiders, observing. So black and non-white authors know society and are used to looking in. main thing – there needs to be books that reflect difference but are good stories. We need more non-white authors. She could list the current non-white authors on two hands. Writers need more confidence and there needs to be more authors out there. Get authors into schools so kids think – I could do that.
Louise Kanolik is a librarian in southeast London (Redbridge?). her students took part in research. Her school is 97% BME, 20% refugees, most from culture of not reading at home, often come to reading late. They are working to get parents involved in reading experience – importance of getting young kids to read. They are a reading school, with support from Head Teacher, which she knows is not the experience of many librarians now in schools. They also have lots of avid readers in the school. Lots of books but not really reflective of her kids’ experiences. Many students don’t want books about black people or Asian people, but want book with everybody in it, life as they know it, there aren’t enough. Author visits are one of the most inspiring things you can do. Kids think – ‘I can do that’. Opening up world of literature. Key also is meeting parents and trying to idea of reading as a pleasure.
Francesca Dow from Puffin two clear things have emerged. There are not enough books for multiethnic communities, and the importance of such books. Challenge is how to commission. They are finding beginning ideas to deal with exciting challenge. These are the guiding principles in commissioning in a multiethnic community. It should be based on quality of writing and quality of storytelling. Need true voice, they don’t care about the colour of the voice. They don’t usually know who the author is, so acquisition isn’t based on identity of author. She doesn’t think they discriminate negatively, but they also aren’t doing enough. By 2010, 1 in 5 school children will be BME, so there’s a good business imperative. They need to invite writers, need to go looking. They aren’t coming because publishers are seen as white, middle class communities, so there’s big barrier. One strategy is to try to have more diverse workforce. This is huge challenge, but recognizing it as exciting and necessary is key. Small steps. At the BA conference, there was a good talk about diversity in publishing. ‘Hiring colour will boost your business’. Penguin has four reasons why diversity matters as a company:
- 1. Market/business imperative
- Talent, denying chance to ?
- Most people in publishing are essentially creative people and diversity feeds creativity. Exciting to embrace rather than be frightened. We need a rich, varied group of people
- Moral reason, it’s fairer.
It takes time to hire more diverse workforce, they have to go wooing. With ACE and Foils and Curtis Brown they are taking positive action in a traineeship, to take on degree level highly talented BME person with passion for books to be trained. Six months at Puffing, three at Foils learning about retailing, and three at literary agent. They also have a diversity team at Penguin and now one at Puffin. Could do lots more in terms of marketing and retailing, look more at book covers.
It’s not as simple as just commissioning the right book (though that’s great), but they must encourage writers to come to them. She hopes that in a year’s time she could report on progress. In the publishing industry, if we do nothing, we are at risk of cutting ourselves off from the market.
Suresh Ariaratnam, journalist, spoke of how booksellers and bookshops could better reach BME community. Three main areas within which to have relationships with BME community:
- be aware of your customer base and react proactively. Good example at the Newham Bookshop, a lynchpin in the community and react to changing identity of community.
- Have stock line that reflects heritage of your readers. There is a lack of history or politics, people often go on-line (usually to American writers). Move away from European stock line to reflect increasingly borderline society we live in. be open to multicultural stock, books that reflect diversity. Willstone Bookshop promotes multicultural rather than monoethnic books. You can also have different sections (black, Asian). People want a black children’s book section.
- Important to market and target various ethnic groups within community. Most booksellers don’t have concerted effort or events featuring BME authors. They are losing a commercial opportunity – going to places of worship, mosques, for example. Book stores need to see selves as part of the community. They are missing on people who don’t come in.
So to sum up:
- increase stock
- serve community
- find new customers
We also need commitment to developing authors. More mentoring schemes for new authors, to lead to more diverse range of published authors.
Questions/Comments after panel:
Francesca Dow spoke of illustrators as a key strand of picturebooks, they don’t get enough submissions from BME illustrators.
Liz Bury said they asked agents if they tried to attract diverse authors. 47% said they didn’t know how they evaluated who an author was.
Kim Reynolds from the floor asked Francesca Dow if using quality as the driving force behind selection could be problematic in terms of different ways of telling stories, using language. Francesca said that a key thing would be bringing in more diverse people working in publishing would help to address that.
Liz Bury talked about language and diversity issues. People get concerned about you use certain words or phrases. She said not to be too previous on terminology, that it can have a negative effect.
Sandra Agard, a librarian, thought that publishers should visit local libraries. Publishers have been in a cocoon and are finally seeing the light. She’s also a writer and storyteller, and it’s so difficult to get published. She’s been running a poetry competition with the main outcome of publication. Have had people come from all over London to submit. Publishers need to think outside of the box, visit local libraries and schools.
A woman from Working Group Against Racism in Children’s Resources spoke of their organisation, a charity which has existed for over 20 years, they give advice to childcare workers, publisher, on evaluating and selecting children’s books and toys. She said they could offer advice, consultation and training regarding positive images.
A poet, Dreadlock ? (didn’t get his full name) from Birmingham, has been to 17 diversity conferences this year, this is the first where he wasn’t presenting. The words ‘black’ and ‘white’ are lazy and essentialist. He’s dual heritage, part of the human race. Words drift in and out of fashion.
Tony Bradman, author and member of steering committee, said that the idea of this conference came out of wanting something practical to come out of it. We want change, want things to be better. It’s tough to break in as a writer, lots of gates and filter. He feels, from editing anthologies, there is a huge amount of talent but they need guidance. He wants to see structured mentoring programme come out of this. It’s very hard to break into monolithic white, middle class publishing industry. You have to open doors, recognize there’s talent out there, which sometimes needs a leg up.
Workshop sessions. I attended:
Workshop 5: How Far Can We go with Vision and Commitment
Beverley Naidoo, author and campaigner
Shereen Pandit, author and activist
Rosemary Stones, editor Books for Keeps
Chair, Anne Marley, Head of Children’s, Youth and School Library Service in Hampshire
Beverley Naidoo who grew up with the privilege of being a white South African and then became a political activist and was eventually kicked out of the country, said in 1965 her mixed-race four year old son was already aware of colour. Only books available were by Petronella Breinburg and Ezra Jack Keats. The US led. In 1979, they had first journal focusing on this issue: Dragon’s Teeth. Also the Children’s Book Bulletin edited by Rosemary Stones. Six issues, very influential.
These issues have been around for a long time. She found non-fiction books about South Africa around that time. Most were overtly or covertly racist, misrepresenting what the country was, not talking about apartheid. She wrote book called Censoring Reality. With a group she was part of, they decided a good work of fiction was needed. She said she was interested, and wrote and reported back to committee, which was Journey to Joburg. It was difficult to find a publisher, but Ethel found Longman Educational Publisher. The book is still in print, 21 years old this year. It was banned in South African but received the Other Award (would have won any other award at that time). Also won Bank Street College Award. She’s had Palestinian children reading and relating to the experience in the book. She still doesn’t think of herself as a writer. She writes to explore, as exploration. Sees her books as offering universals, such as her book about the refugee experience, asylum seeker.
Her new novel is set in Kenya in the 1950s, about end of Empire. She doesn’t have a title yet. It’s the story of betrayal. She writes to crate path, and reader makes the journey. She wants to challenge boundaries, journey of the imagination, needed in a world where those who wield power do it without imagination. She quoted Susan Sontag, that literature is a way of being human.
Shereen Pandit was born Muslim in South Africa. She was asked to speak about the representation of Muslims. There are 1.2 billion Muslims in the world, only 240 million are Arabs. 1.5 million are in the UK. This is an under-represented group. 17 years ago she looked for books and could find them. There are more now, becoming more visible, acceptable, sanitized. Her problem is non-fiction fills the information gap for children who are not Muslim about Muslims. She finds them patronising (you don’t have books saying ‘I am a white person). These books are social anthropology, such as having refugee week or talking about Ramadan. She doesn’t like separate sections, doesn’t like being ghettoized in bookstores (thinks people should do the research to find the books in integrated sections).
There is a black hole in non-fiction about contributions which Muslims and Arabs have made to the world today. Children’s non-fiction doesn’t have books about these people. Muslim children have lost their heritage, there’s no evidence that Muslims have been poets, politicians, etc.
Career books or issues books (about bullying, for example) rarely show Muslim or other BME people. Also, most books featuring Muslims are contextualized around war or oppression (such as Deborah Ellis or Liz Laird’s books). Those are fine, but we need others as well.
Publishers don’t see Muslims beyond prayer mats, palm makers, stereotypes, so they don’t publish books. She was told that people couldn’t relate to black girls running (jogging) when she submit a book, or that they couldn’t relate to black anthropologists. Mainstream publishers don’t want to publish fiction or non-fiction where you mainstream Muslim kids.
Rosemary Stones started her work in the early 1970s. she was the co-founder of Children’s Rights Workshop, involved in Saturday morning school with black parents, and traveller groups. She realized books weren’t available, led to setting up the Other Award.
The story really starts in the 1960s with intellectuals from the Caribbean who founded black bookshops, such as New Beacon Books. They made books available by black writers for children – otherwise there weren’t many available and most were biased. New Beacon became a place where black children came – like Linton Kwesi Johnson – to find out about their history.
In 1974 Bogle L’Overture opened in Ealing, the second black bookstore, and began to publish for children. They wrote pamphlet – Getting to Know Yourself – for very young children. There was pressure on Caribbean and Asian intellectuals to be spokespeople. The book was published, How the West Indian child is made educationally subnormal in the British school system (title?), which was very influential and led to change. Race Today also looked at children’s books.
The 1970s saw the beginning of community bookshop movement, such as the Centre Bookshop founded by African American Glen Thompson and ??. They also began publishing books. Based in Hackney. There were also suppliers making books available from India. And bookstores outside of London in cities like Birmingham. There was campaigning and heated debates about publishing, omissions and stereotyping.
By the mid-80s there was much of note. Black US writers began to be published in the UK, lay down high standards (Rosa Guy, Virginia Hamilton, etc.). there was also the response of white writers, such as Bernard Ashley, Shirley Hughes and Peter Dickenson. Black British writers and illustrators emerged, such as My Brother Sean by Petronella Breinburg and illustrated by Errol Lloyd, the first picture book with a black child as the central character published by a mainstream house: Bodley Head, which was in the forefront in many ways). Also Jon Agard’s I Didn’t Do Notin’, first non-standard English book. Also Farrukh Dhondy, Jamila Gavin, James Berry. But none born in Britain. They brought a new particularity. The attitude towards bilingualism changed, seen as advantage rather than handicap, and publishers started to publish bilingual books. There was lots of defensiveness and pain as some liberal white writers discovered unwitting colonialist or stereotyped attitudes.
By the 90s, a new generation of British born writers emerged: Jackie Kay, Benjamin Zephaniah, Malorie Blackman, Jacqueline Roy. But there were few black British illustrators, as continues to be the case. Art schools are still predominantly white middle class. Jane Bent, a black illustrator, was told by her careers advisor that she should do accounting rather than illustration.
In the late 90s, there were more multiethnic publishers: Tamarind, Mantra… they were serious players in the international scene. There was little notable new fiction, but more transnational narratives. We underestimate children’s abilities to deal with other cultures. Books like Ashley’s Little Soldier or Naidoo’s The Other Side of Truth are examples of more transnational books. There’s a dearth of non-fiction that reflects the history and presence of BME people.
In 2001, after 9/11, there was an increase in Islamophobia and attacks on Asians and Asian children. There has been a problem with the difficulties in representing a multiplicity of voices. A few titles, Kiss the Dust, the Breadwinner, picture books from Mantra.
Progress is bedeviled. There is a social climate of ridicule and alienation around equality and diversity issues – seen as PAC. The morale of teachers is low and there’s a lack of information. Publishers have the dependence on co-edition partners, and publishing is expensive to produce, while needing a low price point to compete. With the need for co-editions, there are problems with English postcolonial society being very different from US, so the books don’t travel. This area could be addressed more creatively. Lots of publishing is commissioned by publishers. Book trade and bookshops need to relate to their communities. There is an inability to market and distribute to make viable the kind of books we need. There is also institutional racism in publishing and reviewing.
The publishing industry is white middle class liberal institution, and it has not moved out of its comfort zone.
Discussion:
Chair noted that mainstream booksellers are absent at this event. [Note, Sam ? from Waterstones seems to have been one of the only ones present).
Laura Atkins talked about the problem with co-editions from her experience in publishing in the US. But distributors seem to help to make those books available in the UK. Does she know of similar distributors going in the other direction?
Woman from Working Group Against Racism spoke of the lack of pure fantasy, there are more political messages embedded under the black child. Schools stock more political, anti-racist materials. The best way to deal with racism is to show images of lots of children, naturally, rather than using targeted educational books.
Afternoon sessions, started with film: Diversity Matters, which can be viewed on the website: www.artscouncil.org.uk/diversitymatters
Keynote Speaker: Malorie Blackman, author
Introduced by Rosemary Stones, editor of Books for Keeps
Rosemary Stones said that Malorie Blackman had 82 rejections letters before publishing Not So Stupid, her fist novel, in 1991. She writes for all ages. Only black writer to appear in children’s bestseller list. Errol Lloyd discussed Noughts and Crosses books.
Malorie Blackman said she would give her perspective on publishing as a writer. Her comments on editors are not targeted at her current publisher Random House, who she is really happy with. She has worked with 14-15 publishers so has a range of experiences. She’s not going to rehearse her recent Guardian article, but will reference it.
There’s a shorthand from having shared cultural experiences. Most white writers share shorthand with white editors. Editors in children’s publishing industry are predominantly white and middle class. An example is a case where she wrote ‘word one’ as in ‘I don’t understand word one of what you’re saying’. And was told by an editor that it wasn’t grammatically correct, it should be ‘one word. But that wouldn’t be true in her experience/community. So certain things don’t have to be explained. She has worked with one black editor in her years.
Books are about communication – they should be accessible to all children. Diverse characters enhances this. Publishers need to publish more BME writers. You have to spend money to make money – tiny marketing budget and small print run won’t sell a book. Publishers need to make profits. Surely publishing for the largest possible audience seems the way to do that.
She had one editor say she was publishing a book by Malorie to have someone on her multicultural list (turned out she was the only one). Malorie called her editor Annie Eaton and said, are you only publishing me to have a multicultural list? Annie, from Transworld said, we are business, we publish books to make sales, which relieved her fears. Many publishers say they want to publish more culturally diverse books. So prove it. A friend of hers, a black woman, was rejected saying they already publish Malorie Blackman, so they don’t need more.
Most young editors get in by volunteering services for six months. The way forward is larger publishers to have bursaries or sponsorship scheme to bring-in all members of society.
She cited quotes from children in the Books for All supplement. The books with diverse characters show too many obstacles, are too focused on individual/separate races. Malorie wants there to be a balance – entertainment, but also books exploring other cultures. We need to get away from idea that BME books can only be about one thing.
Her own experience was that she wanted books for her daughter that were culturally diverse. She sought out Letterbox Library, Tamarind and books from the US. She wanted first day at school books, going to the park, and couldn’t find British books that showed her daughter’s experience. Many more were available from the US. There’s a prevailing attitude that British BME books are a poor relation to African American books. But these books are different from the British experience.
Some are concerned about problem-focused books/issues for children. Some are concerned about books being too didactic, or want to protect children. But doesn’t it depend on how they are done? That’s the beauty of life, the thirst for knowledge. As a child, she had the encyclopedia Britannica books and books on nature, but her father thought that fiction books weren’t ‘real’. At seven she went to the local library and read all day, then checked out more books. Then bought books once she had money. Out of the thousands of books she read, not one had a black child in it. She wanted mysteries, who-done-its, thrillers. She thinks her dad got it wrong – she learned lots more about people from fiction than from information books. At 23, The Color Purple was the first book featuring a black person that she reader. But all of her reading showed her what we all share as human beings.
This conference is a positive step. More books in the bookshops is also positive. But there’s further to go.
Questions from audience:
What were the main themes of her rejection letters:
The problem partially could have been that her books had black characters. But she was also undisciplined and enthusiastic. Around 50-60 rejections she was getting better. After 60, she stopped describing her characters as black. Her writing was dire to being with.
When she was first writing, she was criticized for not writing about race and racism. She started with computers, then got pigeonholed and wanted to change. When she came to her 50th book she was going to write about slavery. But friends were not enthusiastic. If she writes about slavery, everyone will think they’ll know what’s in it before they start reading. She decided to deal with the legacy of racism, but turned it on its head. In the books, she was careful not to mention the color of the skin for the first 50-60 pages. This was around the time of the Stephen Lawrence case.
From the age of seven she wanted to be an English teacher. She was told by her careers advisor that ‘people like you don’t become teachers, they become secretaries’. Don’t aspire higher. She wanted to write a book that confronts assumptions, not evading.
Beverley Naidoo asked if Malorie thinks that children’s books are more labelled than adult books (I think, I’m not sure of the exact question).
Malorie thinks that children’s are has more labeling. But she also thinks children’s book writers can write about more things or more areas without have to use pseudonyms. Once you get a name behind you, you start to know style of adult author (such as Toni Morrison). Children’s writers can write so many things in different genres, she feels more free to write about anything she wants and in any style. Feels she doesn’t get labeled.
Laura Atkins asked how Malorie thinks the industry has changed during the time she’s been in it. I didn’t write answer, but I think she said it has gotten better in some ways in terms of editor’s responses and openness?
Alex? From Scholastic said they put out Does My Head Look Big In This? They didn’t get the support from the chains or many independent stores. Said is wasn’t relevant. So publishers can only do so much.
Malorie said yes, but you need to be more creative about getting it out there. Go around them.
Sam ? from Waterstone’s said there’s a difference between adult versus children’s. he’s seen more media attention around diverse adult authors than children’s. Andrea Levy has been very successful for them. He thinks how books are marketed and sold to you by the publisher is very important. Does My Head Look Big in This? He saw as contemporary and well-marketed for both Asian girls and for a wider teen audience. Books need more media exposure and better marketing in general.
Malorie said yes, and how to do with reviewing as well. Reviewing for adult books seems more open, there’s big fight for review space for children’s books in general. And it’s particularly difficult with new writers.
Workshop 8: Roles in Publishing – Opening up Access
Bobby Nayyer, Little Brown
Alison Morrison, Walker Books
Chaired by John Hampson, Arts Council England
John Hampson started by summing up the morning session of the same group. There was clear consensus that some good things are happening: traineeships, work experience. Also, librarians are ahead of the game, closer to their communities. But there is still some sense that some activities are tokenistic within publishing industry: show and tell approach. Some are engaging with the sense that it’s the PC thing to do. They haven’t gotten the sense that it’s good business sense.
The role of the Arts Council of England as a public funding body is ideally placed to fund the conference and traineeships. But there is some fear that publishers are too dependent. The Publishers Association doesn’t actively campaign around these issues. The industry hasn’t yet taken full ownership. He’d like to come away from this session with six bullet points, things we feel strongly about.
Alison Morrison said that when she came into publishing fifteen years ago, they were having these same discussions. She came in as part of an ACE traineeship. But today, this conference has a larger and slightly more diverse audience. She gave her concern that ACE is spurning most initiatives, and if their remit should change, it would stop. Does feel that the PA have taken this on as much as they should. They should be leading rather than ACE. E all need to be able to have open, honest conversations and we’re not.
Her concern is that BME people who are now entering will be junior level. It will be 10-15 years until it makes real change. Smart people in publishing are afraid they’ll say the wrong thing. But the conversation has to take place and senior people who are there at the moment need to take part. And not just publishers: illustrators, schools, career services.
Bobby Nayyar volunteered at Tindal Street Press in Birmingham. He got the traineeship at Faber and worked in many different departments, saw the big difference from editorial to sales. There is social diversity in publishing. There’s a problem with having to do the first job for free, and mostly in London, in terms of who can afford to do it. He’s in Marketing now. It’s harder for people to break into networks if most people come from similar network/background. People who will change the industry are already working in the industry.
General Group Discussion (couldn’t keep track of who said what):
Alison said it’s a myth that diverse books can’t get into non-urban Britain. Look at music industry and hip hop.
Bobby said that publishing exists on the familiar, but thrives for those that stand out, that are original.
Traineeships, mentoring, work experience have worked. Discussions, sessions at BA conference – it’s important to keep at industry level and on the agenda.
Publishers should be braver about covers.
Conservatism in school restricts books coming in. children’s publishing as gatekeepers. Schools are still teaching same books from 30 years ago.
The importance of the work in teacher training to encourage more knowledge and confidence with books. So many steps to get through before you get to the child. The power of parents to make demands on teachers, provide lists of books.
Children’s publishing don’t have budgets to do big promotions for every book.
It is about networking, getting teachers, parents, authors to become pressure group on schools, community projects, mentoring, especially outside London.
Work at recruitment and HR stage.
The importance for people at director level at publisher to get behind traineeship scheme for it to work.
The lack of profile of the publishing industry in society in general. Publishers need to work with careers advisors at secondary and university-level.
Accounts, sales and marketing have more diversity than creative side. Also, to project to people at universities that there is more than editorial DIPNet will now be based at Booktrust.
Focus on graduates could be restrictive. People can bring/come from alternative routes.
Panel Discussion 2: The Importance of authors and Illustrators Changing Images and Attitudes
Mary Hoffman, author
Ken Wilson-Max, illustrator
Bali Rai, author
Chair, Julia Eccleshare, CLPE
Mary Hoffman got into the business in the early 1970s through the area of diversity. She was part of a women’s group, teemed up with Rosemary Stones. They put pressure on publishers. Her first picture book was published in 1987 by Janetta Otter Barry at Macmillan. Islington Libraries banned the book as racist because of one spread. She wanted ‘mixed race’ on the back cover, but they didn’t want it for paperback, thought it would reduce sales. She then wrote Amazing Grace. Grace is based on Mary, a little girl who loved stories. Janetta was then at Frances Lincoln. Mary asked for illustrator, had done a book jacket for her and knew she could illustrator ethnic minorities authentically. Didn’t know she was white. An Angel Just Like Me – how do children of different cultures see themselves reflected? Character wanted an angel for xmas tree. Found black illustrator (team, African American/Chinese).
It’s important to Mary that these books should be written by someone, when she started very few others were doing it. She doesn’t feel she’s taken the place of other authors. Hopes she is working towards her own redundancy, hopes people look back and think, what a strange culture.
Ken Wilson-Max said that illustrators aren’t really seen, you don’t know what an illustrator looks like. He’s often asked to illustrate black characters. Also pigeon holed doing vehicles from first books. He doesn’t think that creativity or communication should be pigeon holed. He was born in Zimbabwe, started as a book designer at Orchard Books, then worked with the BBC. He saw how much of the world gets fit into a 32 page picture book. There are certain things you can’t talk about. Around ’87, you couldn’t represent black characters on covers much, deemed not to be salable – the reason was that they hadn’t worked in the past.
Illustrators create characters,, try to give them reality in context of the story. As an outsider, it’s been an advantage to look at society here with so many different people, to find similarities rather than differences. That’s what he’s been trying to do as an illustrator. He’s got a 2 ½ year old daughter, and she gets excited when she sees herself in a book. He’s found picture books that fit the context of her smaller world, and hopes that can continue as she gets older.
Bali Rai said he visits many schools. One of his main motivations to become an author was to write the kinds of books he couldn‘t find when he was in school. Come to Mecca by Farrukh Dhondy and The Trouble with Donavan Croft were only two books with black/Asian people on cover. He nicked them from the school library and they got passed around his friends. Not a lot has changed. There is more writing, but the problem is that the books aren’t available and teens don’t’ get them, don’t know they’re there.
He tries to represent Britain, all kinds, black, Asian, white, Jewish. It’s about getting to the point where the book isn’t about being black or Asian, where it’s just another book. For example, the superhero comics he read growing up were al white. He tries not to write only about the background her grew up in. he grew up in Leicester, one of the most culturally diverse places in Europe. He tries to write about this as the norm. he still gets kids excited to have found black or Asian characters in his books.
His writing also comes out of anger and sadness, that the issue is still there. Many things have changed, but not enough.
Discussion/Questions
Mary Hoffman says that many things have changed, but not enough. Picture books still show a limited notion of what constitutes family, in all ways (social patterns). Doesn’t reflect what children themselves define as family.
Bali said that the books are there, but they aren’t available, not in bookshops.
Cathy McClain from Wandsworth thanked Mary for writing mixed race book. She’s mixed race and this book was very important for her children, helped them to talk about having different coloured skin from parents and their own gradations.
Mary said her mixed-race book didn’t focus on race. She says there is a first-wave book reaction, where issues are overtly addressed in book. Then second or third wave where race is tangential to story.
Petronella Breinburg spoke to say that there were books available when Mary started writing, her first book, My Brother Sean was published in 1971, and Sean’s Red Bike in 1972. It took her five years to get published. Mary corrected her statement that there weren’t books out there, to say there weren’t many.
Bali said that school visits are a way to get to kids directly. Half the schools he goes to, the English teacher doesn’t care but the librarians do. But he’s happy if kids don’t know his books – it’s an opportunity to spread the word. This is why something like this is great, as long as it doesn’t become finger pointing. Thinking of new ideas of getting books to readers.
A woman from Newham bookshop questioned having this even focus only on cultural diversity.
Bali said that cultural diversity is not just about race. Having a mother was an ex-prostitute in one of his books, this is some people’s experience. He reflects Britain, what inner-city is like, not just being Asian.
Ken said that the word diverse has a history of being lent to just colour and race. If another conference happens, involve more different people. Difference doesn’t have to be specified. To change attitudes, have to throw wide net – people, business/sales rules, unspoken rules. Have to navigate what they see as honest view with salability. Authors and artists work with publishing companies that have own interests and invest huge amounts of money, there has to be a certain amount of give and take. The key thing is that the key idea comes through. Also stories from other parts of the world. Diversity should not only be applied to colour and then the business side may change as well.
An artist who has worked in the US for magazines said she was told to illustrate particular types of people (two Asians, one black person and one in wheelchair, for example). Is that codification something the UK should do?
Bali Rai says No.
Mary Hoffman said she was asked to change a book where an uncle gave present to children to an aunt, to make the family black by changing their names. She would hate to the tick the box approach to diversity, too shallow to address problems we’re discussing today – idea we need quotas. Imagination in stories flies out the window.
Someone asked if book prizes could do more to highlight diversity.
Ken said Yes. But to have an ethnic minority prize is not the way. But prize winners and the way they are chosen can do that.
Bali said has won prizes, regional awards chosen by teenagers. But wouldn’t want quota award. He likes awards where they aren’t restricted to what they can choose.
Mary said the Other Awards was unpaid, but the highest standard of argument, gave five or six awards and no money attached. They called them progressive books, was highly valued by recipients. Maybe it’s time to bring back the Other Award. If it were progressive rather than BME, Bali would be interested.
Ann Marie Jung (?) is a freelance publisher and author. She said there’s a difference between text books and reading schemes and creative writing. She thinks for educational publishers it’s important to have guidelines and to be sensitive and not forget. Tokenism is a problem, but she helped to create guidelines in English language training.
Someone asked how to encourage more children to write.
Bali said he’s asked what he earns. He says he gives an answer, the average wage. You need to show that this is like any profession, not exotic. Role models, Benjamin Zephaniah with dreadlocks show that books aren’t boring. Bali was friend with Sue Townsend’s son, otherwise wouldn’t have thought of writing as an option. Talk about it as a career. Not about being Asian or working class, but all things, being normal, not up in the clouds.
Ken said that in colleges it’s not promoted as a profession. He also lectures part-time, they think there’s no money in book illustration. He think there’s false information. His own father said – why do you go around drawing pictures?
Mary said getting published and making a living by writing and illustrating is harder than it’s ever been. Children should be encouraged, but it is a difficult time. Also the difference between readers and non-readers is as big a divide as any other diversity. It’s hard to put yourself inside the head of people who don’t like or are afraid of books. That’s the hurdle we have to tackle.
Someone said we need more opportunities for publishers to see good practice in schools. CLPE projects, choose books for list written by BME authors, often go out of print. Keeping books that are important in print is very important. It’s good to have close links and more opportunities to see what happens with books you publish. Not to listen to government, but to look at what’s really going on.
Someone said that teacher training colleges need more dissemination. In Richmond they often have students from Roehampton and St. Mary’s given brief to look at multiethnic books. Same problem with them going out of print. These are the future teachers.
Sunday
Jon Agard read poems and spoke between them. He said he thinks of diversity in terms of ‘every culture has a story to tell’. It keeps it simple.
Group Discussion: Key Themes Arising from Previous Day
Chairs Julie Eccleshare and Olivia O’Sullivan, Centre for Literacy and Primary Education
Presented with summary of key findings (but I don’t have a copy because we were asked to leave behind with notes from discussion at each table). Then people reported back from tables.
Need for long-term thinking, we can’t work in short-term profits mode to think about building market
Nicky Potter talked about the importance of teacher training, and overall budgets, the small amount spent on books in schools.
Paul Gardner teaches trainee teachers. He thinks publishers should work more closely, promoting books in schools of ed, influencing future teachers. They have partnerships with 500 schools, opportunity for big promotion. Think for the long haul.
Melanie Abrams said we’re all diverse and have something to gain from this, a stake. And we should be mentored by authors, see what can be gained.
David Bouch(?) from Carousel said that many countries have fantastic publishing industries and good literature that we would welcome. Small publishers are bringing them over, big publishers stay away, say it doesn’t sell.
John Hampson said we need to talk more about new technology, digital, internet, podcasting. Educational books and fiction as well, maybe a theme to develop at future conference. Publishing and blogging.
Clare Walsh from ? University said of Paul Gardner that he got books donated by publishers when funding wasn’t available.
Bookstart is a wasted opportunity if they don’t include diverse and dual language books.
We should look more at money and where it’s directed at school. Money should be ring fenced for books.
Someone from Letterbox Library said there should be a better relationship between publishers and booksellers. They have lots of expertise about selling (Letterbox, Tamarind, Schools) and publishers could learn. There should be more dialog.
Someone from Newham Bookshops, Vivian? Said bookshops and staff should reflect area where they’re based. Bookshops should be more welcoming to, say, refugees.
Focus on rural areas, many don’t have access to diverse books. Look at bookshops and fairs.
It’s good to have videos with kids, but we want more direct involvement of children in a conference like this.
Panel Discussion 3: Publishers’ Perspectives
Mishti Chatterji, Director, Mantra Lingua
Janetta Otter Barry, Editorial Director, Frances Lincoln Children’s Books
Annie Eaton, Fiction Publisher, Random House
Chair, Julia Eccleshare
Mishti Chatterji spoke of the London bombings and how we still aren’t asking ourselves what led those young British Asian men to feel so disenfranchised. Multicultural books play an important part in a diverse society. Other media exist, but books are crucial. They transmit powerful messages, and we need to get the message right. And books are best when used in a supportive classroom, can get people to think more critically and reflectively.
Mantra was established 20 years ago in 1984. There were few books reflecting their children, few talked about the existence of their children’s lives. They publish books with assertive central BME characters. Because language is core to culture, they developed dual language publishing started in 1986 with five languages, not in 40 languages: fiction, non-fiction, dictionaries, cd-roms using picture books as vehicle. Their picture books link into curriculum.
She was sent an MS a few years ago from an author, part-Scottish and part Zimbabwean, who had converted to Islam. A girl playing with her mother’s hijab. It had been rejected by other publishers. They published when France had banned the hijab in schools. In the book, the hijab is the girl’s sail on a ship, her warrior’s cloak, and best on her mother’s head.
They try to promote authors and artists who are new, and also from diverse backgrounds. Beyond black and white, lots of new immigrants (such as from Poland and Eastern Europe). It’s important give them a voice.
There is tremendous writing taking place at various levels, people with an understanding of contemporary multicultural Britain (Mary Hoffman, Bernard Ashley). Also lots of black authors. But not many coming from the new generation.
Illustrators – lots who sensitively portray, but you can count the number of BME illustrators on two hands. It’s not seen as a career option to many children. A challenge to tackle.
Diversity in the workplace is needed at senior management levels or it will be hard to move ahead. We need role models.
Janetta Otter Barry said she was going to be honest, this was not a book fair speech. Frances Lincoln is a medium independent publisher doing multicultural titles since 1990. They were called ‘brave’ by the bookseller. They publish 50 books per year, half are multicultural. Three kinds:
- Explore and celebrate with photos (A Is for Africa, J Is for Jamaica). Can show some children where they come from, but also show all children different cultures and what is the same.
- Folktales/legends, the world’s great stories, read aloud, showcase for artists. Not diverse illustrators in same way as photographic books, but may need to look in different places.
- Contemporary stories for children in different places and with different backgrounds. Amazing Grace, another set in South Africa. Good stories, well-written, also inspiring or empowering. All children inspired. Colour of Hope focuses on Somali child, but all children starting at a new school can relate to it. All children can enter character’s world.
She believes passionately in Frances Lincoln’s multicultural mission. The problem is making sales. She will focus on picture books, because fiction list is very new. There is no longer a buoyant US co-edition market. Five years ago, 80% of list had US co-edition. Now less than 20% into US. So they’ve become more reliant on UK sales. Librarians are wonderful supporters, but budgets are not growing and libraries are closing. So that’s limited.
Teachers love the books and use as supplementary materials. But this is fragmentary and school spending is at the same level it was five years ago.
An example. The Colour of Home had good reviews, said it should be in every primary school. They sent a flyer to all the schools in the country, and sold 10,000 paperbacks. So it’s not in all the classrooms.
Example 2. They tried dual language books and were not successful. Average sales of 200 per year, so they couldn’t repeat without special funding.
It’s hard to sell to schools. The high street is even more difficult. Independents are great, chains are not pulling their weight. Amazing Grace and seven other multicultural books are on Watersone’s stock list, and one book is at Ottacker’s.
Sam at Waterstone’s wants to be more open, wants to run black history month promotion. Seven Stories and Frances Lincoln are establishing new voice award, one picture book and one novel that celebrate cultural diversity. Finalizing funding.
Books are vital, the market is there, but latent with a desperate need for development. Publishers must provide the right books.
Annie Eaton said she tends to be an optimist. Random House is keen to develop, it makes good business sense. Look at their adult list. Malorie Blackman and Bali Rai show success, but need to reach bigger audience. They get tons of unsolicited manuscripts and she can’t tell ethnic background, but would guess that 99.9% are from white authors. She assumes that agents would say if an author was BME. Annie gets more excited if an author is from a different background.
Publishers are a business, it helps to see how to sell them. She’s seen interest that Malorie and Bali can generate for kids for aren’t readers. They often write to say, you’re book is the first I’ve ever finished. They need more authors to get out in schools. Books with BME people living normal lives, not about being different.
Next year she is going to try to take Bindi series to bigger audience. They should appeal to all Jacqueline Wilson readers, all girls. Funny, not issue books, like good soap on TV, good entertainment. She thinks they look too teenagey and may frighten parents of some Asian girls. Need to look less Asian, add pink to cover (aim at 8-10 year olds).
Meera Syall and Leni Henry to a general audience. Don’t have to be issue books. Bali is alternating issue and non-issue books. Plots have to be good. Bali is developing into a confident writer.
They need more staff. Random House is working with ACE, sponsoring trainee, and the first did go on to get a job. This year the trainee is based fully in children’s. also, publishers won’t do unpaid work for months, just a few weeks. She wants more teenagers to apply. Bali can be so inspiring in big groups of teenage boys.
Group discussion and questions:
What’s missing, tips to aspiring authors?
Janetta said they want more picture books with Asian characters. Books featuring children with disabilities, special needs.
Mishti said more books that recognize children of mixed-race backgrounds. More books talking about sensitive issues.
Annie said they don’t have many books about being gay. Tricky area.
Jewish children are underrepresented, only holocaust books. Mishti is thinking of doing dual language in Hebrew.
Comment from floor. It’s hard for schools to afford bringing authors in. Could ACE fund authors into school?
Annie said it’s important for authors to charge, they are more valued when they charge. Publishers sometimes do school visits as part of publicity tour.
Julie Eccleshare said that Booktrust puts writers into schools.
Another comment: would be interested in seeing more books about refugees, particularly powerful when autobiography.
Janetta said they have an anthology of stories about asylum seekers coming out, edited by Tony Bradman, many autobiographical. Working with non-English speakers. Called Give Me Shelter.
Mishti said they have a diary series, next year will include Somali girl. Will be dual language.
Comment from floor, graphic novels for teenagers and picture images for older readers.
Trevor Phillips, Chair, Commission for Racial Equality
Introduced by Gary McKeone, Director of Literature, Arts Council England
He said he’s no expert in this arena, but can speak about how CRE sees it now. The issues we’ve been discussing are tremendously important. Might expect speech on anti-racism in books, etc. but that would be patronising because people here know, and publishers are looking for encouragement.
The single major characteristic in the world is change. This can be confusing, anxiety-producing, scary. For young people, it’s often inexplicable. CRE deals with globalization, which publishing industry knows about. Movement of capital, huge movement of labour. 260 million people live and work outside their place of birth, 60% in the developed world. In the UK, increasingly, more people are coming in. they used to say 12-15 multiethnic communities, now closer to 30, growing towards 60. Economic opportunity, cheques are sent home, 150 billion dollars per year, more than all other aid put together. In the Philippines, 7 billion dollars. This isn’t going to stop. In primary school classes we will see the result of this. Children are not staying in the same class for a whole year, and are often leaving school earlier.
Demographics – falling birth rate across Europe. Changes the role of women, running out of white men to populate jobs. More mothers are in the workplace, as significant earners. 30 years ago, the undergraduate population was 2:1 male to female, not it’s 3:2 female to male. Also older people are working longer. Grandparents are not as available as they used to be for, say, reading.
Technology. Spread of TV, internet, people worry about the content. Traditionally, there’s been an us vs. them between adults and children. There’s new phenomenon, we talk, they listen, ignore us, and then talk to each other. My Space, for example. We should look at where communication is going. Most phenomenal growth among teenagers. Talking to each other, interpreting, evaluating, more from peer group exchanges. It’s liberating, but we also have to think about implications – communication without mediation of adults.
The Chancellor has spoken about Britishness. In a world with this level of change and potential confusion, it is difficult for all, especially children. We need to talk about way to negotiate through. What are the things that bring us together? The code of civility that makes society work? For example, in Britain, we have clear ideas for behaviour. Research shows that most people saw it being in ways of doing things – such as the queue. Brits express big issues in tranquil ways. We should line up, fairness, get the right order. In the UK, Trevor is British and black. In the Caribbean, no one can tell that he’s different until he walks, and walks twice as fast in a shop looks for the queue. People will know him by his behaviour.
The great identifier is language: English speech. He worries about the loss of our language. Yes, this is a world where English has become the lingua franca. But most children speak language from home/private in a way that’s different from public discourse. Vernacular, patois at home. But school and work, may use another language. In the UK, generally children have one language, capable of being modernized, but also of being degraded. Studies show children’s vocabulary is shrinking. Fine to honor spoken language. The French equivalent to Trevor Phillips said that French urban patois is the main reason young men are out of work. They use that language all the time.
He said that children’s books changed his life. He was schooled in the Caribbean, but in the UK from 6-12. In UK, most significant moment was when teacher when he was six said to him, we know that you’re bright and worthy, but can you do anything? She took him to his local public library, got him a ticket and said, see what you can do with it. He borrowed three books. Something about a space boy, read whole series. Billy Bunter, Greyfriars. Absolutely changed his life, gave him horizons he otherwise would not have had. His universe had been bounded by local geography where he lived. He hadn’t travelled around London, didn’t see the river Thames until 17. He found the rest of the universe from books.
So, for ordinary children the book a way to define identity and the universe. Important part of our identity is what bounds us to others, national identity. Built in the imagination, through stories. Expression of our values are communicated through stories we tell about ourselves. Clear in the USA where powerful storyteller culture led to strong national identity through a set of myths – frontier myth (freedom), idea of truth – Washing and the cherry tree. Paul Revere’s ride and republicanism. Disney and the triumph of goodness and innocence. These are stories the US tells itself every day. Ellis Island and the gateway myth, seen in movies, the immigrant myth of the USA – arrival, struggle, attempt to fit in, for better and for worse.
What are our myths? Central would be land. Not sure we’re getting much retelling, that this is what we’re about. Maybe Harry Potter is our new story, but doesn’t know what it says. Where are myths that privilege diversity, that new people moving in don’t have to be enemies, can become part of who we are. Growing up ethnic minority population in the UK.
There are more ethnic families with children. This contrasts with an aging population, and will become a larger part of the population, Britain will become more ethnically diverse. We need to help children understand it. Things are being discussed in kitchens around the country. ‘We need to overcome the secret truths that we never tell each other’. His friend in northern Ireland said there are always secret truths that one community is better, or we never did anything to them, they caused all the problems. These things are not in the media or publicly debated. They’re in pubs, absorbed by young people, and they contribute to narratives about our communities or national identity. Publishing and books can give young people another view, another perspective in this confusing world. The problem now is almost everything is turning against this. CRE website has evidence that society is becoming more segregated and more separate, less interaction. We need a society where people make some compromises, come together.
He visited a day centre for old people where there was an attempt to bring people together from different communities. He sat with a dozen of these people and asked what brought them together. Once woman said it was when they were all talking about their sons. These were mostly women, and they all knew that their son had just married the wrong woman. It didn’t matter what their different ethnic backgrounds were, they had a bigger commonality.
For all of us, moments to find we have more in common that divided can help. There are different levels. This is why national identity or myth is so important. Publishing has a great job to do. Some can be done practically. Of course it is in the publishing industry’s interest to reach out. But it has to come to grips with why it’s a white middle class graduate industry, how to reach out. Pearson is doing summer schools and internships. Schools and libraries have an important role to play.
There’s been lots of movement in the last ten years, some progress. Amazing Grace. Something done in children’s books painting multiculturalism as diversity. Some people show differentness, we’ll including some Indian history, some on the Chinese. He would caution against this approach. It may be worthy, but potentially says to the Afro Caribbean child or the Indian child that s/he belongs to a different/foreign tradition. Be careful not to in the name of inclusion or diversity represent entirely British people as if they are foreign.
With the world cup, Trevor is asked who he supports, with the expectation that it would be Trinidad because of skin colour. Don’t do inclusion by defining people as different rather than people who belong in this space. It’s a great challenge, not jus kid’s business.
Question from floor by lecturer in Linguistics from DeMontfort. She thinks children know when to switch. But Trevor felt that too many young people don’t seem to know how to switch language in public discourse. It may not just be an issue of what happens in schools. Also the way that popular culture and media communicates. Inflections in speech will often by Americanized or Caribbean to be ‘authentically black’. Peer group pressure, commodification of black culture.
At the end, it’s a crude calculation. If someone goes for a job interview, do they know mores to speak and behave? Many people he knew had never had a proper conversation with a white person before going to university. Do all our children have the capability of dealing and communicating in a way for public spaces?
Melanie commented – the need for greater enforced representation in writers and publications. But many who are viewed as diverse do not have all the answers. She’s a mixture of four races, but she doesn’t feel that she has it down. Seems to be more of an onus on diverse people to come up with answers. How can people like him contribute to public conversation involving everyone?
Trevor said, you cannot enforce different kinds of writing. You can make it plausible for children for different kinds of people, showing that people like them write. You can’t make writing workforce representative. You can try to remove mental and other blockages. It’s partially class and partially ethnic.
‘Diversity is not an individual quality.’ It’s not – let’s get the black guy in and we’ll have black stuff. Just because someone originated in Africa 400 years ago… What are the resources that those who produce books have available? Workforce has to be broadly representative rather than exclusive. If you have to know something, now you need to go outside to get it. In TV, it’s not enough if making a programme about families to get them to interview. You need someone on the team who understands nuance and knows that’s being left out, then you don’t get the story. If you don’t have a mix/breadth of people at your disposal, internal, you’re not getting the whole story. He’s not against tokenism, he’s for it. Having one woman in a group of men can make a difference in the way the group behaves/functions. It’s good to have one, but must go further and have breadth.
Sarah Adam from the floor spoke of Faize Gehn who wrote a book called Just Like Tomorrow at 17 years old. It’s not just about rap and violence. Is language shrinking in orthodox and exploding in vernacular? She’s written a book using slang in small, judicious way. Had people from white/dominant culture read and enjoy it. Ties into point of unblocking people’s minds. She’s unprecedented in France. She’s not saying everyone should be like her, but by becoming a role model from her estate/background, young people see other opportunities. Creating a language that says don’t see orthodox language as too sacred, best not to have bastion, but can’t trap selves. Need bilingualism across orthodoxy.
Trevor agreed. This book is clearly a phenomenon like Zadie’s first book here. Remember, most people won’t read it. Most French people won’t have read or heard of it. If you go to a job interview, chances are that most on the panel won’t support this bilingualism. Even people with best will in the world who are employers are not in that space. His problem is, what does he say to a 15 year old? Wait for everyone to be in the same space? Or, there’s a way you have to deal with this world now? It’s the latter.
Sarah again – she’s occupying both spaces.
Trevor: Zadie Smith is a Cambridge graduate, she knows what to do in any situation. Most people of same ethnic background don’t know what to do. Most ethnic minority children aren’t given the opportunity to be equipped to deal with a world that is not fair, not enlightened, not progressive.
Closing remarks:
Gary McKeone, Director of Literature, Arts Council England
What happens next is important. Room for optimism but not complacency. More to do with more participation of public and private sectors. We can create children’s literature that reflects the world we inhabit. Global diversity for 2012 Olympics. We need to make practical steps.
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