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'Non-white voices struggle to be heard'

23.04.07

The Guardian reports that a report has found that diversity in the world of books reflects that of the general population. But the newspaper says that the issue is not that clear cut. "For a start, the population census is six years out of date. Also, the UK publishing industry is mainly based in London, a city in which almost 3 in 10 residents are from BME backgrounds. The capital's ethnic composition is not matched by its publishing houses, with 9.5% of staff being non-white, finds the Ethnic Diversity in Publishing report."

Without a culturally-diverse staff sourcing and mentoring new writers, non-white voices will struggle to be heard, says Alison Morrison of Diversity in Publishing Network (DIPNet), which commissioned the report. "Last year, a lot of the books written by BMEs tended to come from people who are Oxford or Cambridge educated," she says. "So, a certain type of voice was coming through and that type of person was well versed in being able to handle the publishing process.

Guardian

Diversity BME

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