Posted by Bobby on Tue 7th June 2011 | 7 comments
Like many people in New York City, I am an immigrant. I grew up in Canada and arrived in the United States in the mid-’90s with the hazy goal of becoming a writer. A decade later I had earned my PhD in American Studies, taught children in community centers and after-school programs, and finally managed to publish my first picture book with a multicultural press (Lee & Low Books).
When Bird won a number of awards, I believed other doors would automatically open but the publishing industry remained an arena that was largely off-limits for me. I began to blog about my frustration and decided to use my scholarly training to investigate the role of race in publishing. I discovered that I wasn’t the only author of color who was struggling to make it into print; the problem wasn’t personal (a lack of ability or the result of my “bad attitude”), it was institutional and would therefore require a significant shift in practice and perspective.
But how could one author effect change in the industry? Even if I were willing to torpedo my own publishing career, could I reasonably expect others to publicly critique powerful gatekeepers? When Laura Atkins, an ally in the UK, introduced me to DIPNET I finally started to feel optimistic. Like-minded people could form a coalition, write an equalities charter, and convince members of the publishing community to become signatories! Importantly, DIPNET used the London Book Fair as an annual opportunity to hold a public conversation about the need for, and benefits of, greater diversity and equity in publishing.
Last month the annual BookExpo America convened in New York City. I was only able to attend one reception, but a blogger friend visiting from Arizona spent a day on the exhibition floor and called me to ask, “Where are the people of color?” Right now I’m working with others to develop a session on equity in publishing at BEA 2012; my hope is that the US version of DIPNET will eventually emerge, enabling the US to follow the UK’s lead in creating a publishing industry that reflects our 21st-century reality.
The DIPNET blog is open to all members, so please join the community by posting your thoughts!
Zetta, thank you for your hard work, vision and passion. I hope that many more join you in moving this project forward. It might not be much, but you have my full support. Best wishes on your preparation for BEA 2012.
05:13 PM
Rock on Zetta!! Your idea for BEA 12 sounds great, I would love to be a part of it. This last go round with “YA saves” has sprung me back into action. YA isn’t being attack by bad journalism via the WSJ from the outside, the attack has always been and is from the inside. But can it change? I think the renewed respect for self-pub and E books will make the traditional publishers less relevant for all and especially for writers of color who I believe could benefit the most. We shall see . . . Thanks so much for your tireless efforts!!
02:41 PM
Thanks, Jaime and Nathalie! I’ll definitely need your support to get this project off the ground.
03:08 AM
Just googled your book ‘Bird’ - it looks very stylish and I’ll definitely try and get hold of a copy. Good luck with your efforts in the publishing industry. My first middle-grade series (Cinnamon Grove) is coming out with a mainstream publisher (Frances Lincoln) in Spring 2012 - which makes me hopeful that changes are afoot. (It follows the adventures of Ramzi Ramadan (a Muslim boy in England), his homesick, sleepwalking Algerian father, and his best friend (the little Pakistani child-genius) Shaima Stalk). Let’s hope things continue to improve in the future and I’ll look out for more of your work with interest!
09:18 PM
Thanks, Wendy—and congratulations on your new series! I hope your books will be available in the US and Canada.
02:00 PM
Yes - I hope so too. It’s an international publisher so I’ll keep you posted.
03:22 PM
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