The creator of a book festival dedicated to black authors expressed the necessity to forge their own path in the publishing world due to the industry’s lack of diversity.
Selina Brown, a children’s author who self-published her work, established the Black British Book Festival in 2021 after encountering challenges alongside other black writers in establishing and maintaining careers within publishing.
This unique festival, touted as Europe’s sole event of its kind, anticipates drawing around 4,000 attendees at the Barbican Centre in London this Saturday. Notable speakers include Grammy-winning rapper Eve, MP Diane Abbott, journalist Charlene White, and TikTok sensation Big Manny.
In anticipation of the festival, Brown shared with The Guardian that an increasing number of individuals from marginalized communities are exploring alternative paths into publishing due to traditional avenues being inaccessible.
She emphasized the challenges faced by aspiring authors trying to navigate through literary agents as gatekeepers for traditional publishing routes.
View image in fullscreenThe founder of the festival urges publishers to engage readers from marginalized communities. Photograph: Farinuola Emmanuel
“Hence we witness a surge in self-publishing, hybrid publishing models, and creators leveraging social media platforms. It compels individuals to seek unconventional routes when traditional methods prove unattainable,” she explained.
Brown highlighted Big Manny’s non-traditional journey into publishing as emblematic of evolving trends. Emmanuel Wallace (Big Manny) published his debut book “Science is Lit” with Penguin after gaining popularity on TikTok for sharing backyard science experiments with nearly 2 million followers now.
‘You can carve your path by deviating from conventional norms,’ Brown asserted. ‘Audiences crave content that resonates with them on a personal level.’
Following George Floyd’s tragic murder in 2020, disparities within British publishing were brought into sharp focus.
‘Authors like Malorie Blackman and Matt Haig participated in #Publishingpaidme movement unveiling payment gaps between black and white writers,’ she noted.
However , four years later , Brown stressed that more action was imperative .
“ People have shared stories where they secured literary representation during George Floyd’s aftermath only for it all fade away once things settled down,” she revealed .
She urged publishers to actively engage readers from marginalized backgrounds . “ This necessitates having diverse marketing teams , PR personnel , and editors deliberately targeting these audiences,” she emphasized .
Penguin Random House , UK’s premier publisher , released…
2024 -10 -02T11 :07 :33
Article sourced from www.theguardian.com
