Minority ethnic communities may be better represented on the bookshelves but they are pitifully under-represented in UK publishing houses. In this excerpt from a report on the decibel/Bookseller research into cultural diversity in the publishing industry, Danuta Kean examines why this might be and looks at ways to make the industry more culturally diverse.
Publishing is, to coin a phrase, hideously white. That is the harsh conclusion of the first industry-wide survey into cultural diversity. It is also the conclusion of the vast majority of respondents to the decibel survey. ?A sea of white faces prevails, with occasional Asian ones and rare Black ones,? writes one. ?Book publishing is probably the least culturally diverse sector of the leisure/entertainment industry,? writes another. But if publishers are angst-ridden about the lack of diversity, why does the business remain so white? Why are minority ethnic communities under-represented in the workforce? Could UK publishing be institutionally racist?
Racism is an emotive word, which conjures up violent images of abuse. But it manifests itself in more subtle ways than the boot in the face or the verbal assault. It is present in the unthinking sins of omission as well as commission. It infects the seemingly innocuous, such as asking your only Black editor to pitch for a book by a Black author, even though that editor will not work on the book; or inviting an Indian accounts executive to boardroom drinks only when an Indian publisher visits town; or responding defensively when Black or Asian colleagues raise the subject of ethnic diversity. It is present in generalisations about minority ethnic communities. ?There are some innate barriers to full cultural diversity in publishing, as we rely heavily on good language and literary skills within our chosen fields,? wrote one editorial director in response to the decibel survey. ?Not all ethnic and cultural groups can offer these skills.? It is doubtful he
would regard his remarks as racist, but they are.
Open racism is rare in publishing. Few Black and Asian publishers regard the business as racist. But many feel that prevailing attitudes, while not intentionally racist, compound a sense of being in a minority. Ellah Allfrey, editor at Random House, says: ?The one thing that I have experienced, which is hard to categorise, is people being surprised at my race when they meet me. They don?t say anything, they just have this look of surprise which they don?t know how to mask.? More pernicious, according to Andrea Henry, who worked in publishing before moving to the Daily Mirror as books editor, is the way employers use minority ethnic employees to present a more diverse image. ?I have been wheeled out when publishers wanted to acquire a Black book.? She recalls being called by two different employers into pitches for projects by Black authors, with one of which she would have had no other involvement. ?I think they were quite glad to field a Black member of staff.?
Though rare, explicit racism is not unknown. Sales and marketing executive Syphia (not her real name) suffered serious harassment when she started in publishing. ?A director made my life hell,? she recalls. The man bombarded her with racist comments, jokes and questions, forcing his attentions upon her in a clear abuse of his position and power. Though management acknowledged the situation it took two years for them to act. ?Why did I put up with it for so long? I thought that maybe that is the way it is in publishing,? she recalls bitterly.
Victims of racial harassment rarely report it. There is a strong sense among minority ethnic publishers that to say anything will harm their career prospects. Even raising the subject of diversity can be a minefield, observes Ravi Mirchandani, editorial director at Wm Heinemann. He recalls a conversation with white publishing friends about why he liked working with an Asian colleague. ?There are things only we have in common,? he told them.What he regarded as a harmless observation spiralled into an argument, as his friends became defensive refusing to acknowledge that his ethnicity might make him different to them. This refusal to acknowledge cultural differences outrages Mirchandani: ?Just let me be different. Everyone around can be as liberal as hell, but that does not mean that sometimes it would be nice to have a couple of other people around who are like me.? He adds: ?Denial is about destroying colour. Being colour blind isn?t about tolerance. Tolerance is about allowing people to be different and acknowledging that we all have different stories.?
How can publishers ensure Black and Asian colleagues are free to speak out? Open communications helps. Better still, says one Black director, they can lead by example.
?I asked a close colleague of my former chief executive why the company didn?t have a bigger Black workforce, and he said, ?I don?t think that is important.? What is shocking about managing directors who have that mentality is that if they are at the helm their attitude has an effect on the rest of the staff. If they don?t think it is a priority, then there is no incentive for managers to make it a priority.?
Danuta Kean is contributing editor at Bookseller Publications.
The full version of this article was published in The Bookseller supplement
In Full Colour on Monday March 15. For more information contact The Bookseller on 020 7420 6083 or log on to http://www.thebookseller.com
The decibel page is prepared by Arts Council England. Find extra information at http://www.decibel-db.org
Denrele Ogunwa is Communications Officer for Arts Council England?s decibel project. t: 020 7973 6421; e: denrele.ogunwa@artscouncil.org.uk