MA in Publishing
MA in Publishing
Posted by hjv202
7 March 2024By Hannah Van den Branden
Let’s for a moment imagine ourselves in the same room. There’s a large white table at which we are sat, legs crossed, hands placed in our lap. We each have a notebook filled with lines and lines of ideas: scribbles, thoughts, dreams. I have poured my heart onto each page, and you have too. I clear my throat a couple of times, and you uncap the lid of your pen.
A sole person talks throughout the entire meeting.
Despite a much-needed push for equal representation in the publishing industry, it is identified by academic Katy Shaw as ‘the least diverse creative sector operating in the UK today’[1]. A lack of regional diversity presents as a major issue in publishing representation. As a London-centric industry, its major influence and power is funnelled into the capital. It is important to question, therefore, just how much is lost this way.
The UK is richly diverse, with a prided heritage of ingenuity and creativity. To truly emphasise the detriment of not addressing regional disparities, let’s map the UK’s literary canon excluding authors who do not hail from London.
We must wave goodbye to the Brontës, Agatha Christie, William Wordsworth, Jean Rhys, William Golding, W.H. Auden, Arthur Conan Doyle, and many, many more.
Shakespeare, too. Being from the Midlands, he may not have got a look-in.
The significance of regional writing cannot be understated. To have one line of communication to a wider global audience, whilst ignoring the creative chorus coming from all corners of the UK, is unsustainable.
The industry is already shifting to operate less centrally; with Hachette and HarperCollins opening offices outside of London, efforts such as these go beyond virtue signalling and present an active solution. It is imperative that other major publishing houses follow suit, and be inclusive of all regions across the UK. This is beneficial not only for those previously excluded, but for the cultivation of a literature truly representative of the nation.
The South West is an energetic hive of literary and cultural activity. Inspired by its natural landscape and nurtured by its communities, the creative output of this region is plentiful. It is the responsibility of the publishing industry to ensure that diversity is prioritised across all branches of the sector; whether an author or editor, the literary landscape of the UK should reflect all of its citizens.
Supporting independent bookshops, attending literary festivals, and uplifting local authors are just small ways that change can be encouraged. Regional writing allows for an authentic mapping of class, landscapes, cities, ethnicities, and voices in the UK today. By promoting regional literature, we can create a better global understanding of the country itself.
Let’s once again return to our meeting. Our notebooks are open. We take it in turns to talk, and our scribbles, thoughts and dreams swirl around the room in creative chaos.
It is loud. It is unique. It is wonderful.
[1] Shaw, Katy. “Common people: Breaking the class ceiling in UK publishing”. Creative Industries Journal, Vol. 13 No. 3, pp214-227, Taylor & Francis Online 10.1080/17510694.2019.1707521.