Two days after the Society of Young Publishers (SYP) AGM on Diversity in Publishing, I am still mulling. As the thoughts coalesce, I can’t help but conclude that there are some fundamental problems in our industry barring diversity.
When we talk about diversity, it has so many definitions. Seonaid Mcleod has been working with EQUIP (Equality in Publishing) at the PA, which defines it as diversity of sexuality, gender, economic circumstance, ethnicity, geography, education, pregnancy, maternity – the list goes on for a long time! Indeed, it’s such a broad topic, I hardly know where to begin.
The ‘Diversity in Publishing’ debate panel for the SYP AGM 2015 was composed of Abigail Barclay, Managing Consultant at Inspired Selection; Seonaid Mcleod, PR Executive at the Publisher’s Association (PA); Kyle Cathie, from Kyle Books, and Suzanne Collier, owner of Book Careers. Despite the irony of a panel composed of four caucasian women, the variety of their viewpoints on the industry gave an insightful overall perspective on the issues at stake. The points raised cut the industry to its quick.
Continue reading “Diversity in Publishing: Report from the SYP AGM 2015”