Diversity and Inclusion in Young Adult Publishing, 1960–1980

This study examines British young adult publishing between 1960-1980 and how editors approached inclusion of Black and Asian Britons.

Karen Sands-O'Connor (Author)

9781108827836, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 27 October 2022

75 pages
17.7 x 12.8 x 0.6 cm, 0.1 kg

This Element examines the early years of British Young Adult (YA) publishing at three strategic publishing houses: Penguin, Heinemann and Macmillan. Specifically, it discusses their YA imprints (Penguin Peacocks, Heinemann New Windmills and Macmillan Topliners), all created at a time when the population of Britain was changing and becoming more diverse. Migration of colonial and former colonial subjects from the Caribbean, India, and Africa contributed to a change in the ethnic makeup of Britain, especially in major urban centres such as London, Birmingham and Manchester. While publishing has typically been seen as slow to respond to societal changes in children's literature, all three of these Young Adult imprints attempted to address and include Black British and British Asian readers and characters in their books; ultimately, however, their focus remained on white readers' concerns.

Introduction: Citizens of Tomorrow, Reading Today: Catering to the New 'Teenager' Reader in Britain
1. A Whole Raft of Readers Unaddressed: Peacocks, the 'Reading Teen' and Racial Diversity
Crossover Text: G. M. Glaskin's A Waltz Through the Hills
2. To Know Which Way the Wind is Blowing: Ian Serraillier and New Windmill
Crossover Author: Joan Tate, Heinemann and Topliners
3. Is it Always Like This? Topliners and Publishing for the Reluctant Reader of Colour
Conclusion: A Positive Approach From Society Towards Integration? British Young Adult Literature and White Privilege.

Subject Areas: Black & Asian studies [JFSL3], Children’s & teenage literature studies [DSY], Literary studies: fiction, novelists & prose writers [DSK], Literary studies: general [DSB]