'Change is not happening fast enough': UK publishers promise to tackle inequality

Responding to the newly formed Black Writers’ Guild, all five of the biggest publishers say they will make more room for black authors and staff

The “big five” UK publishing houses have separately acknowledged that “change is not happening fast enough” and that they must do a lot more to address racial inequalities in the books world, highlighted earlier this week by the newly formed Black Writers Guild.

The BWG, which counts major black British authors from Malorie Blackman to Bernardine Evaristo among its members, wrote an open letter to British publishing on Monday. Coming after years of reports exposing the racial inequality in the industry, the letter called for numerous measures, including an audit of books published by black authors and of black publishing staff, and for the companies to address the lack of black executives on their boards.

Related: Black Writers’ Guild calls for sweeping change in UK publishing

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