Film and tv shows that still only cast white people make me feel extremely uncomfortable. The same goes for the English Literature curriculum – which, as an English teacher, I taught from for ten years. So I’m thrilled to see Penguin Random House UK (PRH) and the Runnymede Trust not only having produced a report on the situation – in conjunction with the English and Literacy department of Oxford University – but creating a real-time call to action, with definitive ways of creating systemic change. It’s also brilliant to see The Bookseller continue to champion their work, not least by putting the article on the front cover.
I loved interviewing Halima. Warm and modest, she’s someone who frequently uses the word ‘joy’; and – with her dynamic intelligence, combined with deep empathy – the perfect person to champion racial equality.
It was also very exciting to be invited to the Lit in Colour party afterwards – although I must say, I’ve clearly been living the life of a freelancer in the countryside for too long. I’ve never felt quite so old…
Jess Morency 