Book publishers and literary agents are actively discouraging submissions from white and “able-bodied” people, preferring instead to support those from perceived “marginalized” or “under-represented” backgrounds, an investigation has found.
A number of authors have even claimed they have become “ostracized” from the industry as they are not black or an ethnic minority, disabled, or LGBT. One example is Ash Literary, which states explicitly on its submissions page:
“We are actively seeking voices that have historically been underrepresented, particularly with tropes that are often said to be “over done”. For example, we are not interested in stories about white able bodied WW2 evacuees but would welcome that story from a disabled, LGBTQ+ or BIPOC [Black, Indigenous, and Other People of Color] perspective.”
Another is the Good Literary Agency, which even receives funding the British government to represent “British writers from backgrounds under-represented in UK publishing” and demands that job applicants understand societal issues in publishing and structural inequalities from “BAME [Black and Minority Ethnic], working class, disabled, and LGBTQ+ being under-represented.”
In recent days, top law firms were also found to be actively discriminating against white employees or applicants, with new legal challenges set to confront the practice already underway.
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