tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222814162697318696.post4748408341647323959..comments2024-03-26T07:24:43.732+00:00Comments on Words&Pictures: FROM YOUR EDITOR Carnegie Snubs BAME Authors Candy Gourlayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07802791643303335762noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222814162697318696.post-64914605855446643582017-03-05T20:20:04.222+00:002017-03-05T20:20:04.222+00:00If there's one esteemed group of people we do ...If there's one esteemed group of people we do not want to hurt, that'll be librarians who give so many unsalaried hours to support children's authors and illustrators.<br /><br />I would also disagree with snub. I am sure that the whiteness of the Carnegie list, this year and in past years, is absolutely NOT a conscious decision by the judges.<br /><br />BUT the library sector MUST do something radical about the diversity of its workforce and so CILIP about its membership and how it recruits/selects judges.<br /><br />I took this from The Bookseller (Nov 2015) so it's possible (but I fear, unlikely) that the situation has changed:<br /><br />"The workforce also has lower ethnic diversity than the national UK Labour Force Survey average statistic, with 96.7% of workers identifying as "white", almost 10% above the national workforce average. The sector has an ageing pool of workers, with the highest proportion (at 55.3%), in the 45-to-55 age band."<br /><br />Of course we all know what this awful government are doing to libraries which only makes diversity of culture, ethnicity, ability, faith, gender, socio economic status, age... even harder to achieve.<br /><br />So in this current world situation, where diversity is seriously threatened across the board, wouldn't it be great if one of the most prestigious prizes in #kidlit really took a stand.Jan Carrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11335419896028312596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222814162697318696.post-85797342480772209302017-02-28T09:27:38.707+00:002017-02-28T09:27:38.707+00:00I would disagree with the word snub - eight eligib...I would disagree with the word snub - eight eligibleBAME authors were nominated, you may as well say that 95 authors were snubbed as there is a long-list of 20 and a 115 total of eligible titles were nominated or even Publishing snubs BAME writers. <br /><br />Standing judges are unable to comment but I can imagine they are horrified and hurt by these accusations and the emotive language usedMatthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09271183412508926780noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222814162697318696.post-41254185030419671132017-02-27T08:48:49.976+00:002017-02-27T08:48:49.976+00:00I agree with Candy, and I'm not sure what a bo...I agree with Candy, and I'm not sure what a boycott would achieve, other than a lot of bad feeling and bewilderment. I suspect that all the discussion over this year's shortlist will already have focused minds and shone lights, and next year's will be different.Sue Purkisshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09084528571944803477noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222814162697318696.post-58352947454089122632017-02-26T19:10:41.473+00:002017-02-26T19:10:41.473+00:00I agree. Librarians do an extraordinary job bringi...I agree. Librarians do an extraordinary job bringing books which might disappear in a market-driven publishing environment to the attention of readers. <br />Claire Wattshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12027980537265051151noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222814162697318696.post-16437831837999452722017-02-26T12:56:48.411+00:002017-02-26T12:56:48.411+00:00I too am dismayed that the strongest BAME showing ...I too am dismayed that the strongest BAME showing in years has not made it to the longlist. But personally I am horrified by the idea of a boycott because of all people in the industry, it has been the librarians of CILIP and elsewhere that have been most vocal on the subject of diversity, and most supportive of other voices. My own books tend to be discovered via the advocacy of librarians. The longlists have featured BAME authors in the past, including me, but not so much in the shortlists, and never in its 60 year history has there been a winner with a BAME background. But I think rather than exclude ourselves with boycotts, it is in all our interests, librarians and authors alike to come together and ask ourselves, why has this happened? What can we do about it? How can we change things? There is enough division in this world. Let this be an issue that brings us together rather than drives us apart.Candy Gourlayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07802791643303335762noreply@blogger.com