independent publishers guild

The IPG and Diversity

Our aims
The IPG is wholeheartedly committed to supporting diversity and equality in publishing. We support the black and minority ethnic publishing communities, promote the work of publishers serving these groups, and are proud to have many such companies among our members. We encourage young people of all races and backgrounds to work in publishing, and support black and minority ethnic individuals already doing so. The IPG also promotes full gender equality and the equal opportunity rights of disabled people in publishing.

Our work
We have set up a diversity sub-committee, made up of four board members and executive director Bridget Shine, to drive forward our diversity strategies. To ensure we meet our ambitious targets on race equality, the IPG has an Action Plan which members can download here.

We have launched a new Diversity Award as part of the Independent Publishing Awards, to be presented to an independent publisher making an outstanding commitment to publishing for black or minority ethnic groups in the UK. The Diversity Award will be presented for the first time at the IPG Conference in March 2007, and you can find out more about it here. We will be publicising this award among national and minority ethnic media in the run-up to the presentation.

Our regular e-bulletin also keeps members informed about the latest news and resources in issues of diversity and equality. And we act as a forum where publishers can discuss the best ways to promote diversity and reach readers from minority ethnic groups. We also plan to identify new ways the IPG can support minority ethnic publishers in the future.

Find out more: resources and links
These websites and reports will be of use to members wanting to find out more about diversity and what they can do. The IPG takes no responsibility for the content of external websites.

The Bookseller has published In Full Colour, a major survey of diversity in publishing. It found that the overwhelming majority of publishing staff did not consider their company to be culturally diverse, and suggested ways the industry might improve its diversity. Copies of the influential report can be downloaded for free from the Bookseller's website which also contains more background information about diversity in publishing.

The Bookseller followed up this research in 2006 with a survey of how publishers are meeting the needs of readers in minority ethnic communities. The results prompted ideas on how to reach these readers, and were published in Books for All . The report can be downloaded for free here .

The Bookseller 's reports were produced in association with Arts Council England, which has launched a five-year 'decibel' project to promote the work of minority ethnic artists in the UK. An introduction to decibel can be found here .

The Arts Council also teamed up with the Department for Education and Skills to produce a short film about the diversity of young people's reading. The film can be viewed here .

Several IPG members are involved with Arts Council England's 'Positive Action Publishing Traineeships', an initiative to improve diversity in publishing. Young people from minority ethnic groups get the chance to work with companies to further their careers. News of the latest traineeships can be found here and Arts Council England's website has more general background information.

The Diversity in Publishing Network was set up in 2004 in response to the Decibel report. It promotes the contribution to publishing made by minority ethnic groups in the UK. It is a forum for discussion about diversity and provides useful resources and events for publishers.

Reports on a two-day conference about diversity in children's publishing organised by Arts Council England and the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education can be found here and here .

Spread the Word has published a report, Free Verse , investigating opportunities for black and Asian poets in the UK. It asks why poetry publishers are not more diverse, and looks at ways they can improve. Copies can be downloaded for free from the dedicated Free Verse website .

Various agencies have useful resources for companies wanting to put racial, gender and disability equality into practice. The Commission for Racial Equality has guidelines and advice about good practice in ethnic diversity. The Equal Opportunities Commission has information about putting gender equality into practice. And the Disability Rights Commission has help for employers wanting to promote equal opportunities.

Women in Publishing promotes the status of women working in publishing and helps them to further their careers.