Literature produced by 'minorities' and women gain universal resonance

Although the book world is making way for more women, it is still predominantly white. Photo: AFP

The publishing industry is often criticised for its lack of diversity. Some defend the sector’s hermetic nature and the resulting lack of diversity in storytelling by citing reader preferences. But this theory is strongly contradicted by a new American study.

Some 89% of fiction titles published in 2018 were written by white authors, according to The New York Times. This lack of diversity was recently highlighted through the #PublishingPaidMe movement.