Diversity & Inclusion
Opening conversations and building positive, practical steps together
Every person has their own story, their own experience, and their own perspective on the world. We take very seriously the responsibility we have, to ensure all young people, as well as teachers and parents, feel reflected in the books they read – and are able to see and appreciate people and worlds that may be outside their own experience. We know that diverse and inclusive books can help improve young people’s wellbeing, empathy, confidence, and understanding of the world.
We are committed to sharing more voices, experiences, ideas, and insights through our publishing and our work with authors, illustrators and partners; whether that’s in a young child’s storybook or a History textbook.
What are we doing to ensure our books are inclusive?
- We consult with third parties who can impart expertise and first-hand knowledge
- We seek and champion authors who have lived experience to ensure that characters, topics and settings are authentic, and we are actively working to increase the diversity of our authors
- We work hard to avoid reinforcing stereotypes in our books and include positive role models who challenge limiting societal expectations
- We strive to ensure that underrepresented groups are depicted authentically in artwork
- We think carefully about the accessibility of our text and illustrations
We’re always working to improve
There is much work to do; we are dedicated to learning, improving and doing more.
If you would be interested in supporting us with this, then please contact workwithus.education@oup.com
Lit in Colour
We’re delighted to have joined Lit in Colour to encourage greater diversity in children’s reading. We will be providing free support for teachers and parents to increase confidence in teaching and discussing a more representative range of books from writers of colour and from minority ethnic backgrounds. This will include a school planning toolkit, as well as reading lists and an expert-led series of podcasts and blogs.
Working with us
Blogs
Stories to make a difference
OUP have partnered with Pathways to help aspiring illustrators and writers from under-represented backgrounds take their first steps in the publishing industry. The programme is aimed at preparing aspiring children's illustrators and writers from under-represented backgrounds, especially BAME, to help them forge sustainable careers in children's publishing. You can take a look at the pop up shop for 10 stories that make a difference here.
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