We have a national and international reputation for initiating change-making research.
To date, we have published four groundbreaking pieces of research with our partners that have influenced not only our work, but wider recognition of the challenges that literature and the publishing industry face.
In 2005, Free Verse: publishing opportunities for Black and Asian poets, commissioned by Arts Council England, Scottish Arts Council and Arts Council Wales, explored why so few Black and Asian poets had been published in the UK in the previous ten years. It ultimately led to the Complete Works – a mentoring scheme for advanced Black and Asian poets, which provoked a cultural shift in the dynamics and diversity of the British poetry scene.
In 2015, we published Writing the Future: Black and Asian Authors Publishers in the Market Place, edited by Danuta Kean and deputy edited by Mel Larsen. The report revealed that the publishing industry’s poor commitment to diversity was putting it at risk of becoming culturally irrelevant. In response, London Writers Centre began the London Writers Awards.This research came about following a conversation with writer Courttia Newland.
In 2020, we launched Rethinking ‘Diversity’ in Publishing by Dr Anamik Saha and Dr Sandra van Lente, Goldsmiths, University of London, in partnership with the Bookseller and Words of Colour. It showed that the industry’s diversity and inclusion initiatives were not enough to bring about the sustained systemic change that needs to happen to create a level playing field for – and a valuing of – Black, Asian, minority ethnic and working-class writers and audience. It was the first academic piece of research to look at diversity in publishing and opened up conversations across the industry.
In 2022, working with CRIPtic Arts, we published Access to Literature. The report presented the first national picture of the barriers D/deaf and disabled writers, creative producers and audiences experience in accessing the literature and publishing sectors. The intention was to build an evidence base to support change, and to open up a wider conversation about access and inclusion. Ultimately, we wanted to generate more opportunities for D/deaf and disabled writers, creative producers and audiences. Further research will take place in 2026.
