Presentation from the MN Library Association RART (Reader's Advisory Round Table) 2017 Retreat. This year our topic was ROMANCE! Katie Polley and Carol Jackson co-presented on diversity within the romance genre.
3. The quantifiable reality is that writers are now catering to a more diverse
audience. But within HR [historical romance], the characters remain
steadfastly and almost exclusively White, even though the population of
that time period was not.
Let’s make this quantifiable (I refrained from using sources that would be
behind a paywall like academic journals or books, but some of these sources
have links to them). Here is the minority population breakdown based on
England’s migration data in the 1800s (note that census at the time is
considered unreliable for migration data):
• Americans in Britain (1881-1889): 16,000 – 19,000
• Africans in Britain (~1800): 14,000 – 20,000
• Indians in Britain (~1850): 40,000
BUT FIRST, SOME STATISTICS
4. So, Indian immigrants outnumbered American immigrants by more than a 2:1
margin, while Africans immigrants have comparable numbers to Americans.
And yet, if HRs were truly “historically accurate,” why do we have
proportionately more stories with Americans characters (usually heiresses), but
not Indians? Not only have Indians historically served as seamen, diplomats,
businessmen, and officials (the first non-White MP was elected in 1892), but
they are also better represented in the population.
In other words, it’s disingenuous and deceitful to defend a character who is
racist or sexist as “historically accurate,” while at the same time defending
stories populated entirely by White people as “accurate” as well.
From Guest Post: The Diversity Thorn – Ethnic Identity, History, and Historical Romance
published on Smart Bitches, Trashy Books 03/13/2017
BUT FIRST, SOME STATISTICS
5. Black and British: A Forgotten History
Black and British is a season of
programming celebrating the achievements of
black people in the UK and exploring the rich
culture and history of black Britain.
[…]with programming across BBC television,
radio and online, the Black and British season
showcases bold, vibrant and provocative
stories, overturning preconceptions and
challenging prejudices. The season will also
cast a fresh light on our history, examining the
contribution and impact of black people in
the UK, as well as exploring just what it
means to be black and British today. Join in
the conversation using the hashtag
#BlackandBritish
IF YOU CAN FIND THIS,
CHECK IT OUT!
18. Diversity in Romance: 2015 Survey posted by Audra North, summarized here
Quick and dirty summary of the findings:
• The most frequently cited obstacle to reading more romances featuring POC
characters was: knowing about existing or upcoming content.
• The most frequently cited method for finding out about new or existing
reads (not POC-specific): recommendation from a friend.
• Black or African-American respondents were significantly less likely than
any other race/ethnicity to explicitly state that race is not a factor when
choosing their next romance read.
• Black or African-American respondents were significantly more likely than
any other race/ethnicity to explicitly state that there is not enough diverse
content available in the romance genre.
MORE STATS, JUST FOR FUN
20. And the recommendations based on those findings:
• Booksellers and publishers can help by working together to increase quantity
and visibility of diverse romance in brick-and-mortar shops.
• Publishers (trad and self, alike) can help by focusing on changes to the
metadata of diverse e-book romances: don’t simply relegate these to the
“multicultural” shelf—virtual or otherwise.
• More content, especially in contemporary and historical romances.
• Talk about the diverse books you read! Buy them, but more importantly: read
and recommend them! Recommendations from friends was the most
frequently cited method for finding a new book and/or author.
• Conduct more in-depth look specifically at how romances by and about Black
or African-American POC are categorized and marketed.
From Report on Diversity in Romance, published on Scandalicious 08/10/2015
WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR
LIBRARIANS?
21. A FEW SOURCES TO CHECK OUT
just in case you want to know more
22. #wocinromance
• tumblr
• website
We Need Diverse Books
• Where to Find Diverse Books
A bit outdated, but:
• All About Romance Special Title Listings
• Floating Lush: Adult Genre Authors of Color Lists
Romance review sites:
• Romance Novels in Color
• Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
• Dear Author
CHECK THESE OUT!
