Pan Macmillan to Launch New Publishing Imprint Focused on Amplifying Black British Voices
In an effort to address the alarming decline in representation of Black authors and books, Pan Macmillan is set to launch a new publishing collaboration with the Black British Book Festival (BBBF). The partnership aims to champion "raw talent" and highlight stories that reflect the "height of Black British literature."
This move comes as a response to the growing concern over the lack of diversity in children's books, which recently showed a sharp decline in featuring Black main characters. According to festival CEO Selina Brown, this drop-off is indicative of a larger issue with Black authors being acquired by publishers.
In 2022, the BBBF received hundreds of book submissions following the George Floyd protests and Black Lives Matter movement, but this year saw a 50% decline in such submissions. The lackluster response from publishers was likened to "We don't have any books to give you" by some.
Brown's vision for the new publishing collaboration is centered around community. By working closely with Black voices, the publisher hopes to create books that truly reflect and serve their audience. She believes that this approach will lead to a more inclusive publishing industry.
The partnership will commission adult and children's books set to hit shelves from 2027. Pan Macmillan has been the main sponsor for BBBF for the past four years, and Brown attributes their support as an easy choice due to their long-standing commitment to championing Black voices.
Brown expressed gratitude towards other UK publishers who have paved the way for future generations of authors. "We stand on the shoulders of great publishers that have come before us – HopeRoad, Jacaranda Books, Merky Books, Dialogue." The new publisher does not yet have a name, but its mission is clear: to amplify Black British voices and bring the stories they deserve to life.
With this partnership, Pan Macmillan takes a significant step towards addressing the systemic inequalities within the publishing industry. As Brown aptly put it, "it's 2025 now," time for change has finally arrived, with the hope that books will soon reflect the diverse world we live in.
In an effort to address the alarming decline in representation of Black authors and books, Pan Macmillan is set to launch a new publishing collaboration with the Black British Book Festival (BBBF). The partnership aims to champion "raw talent" and highlight stories that reflect the "height of Black British literature."
This move comes as a response to the growing concern over the lack of diversity in children's books, which recently showed a sharp decline in featuring Black main characters. According to festival CEO Selina Brown, this drop-off is indicative of a larger issue with Black authors being acquired by publishers.
In 2022, the BBBF received hundreds of book submissions following the George Floyd protests and Black Lives Matter movement, but this year saw a 50% decline in such submissions. The lackluster response from publishers was likened to "We don't have any books to give you" by some.
Brown's vision for the new publishing collaboration is centered around community. By working closely with Black voices, the publisher hopes to create books that truly reflect and serve their audience. She believes that this approach will lead to a more inclusive publishing industry.
The partnership will commission adult and children's books set to hit shelves from 2027. Pan Macmillan has been the main sponsor for BBBF for the past four years, and Brown attributes their support as an easy choice due to their long-standing commitment to championing Black voices.
Brown expressed gratitude towards other UK publishers who have paved the way for future generations of authors. "We stand on the shoulders of great publishers that have come before us – HopeRoad, Jacaranda Books, Merky Books, Dialogue." The new publisher does not yet have a name, but its mission is clear: to amplify Black British voices and bring the stories they deserve to life.
With this partnership, Pan Macmillan takes a significant step towards addressing the systemic inequalities within the publishing industry. As Brown aptly put it, "it's 2025 now," time for change has finally arrived, with the hope that books will soon reflect the diverse world we live in.
i'm so hyped about this new move by pan macmillan! they're finally listening to the voices of black british authors and giving them a platform 
it's about time we see more diversity in children's books 
especially with the decline in submissions from bbbf last year 
hope this collaboration brings more raw talent to the table 
it's all about working together and amplifying black voices 
i feel like this is just what we need right now in 2025 
time for change, indeed! 
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. It's crazy that there was a 50% decline in submissions after last year and some publishers just didn't show up 
. I love that Pan Macmillan is partnering with the BBBF to create books that actually reflect their audience 
. Can't wait to see what stories get told! 
. The fact that they're working closely with the community and trying to create books that reflect their audience is genius. We need more of this kind of thinking in publishing. Fingers crossed it sets off a chain reaction and we'll see more diverse books on shelves soon! 
I'm literally screaming yay 
right now!! Pan Macmillan is finally taking steps to address this huge gap in representation of Black British authors & books! It's about time, tbh 
this is SOOO needed!!! its about time someone does smthing about the lack of diversity in children's books i mean like what even is the point of havin a kid if ur gonna be the ONLY ONE lookin at that book 
pan macmillan finally step up and partner with BBBF its about time we see more black authors gettin their book babies published 
i gotta give it to selina brown tho she's got spunk and thats exactly what this industry needs!!! 
some publishers are finally listening to the voices of black british authors and creators... i mean, can you believe the decline in submissions from bbbf after the george floyd protests? 50% down is crazy 
it's not just about numbers tho, it's about representation and making sure those stories are being told. pan macmillan's new imprint sounds like a game changer 
!
still gotta give credit tho, selina brown's got some points about community and working with black voices being the key to change... but what about all the other authors who wanna write about black british experiences? don't they deserve a chance too? 
think its awesome they're finally committing to change but its about time 
As someone who loves reading and has always been passionate about representation in books, this new initiative is like music to my ears! I'm hyped to see what kind of amazing stories are going to come out of this partnership... it's gonna be a game-changer for kids' lit, for sure. 
. Let's give a shoutout to Selina Brown and the BBBF crew for pushing boundaries and creating positive change 