“As humans, we need to recognise the complexity of where we live and the history before colonisation.” – Rachel Bin Salleh
Why is there still a lack of diversity in children’s books?
Late in 2019, Better Reading was awarded a grant from the Copyright Agency to produce a six-part series, A Conversation on Diversity in Children’s Writing. At the time we could not have predicted what 2020 would bring. We now understand more than ever how little we know, and how important these conversations are. It’s a time for us to ask questions, and listen to the answers provided by people who are more knowledgeable than us on this subject. In this episode, that person is Rachel Bin Salleh.
Rachel Bin Salleh is descended from the Nimunburr and Yawuru peoples of the Kimberley region of Western Australia. She has worked in publishing for over 20 years and is passionate about Indigenous people telling their stories. Rachel lives in Broome with her family. Alfred’s War is her first book.
In episode 6, Rachel Bin Salleh from Magabala Books talks to Cheryl about her journey to becoming a publisher at Australia’s foremost Indigenous publishing house, the importance of giving diverse authors a voice, and what the publishing industry can do to support those authors. This is the final episode in the series.
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Acknowledgment of Cultural Fund support
Better Reading acknowledges the support provided by Copyright Agency.
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