Why We Need Diverse Books Is No Longer Using the Term #OwnVoices
We Need Diverse Books, the grassroots nonprofit organization dedicated to getting diverse books into the hands of readers and supporting diversity and positive change from within publishing, has announced that they will no longer use the term “#ownvoices” in reference to children’s literature or its creators. The organization states, “The hashtag was never intended to be used in a broader capacity, but it has since expanded in its use to become a “catch all” marketing term by the publishing industry. Using #OwnVoices in this capacity raises issues due to the vagueness of the term, which has then been used to place diverse creators in uncomfortable and potentially unsafe situations. It is important to use the language that authors want to celebrate about themselves and their characters.”
Here Are The Winners Of The 2020 Nebula Awards
The winners of the 2020 Nebula Awards were presented by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America at a virtual ceremony this year. The winners and honorees include Network Effect by Martha Wells, Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark, Nalo Hopkinson, Connie Willis, and more. See the full list.
Jeanette Winterson Burns Her Own Books In Protest At ‘Cosy Little Blurbs’
Author Jeanette Winterson took issue with some of the new blurbs that were printed on her new reissue editions of many of her older books, including The PowerBook, The Passion, and Written on the Body. She called them “cosy little domestic blurbs” and stated that they “turned me into wimmins fiction of the worst kind!” In a statement to the Guardian, she clarified that she did give many of her author copies away to charity, as she had no desire to keep these editions, but she needed a “symbolic burning.” Many readers were quick to raise eyebrows, and point out that blurbs and reissues are often a chance for publishers to try new marketing strategies and for the work to find new audiences. Furthermore, women’s fiction is a category that has grown in response to the misogyny in literary fiction circles, and is quite successful. But Winterson’s actions certainly have given her books a lot more attention.