Inclusive Minds streamlines children’s book diversity charter

Inclusive Minds, a collective set up to encourage diversity and inclusivity in children’s books, has launched a new charter with four key aims.

The "Everybody In: Charter for Inclusion and Diversity" replaces earlier charters and contains four “statements of intent” that people in the book world can sign up to.

The statements of intent are: ensuring all children can find representatives of themselves in books; understanding that diversity encompasses race and heritage, disability, gender and gender identity, sexual orientation, age, socio-economic status, religion, and culture; understanding that inclusivity is part of the mainstream, not a separate genre; and keeping up to date with all aspects of diversity.

Beth Cox, formerly of publisher Child's Play, who co-founded Inclusive Minds with Alex Strick, formerly of BookTrust, said: "Big changes are made by lots of small actions. We hope that the charter will give everyone in the children’s book world the confidence to make individual changes, and a sense of collective responsibility to ensure that all children can see themselves in books, as well as those who are different from them.”

Strick added: “Signing up to the new streamlined charter is incredibly quick and easy.  It’s completely free, and gives signatories access to a wealth of benefits, so we hope take-up will be substantial.”  

The charter is aimed at publishers, booksellers, library professionals, teachers, authors, illustrators and agencies, and was put together with the help of the Publishers Association, IPG, EQUIP, Booksellers Association, Association of Senior and Children’s Librarians (ASCEL), School Library Association, Youth Libraries Group and the Society of Chief Librarians.

The charter is available online.