Network Chairs
We speak to some of the network chairs at employee-led groups for those from ethnic minority backgrounds on celebrating their wins, balancing their dual roles and why managers are vital in fostering an inclusive environment that retains diverse talent.
From left to right:
Akua Boateng is Senior Marketing Manager and outgoing co-chair of BLOOM, Bloomsbury’s BAME network. After hearing Bolu Babalola reading an excerpt from ‘Love in Colour’ at her editor’s wedding, she is revisiting the story in audiobook form.
ColourFull at Penguin Random House UK is led by Asia Choudhry is an Assistant Editor at Chatto & Windus (currently reading ‘Brotherless Night’ by V. V. Ganeshananthan) and Amanda Waters is an editor at Ebury (currently reading ‘Tokyo Express’ by Seichō Matsumoto).
Harriet Bowers is a Marketing Executive at Collins as well as co-chair of Elevate at HarperCollins, and her current read is ‘Things Fall Apart’ by Chinua Achebe.
Carol-Anne Royer (Content Marketing Executive) and Cheyney Smith (Senior Marketing Manager) are co-chairs of RISE, Pan Macmillan's Race and Ethnicity Staff Network. Carol-Anne is reading the historical romance, ‘Isabel and the Rogue’ by Liana de la Rosa, and Cheyney is swept away by F1 romance ‘Cross the Line’ by Simone Soltani.
Sabah Khan is Publicity Director, Adult, Fiction & Non-Fiction, Simon & Schuster UK and was the former co-chair of the S&S Diversity Council. She is currently reading ‘The Library Thief’ by Kuchenga Shenjé.
You can find out more about the employee-led networks focused on race and ethnicity across the entire industry here.
‘It gave us a safe space where we could share, learn and empower each other, and support each other on our journeys without having to offer any caveats about our experiences.’
To start us off on a high, can you share with us any highlights from your time as network co-chair so far and what impact you saw this have?
Sabah Khan (DC): One of my absolute highlights is helping to co-found Elevate at HarperCollins. It gave us a safe space where we could share, learn and empower each other, and support each other on our journeys without having to offer any caveats about our experiences. The network is still thriving, which is a really powerful testament to what we created. It has had a deep impact on the business itself, and it has also brought me some of my best friends, which I am truly grateful for.
Harriet Bowers (Elevate): Last October, we hosted a Black History Month Quiz with quiz masters PRTYHERE and their publishers HarperNonFiction, which was a real blast (and also, a lot of work!) where non-network members from HC and colleagues from other publishers joined us. On a smaller scale, we've also introduced drop-in sessions and opportunities for more informal chats with members outside of our formal monthly meetings. In a hybrid working world, it's more difficult for our members to form deeper relationships, and these sessions are giving everyone a chance to get to know one another better.
Asia Choudhry (ColourFull): Back in February, we hosted a 5-year anniversary party for the network at Reference Point. People from our network attended, alongside allies from PRH and across the industry - we had around 100 people there! On the night we had book giveaways, free drinks, a DJ and a photographer. It was a fantastic evening. Preena Gadher, MD of Penguin General, gave an important and impactful (and very funny!) speech about her career journey and a write-up was published in the Bookseller! This was a milestone event for our network, celebrating everything that has come before and laying the groundwork and intention for everything we want to achieve in the future.
Amanda Waters (ColourFull): A recent highlight was a social event that we organised to celebrate South Asian Heritage Month, in partnership with another PRH network, The Muslim Accord. We ate lunch together and hired two henna artists, who did absolutely beautiful work. The celebration took place just a couple of weeks after the racist riots in the UK, so it felt particularly poignant to come together and have a celebratory, community-focused occasion where we prioritised friendship and joy.
Akua Boateng (BLOOM): Our network started during the pandemic so doing more things IRL has been fun. I'm really proud of the Know Your Blood Type event we organised for Sickle Cell Awareness Day in 2023. Representatives from the NHS Blood & Transplant Team came to Bloomsbury with information on the initiative, and anyone keen to register to become a new blood donor had the opportunity to find out their likely blood type on the day of the event. The NHS Team provided attendees with a tailored message about their specific blood type, and information on why this is useful to Sickle Cell carriers, and we all learned about this debilitating disease which mostly affects Black people. Over sixty people in our London office signed up to be NHS donors over the two-day event.
Cheyney Smith (RISE): When we took on our roles as co-chairs last November, we were determined to make sure that RISE was a space for community and fun, and we've tried to make sure that this is at the heart of everything we do. We've introduced more socials, as well as quarterly Wine and Whine sessions where we get together to share some of the heavier things happening both in and outside of the office in a safe space.
Carol-Anne Royer (RISE): We've seen a great increase in attendance and engagement at our monthly meetings and I am proud that we have created a space where people feel comfortable to share their opinions.
‘…the feedback we've had and being able to drive positive change within the business makes it worthwhile.’
How do you find the day-to-day of running a network, and how do you strike that balance with your full-time role?
AW & AC (ColourFull): Officially, running the network is meant to take 8 hours a month. Of course, this fluctuates throughout the year, but having a co-chair to work with really helps. We are friends outside of work, lean on each other and communicate honestly and frequently – this makes succeeding at our jobs while balancing network duties so much easier. We have also sought help when we need it. We recently formed a network committee along with our Inclusion Action Group reps, Sriya and Cameron, which means we can spread the load and tackle problems together. Ultimately we wouldn't be able to do it alone; it's a community effort!
CS & CAR (RISE): There's no denying that it's an extra layer of pressure and workload to add to the mix, but we’ve had a lot of really great support for us, from our Steering Group who help us to run the network, the People team at Pan Macmillan, and our Network Sponsors, who have been fantastic as a sounding board and for helping us to move the needle in driving change. I've (CS) had a wonderful line manager who has been really supportive of helping me find time to prioritise the network when it needs it, and then Carol-Anne and I really lean on each other a lot too, picking up the slack when one of us is getting overwhelmed. It's definitely been a struggle at times but the feedback we've had and being able to drive positive change within the business makes it worthwhile.
SK (DC): Working with and for a network is incredibly rewarding but it does take up a lot of headspace and time. It's about being able to manage your day to day job while giving yourself the chance to build in time during the work day to also think about and action anything to do with the network, and encouraging colleagues who may not be in a network to understand that too, in case it impacts your capacity. You need to give yourself grace and know that sometimes it's okay to step away from the network if that's the right thing to do. You can always go back, and you can also champion something you care about in other ways - even though I am no longer co-chair of the council here, I still am a passionate advocate for diversity within the business and have found other ways to support this.
AB (BLOOM): The fun and the admin of running the network is split between myself and my co-chair and different projects within the network have different leads. Delegation has been a real aid so there's never too much on anyone's plate. I honestly don't know if I have struck or can strike a balance. The responsibilities in my full-time role increased this year and I haven't had the capacity to drive all the BLOOM initiatives I did last year.
HB (Elevate): As a co-chair, you feel a lot of personal responsibility for the success of your network. It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking you need to be involved in everything, doing everything. In reality, having a committee means you can and should delegate to share the workload — and it will work out just fine! It's also important to consider the balance between effort and rewards for any activity. If the benefit is outweighed by the time and effort required, then it isn't really worth doing. At Elevate, we're trying to get more out of doing less at the moment to save time.
‘Team leaders also need to champion diversity and inclusion as much as possible so that junior colleagues don't feel as though they have to do it all alone.’
The FLIP survey found that minority ethnic respondents were more likely to disagree that their workloads were sustainable or balanced. In your experience, can you share some reasons as to why you think this might be the case, and your ideal solution on how to prevent this?
SK (DC): I think there is a general problem in publishing about workloads not being balanced, and we often find ourselves (no matter our identity) doing more than is in our job spec. Having said that, I do think that junior staff, who are more likely to be from a minority background than seniors, find it harder to work out their own limits – they want to be successful and that doesn't often allow them to say ‘no’ to additional work. I think a key way to prevent this is being really candid about what is important for the business and for us, and also being respectful of boundaries. The work-life balance is crucial and we're still seeing a blurring of those lines post-Covid, so everyone does just have to be more aware. Our capacities are all different too; what I might think is a reasonable workload might be too much for someone on my team and it's my job to address that and make sure everything is working for each person and their individual goals. I would highly encourage people to bring this to the attention of their managers if something isn’t working. Speaking as a manager, I would always rather my team felt comfortable bringing something to me, even if I don’t have the answer, so that together we can find a solution - and if you find your manager isn’t able to help, perhaps it’s time to seek out a mentor or someone else who can help to support you.
CS (RISE): It took me a long time to learn that saying 'yes' to everything wasn't the most helpful thing for me or my team and that saying 'no' to a task, or a project, or a meeting, wasn't me being difficult or problematic, but it was instead me prioritising my time and my boundaries so that I could do my job to the best of my abilities, which in the end is better for everyone! Burnout is no joke. Never be afraid to ask for help if you are feeling overwhelmed or burnt out, whether that’s with your line manager, HR or even a friend - I found that just verbalising how you are feeling is already a step in the right direction.
HB (Elevate): In our network, the majority of our members are more junior. They're the 'doers' in their team structures and because they're junior, they may not have the confidence to push back and enforce boundaries when they are at the limits of their capacity. I think the situation is exacerbated for ethnic minority employees who might feel like outsiders in their teams and experience a bit of cultural tension. To combat this from the top-down, make an effort to involve your minoritised colleagues in conversations, formal and informal, early on. Give them a chance to share a different point of view, and respond with openness and curiosity. It'll show that person that they don't need to do gymnastics to mould themselves into a "majority culture". Instead, we're all equally exchanging and learning from or about each other.
AW & AC (ColourFull): In our experience, people in the network can often take on extra labour - either because they are asked to, or feel like they need to - especially when it comes to championing marginalised voices within their teams. It can also be the case that they feel less able to draw boundaries with their managers due to feeling more vulnerable in the workplace - and imposter syndrome may well play a part in this, too! There can be a real pressure to work harder and be the best. Ideally, we feel that the solution lies with managers and teams to always be mindful of their POC colleagues, and the requests they make of them. Team leaders also need to champion diversity and inclusion as much as possible so that junior colleagues don't feel as though they have to do it all alone. Vocally encouraging the commissioning and successful publishing of books by POC, taking an interest in the company’s diversity initiatives, and signing up to be Creative Access mentors are all examples of things team leaders could do to make a difference - and that’s only really scratching the surface.
‘The broader our networks are, the more possibilities we hope our members will discover.’
How have you found working with other networks (such as those focused on LGBTQIA+ employees, individuals with caring responsibilities) and why was this important to you?
CAR (RISE): This has actually been one of the best surprises since we've been co-chairs. It's been so beneficial to have the support of the other network chairs to discuss issues that we might be facing as a collective and also to lean into the intersectionality of our groups. We've held cross-network panels and socials, and as co-chairs we regularly meet up to see how we can collaborate further.
SK (DC): Working with other networks has always been a joy. Working in isolation doesn't help change the bigger picture - ultimately every network shares a common goal and we are much stronger when we work as one. It's also useful to look at what other networks are doing/have done so we can see how much difference has been made and how far we have come.
HB (Elevate): While we approach diversity and inclusion through the lens of ethnic minority experiences, we want to see inclusion for everyone. Solidarity is important, and the struggles other communities face are absolutely intertwined with ours. The people in our network might also be in the LGBTQIA+ community, or parents, or neurodivergent, so we're not serving those people if we don't collaborate with the other networks.
AW & AC (ColourFull): Collaborating with others is very important to us because one of our main goals is to elevate intersectional identities as much as possible. We're also keen to promote industry-wide and cross-industry solidarity, championing marginalised voices from every community, and celebrating all of our successes. The broader our networks are, the more possibilities we hope our members will discover.
‘It is possible to do amazing things and pave the way… where you can progress and get stuff done and still be a joy to be around.’
Tell us about a woman in publishing who inspires you.
CAR (RISE): Cheyney! From the moment I started at Pan Macmillan she's been a force to be reckoned with, and has shown me that it's possible to have a career in publishing where you can progress and get stuff done and still be a joy to be around.
AB (BLOOM): I'm going to cheat and list two… one of them has even left publishing!
The first is Genista Tate-Alexander, Head of Non-Fiction Marketing at Bloomsbury. If you see a cool non-fiction marketing campaign, or a Bloomsbury no.1 non-fiction bestseller, it was probably Gen. She's genuinely fantastic at what she does and I have learned a lot working with her. She understands the industry so well but does not conform ‘the way things are done’; she always delivers cutting-edge campaigns. The second is Emma Wallace - now at Pinterest but formerly Senior Brand Manager at #Merky Books. Another icon, I watched her carve the #Merky Books brand since its inception and create hits like Keisha the Sket and important schemes like the #Merky Books New Writers Prize. There's not enough space for me to dissect her impact.
SK (DC): Immediately I think of Preena Gadher and Perminder Mann, women who look like me and are reminders that it is possible to do amazing things and pave the way. If I'm really honest though, the real inspiration for me are the incredible women I get to work with and learn from every single day, who consistently bring me joy and laughter, and remind me why I love my job. They don't all look like me, but I belong with them. Special shout out to Polly Osborn and Hayley McMullan, who I can't even remember my life before, and I don't want to.
HB (Elevate): I got the chance to meet Sabah (through the FLIP!) a couple of years ago, and she is an incredible force. Confident, knowledgeable and her own best advocate. The way she's driven her career forward and achieved so much is really inspiring.
CS (RISE): For me it would be Lara Borlenghi, Pan Mac's CFO. She's someone I've long admired for how much she cares about the staff at Pan Macmillan. While being a central member of the leadership team she is still very much involved in everyday life at Pan Macmillan and is always striving to create a positive and inclusive environment to work in, often in quiet and behind-the-scenes ways. She has really shown me that it is possible to balance the corporate side with the people side while helping to run a company.
AC & AW (ColourFull): Obviously there are amazing women who have forged paths ahead of us, but we'd like to use this opportunity to slightly ‘FLIP’ the question and give a shoutout to all of our junior and mid-level peers; they inspire us every day and we see them working tirelessly on brilliant books, campaigns, jacket designs - every facet of publishing. Often they're juggling all of that while striving to make publishing a better industry and navigating the early stages of their careers. We informally mentor each other, looking after one another and giving each other advice - while ensuring that the door remains firmly open behind us for POC trying to get into the industry.
