Dr Zaahida Nabagereka
Dr Zaahida Nabagereka is a Senior Social Impact Manager at Penguin Books UK and leads the Lit in Colour programme. Lit in Colour’s mission is to support UK schools to make the teaching and learning of English literature more inclusive of writers of colour, and connect more young people with books for reading for pleasure. Zaahida has over 10 year’s experience working at the intersection between education, research and cultural representation. She has a doctorate degree in Literature from SOAS, University of London and has guest lectured at various higher education institutions.
She has recently finished reading Beyond the Secret Garden: Racially Minoritised People in British Children's Literature* by Dr Darren Chetty and Professor Karen Sands O'Connor.
"I would really encourage people who don’t think this industry is for them or have lots of experience elsewhere to think again - because that’s actually what makes you unique."
What led you to this role within the Lit in Colour programme?
My PhD was about trying to understand how writers reach communities in the literary scene in Kampala, Uganda, especially since the English language dominates book sales and are deemed ‘high culture’. There are over forty indigenous languages in Uganda and none have the same status or prestige as English. I can’t stress enough how different the publishing and literary infrastructure is there - there’s no Arts Council to fund your writing or literary projects, there aren’t a plethora of literary prizes or enough support mechanisms for authors. There are a few publishers but they’re not making anything like the profit that publishers here make. My doctoral studies made me realise just how powerful literature, and the form and language we engage with it in, is, and in particular, how the relationship between former colonised countries and their former colonial masters still affects how and what knowledge is deemed valuable.
Before I started my PhD, I co-founded a small literature organisation called Afrikult, which was about educating young people about African literatures. We worked in the UK and internationally, facilitating workshops, seminars and training for students and teachers. My co-founders and I wanted to share all of the knowledge which we’d only been able to access and study in depth within the four walls of a Russell Group university, as freely, widely and as early on as possible. As someone who experienced state school education in the UK, I felt like I had been lied to when I realised just how narrow a view of literature my secondary education had given me. So, Afrikult was a way to try and redress that imbalance as I didn’t - and still don’t - want other young people to go through education not knowing how expansive the subject really is. When I saw a job advertised on The Runnymede Trust’s Instagram to manage the delivery of a report with Penguin Books that was all about the lack of diversity in English Literature teaching in English schools, I knew that my specialism and experience meant that I could really hit the ground running.
Can you tell us a little about your experience entering the industry after finishing your PhD?
I recognise that I have perhaps had a very squiggly route into the industry that differs from a lot of other people of colours’ first experiences of starting on different schemes within publishing and working their way up. The specialist knowledge and experience I gained through my PhD and Arikult brought me into a very specific role. The nature of my role working on Lit in Colour meant that I would be looking outwards, convening partners from across the publishing and education sector. I did get a lot more insight into the internal workings of the company and industry at large during my secondment as Head of Social Impact in 2022 though, before I moved back to Lit in Colour full-time.
I would really encourage people who don’t think this industry is for them or have lots of experience elsewhere to think again - because that’s actually what makes you unique and could mean that publishing needs you more than you think you need it. Something that I have enjoyed as a by-product of my previous experience is being able to connect and support colleagues in different divisions who have been publishing a text by or about Africa/Africans with contacts from my academic networks. This all stems from the ten years I spent studying at SOAS, and I'm so grateful for that because that's outside of what my role normally requires with Lit in Colour, but is still adding value. There is so much scope to expand the industry with specialist knowledge and I would encourage anyone who has this to view it as a USP in their applications!
"If we remove these barriers of Time, Money, Teacher Confidence and Subject Knowledge, and give [educators] the tools they need, then we will see change."
What’s been a highlight of working on the Lit in Colour programme?
Many people know that the topic of what’s taught in schools can be an emotive issue, especially in the media, and I understand why, but the highlight of this campaign for me is being able to remove the emotion, look at the data and strategically think and then act based on the information gathered. The Lit in Colour report published in 2021 established that the barriers stopping schools and teachers from using texts by writers of colour in English literature in primary and secondary schools are Time, Money, Teacher Confidence and Subject Knowledge. So, if we remove these barriers, give them the tools they need, then we will see change. The Lit in Colour Teacher Conference that we held in partnership with TES in 2023, is definitely a highlight: over 1300 teachers from across the UK registered for the virtual event that Bernardine Evarsito, Tanika Gupta and Nazneen Ahmed Pathak were all speaking at. Over 900 teachers joined live on the day and feedback from attendees showed that 98% felt the conference had increased their confidence to teach texts by writers of colour.
Fundamentally though, it’s brilliant that all exam boards in England have put books by writers of colour on their assessment specifications. While there is more to do, I believe it was the data in that first report that really pushed that change. It highlighted that only 0.7% of students read a book by a writer of colour for their GCSE English Literature exams, and that it was entirely possible to go through your whole secondary education never engaging with books by writers of colour.
If we look at an individual level, we get wonderful case studies coming in from schools and teachers. They tell us that the free teaching resources we create are really helping build their confidence and subject knowledge, showing them that they can diversify what they are teaching. They tell us that the books donated by the programme are being used across all year groups, which has led to more students borrowing books from their libraries and greater engagement in English classes, and children who previously didn’t speak in English classes now putting their hands up to contribute to discussion. For me, seeing the change on the macro level and understanding how important its impact is on the individual level gives me hope for the future.
"We want to see this in a way that isn’t tokenistic or reactionary to a particular calendar moment in the hopes that this gives them an understanding of communities and perspectives different to their own, whatever their background heritage may be."
What are some of the positive impacts you’re already seeing?
In 2021, we launched a unique partnership activity with Pearson to incentivise schools in England to change their GCSE or A level text to one written by a writer of colour, and provided set texts, a mini library of books by writers of colour, teaching resources, assessment support, racial literacy training and author enrichment events. To date, we have supported over 250 schools and 29,000 learners to study a text by a writer of colour for their GCSE/A level.
The 2024 Lit in Colour Pioneers Pilot report has proven that when students have access to study a text by a writer of colour, it positively impacts their levels of classroom engagement, empathy and understanding of others, and their attainment. Not only this, but it showed that when you give teachers the tools they need through a targeted programme of support, there are multiple benefits for students. Case studies also anecdotally indicate improved student attendance and students expressing they’re more likely to consider taking A level English as a result. This was a follow up to the initial 2021 Lit in Colour report where we established the issue, but is also a really positive indication for the future of the subject, showing what is possible when English is made more inclusive of authors of colour.
What’s your hope for the future impact of Lit in Colour?
The big goal is that children in compulsory education get to meaningfully engage with and study books by writers of colour, from primary all the way up to assessment in A level, and have more access to diverse books for reading for pleasure. We want to see this in a way that isn’t tokenistic or reactionary to a particular calendar moment in the hopes that this gives them an understanding of communities and perspectives different to their own, whatever their background heritage may be. An amazing thing about the campaign is the amount of authors who have supported and engaged with it since its inception. Lit in Colour sent an open letter to Becky Francis, who is leading the government’s curriculum and assessment review, as well as Education Secretary, Bridget Philipson, demonstrating widespread support from authors from different walks of life, including Malorie Blackman, Stephen Fry, Jackie Kay, Lee Child and Ali Smith to name a few. It was covered in the Financial Times and the Department of Education commented, “‘High and rising standards are at the heart of the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and ensure all children have the best start in life. The review [led by Francis] seeks to make sure children benefit from a curriculum that represents them and their families, regardless of background, which includes the subject content and texts studied in English.’
Lots of other countries showcase different kinds of literature to their young people and we actually are behind in this, but we’re at a point where the government could make critical changes to support that to happen. When we equip our educators with the tools and texts they need to confidently showcase works by authors from all walks of life, then they can fully empower our next generation.
"You can be in one century responding to someone in a different century, but actually talking about issues that are related. Why wouldn’t we want to show young people how amazing literature is by doing this?"
What would you say to the narrative that there are already so many great British writers and poets and people that we can look to?
I would say that there is space for everyone in our classrooms, and currently there’s not enough diversity amongst those authors who are studied in English Literature in primary and secondary school in this country. Young people deserve to be introduced to the different narratives and perspectives of British writers. There is this idea that it’s only writers of colour who write about race, when actually Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Charlotte Brontë, Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle and Charles Dickens all engaged with concepts of race and representation in addition to their engagement with empire and migration. These issues were important features of the times they were living in, just as they are important now for our young people to learn about. We need to teach these well-established heritage writers in their entirety to give students a better understanding of the breadth of what they were commenting on through their creativity. When you open literature up like this, you can then begin to see the most amazing connections between modern writers like Bernardine Evaristo, the first Black female Booker Prize winner, and writers in the 19th century, for example. Intertextuality is one of my favourite aspects about studying literature as it gives you a broader horizon. You can be in one century responding to someone in a different century, but actually talking about issues that are related. Why wouldn’t we want to show young people how amazing literature is by doing this?
The focus of Lit in Colour is specifically for curriculums and schools, but it seems that we’re still having the same conversations on making sure the books we publish for adults are representative of the society we live in. Why do you think we’re still struggling to give a platform to underrepresented voices in a way that feels comfortable and authentic to them?
For me, this is about understanding where we've come from as an industry and where we are at in this particular moment in time. When people first started writing in this country, they were predominantly White and male, and reading was a pastime of the elite. Things have changed a lot since then, but when we look at how far we are into a world where everyone is ‘meant’ to be equal and everyone has access to the same things, we still have quite a way to go. The pace of change can and does feel slow but when we look at the data we have available, who is coming into the industry, who is getting published etc, it’s definitely better than it was ten, twenty years ago and it’s important to remember that.
I think we need to continue focusing on our staff force though, and ensuring that it resembles UK society. It’s great that we are seeing more diversity in the background of entry and junior level staff, but we need representation at every level of our industry. It’s also important to remember this isn’t an issue that is unique to publishing either, so we can learn from other industries to see what is working there and be open to trying new things.
"When it comes to inspiration and staying motivated, I am very lucky that in my role I get access to a wealth of inspiration through the feedback we receive from teachers and students, but also authors."
How do you maintain that balance between pragmatism around what we need to do better and positivity to stay inspired and motivated to make change?
I sometimes wonder whether we use all the information we have at our disposal appropriately. For instance, the CLPE’s 2024 Reflecting Realities report uncovered a significant decline in characters of colour across all book genres examined, including picture books, nonfiction and fiction books for ages up to 11. They look at many things including quality of representation, tokenism, authenticity etc. When this report was first published in 2018, 1% of main characters in children’s books were characters of colour. This number had increased to a high of 14% but the 2024 report revealed that this has dropped down to 7% for books published in 2023. If we put that next to the 37% of young people in England that are of a racially minoritised background, we're doing them a disservice when it is our role to reflect the modern day Britain that they live in through the books we as an industry, put into the world. We're also doing a disservice to all the White children in this country who need windows into other people's experiences, lives and perspectives because the global majority on planet Earth are not white. If we aren’t ready to lean further into this conversation, things can and will stagnate. When it comes to pragmatism, we know the issue of representation isn’t going to go away, so it makes sense to be proactive, ensuring that we keep ourselves collectively accountable if we want to make consistent inroads here. I think this is important if we are serious about securing the next generation of readers, but also if we want all young people to realise that books and stories are for everyone.
I also think it’s pragmatic to connect the moral argument for inclusion with the business case. The Black Pound Report published in 2022 by Backlight is the UK’s most comprehensive study of the spending habits, attitudes, and behaviours of Black, Asian, and Multi-Ethnic consumers. It highlighted their combined annual disposable income is £4.5 billion. This kind of information is so key for business growth and thinking about underserved and underrepresented audiences, especially because we know that ‘DEI’ activities can be seen as controversial.
When it comes to inspiration and staying motivated, I am very lucky that in my role I get access to a wealth of inspiration through the feedback we receive from teachers and students, but also authors. In November last year we did a virtual school event with Malorie Blackman about Boys Don’t Cry, her novel that is on two exam boards’ GCSE English Literature specifications. When a student asked her about her writing journey and influences she said that she agreed with the saying that ‘art should comfort the disturbed, and disturb the comfortable’. I’m so glad that children in primary and secondary school are getting to study her work, as her journey as an author is hugely inspiring. I had to pinch myself a few times during this event as it was definitely a career high!
You’ve mentioned that the percentage of reading for enjoyment amongst young readers is the lowest it’s been since 2005, which has been really shocking to see and it feels like as an industry, everyone is really pushing to change this. Is there anything you’d like to add to this call-to-arms to ensure we keep diversity and inclusivity in reading lists at the forefront?
I think education and working with schools is the key to actual lasting change, both for increasing reading for pleasure and keeping inclusivity in reading lists at the forefront. There is so much amazing work happening in schools from across the industry where inclusion is a central pillar of activity which is great.
The Arts and Minds Campaign was recently launched by a range of creative organisations and the National Education Union is calling for more support for creative subjects in schools as the number of GCSE entries for them has fallen by 42% since 2010. When we look at all the benefits that creative subjects have for students, in terms of building mental and physical wellbeing, resilience and self-esteem, it’s a no-brainer that they need more support. When you combine this with the £126.4 billion that the creative industries add to our economy, the argument becomes even more powerful. Books and publishing are part of this ecosystem. But we have to temper this with information from the Sutton Trust Report published last November that states that access to creative subjects in higher education is not the same for students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and this is a direct result of poor creative education in state schools.
I think there is more we can do as an industry with schools, so I am keen to see what education reform will look like and what the opportunities are for our industry in this space.
"I thought that the little girl on the front of the book was my sister because in my mind, she looked exactly like her. It also features a Black dad and a White mum with a baby so I thought, ‘Wow, my sister's in a book!’"
For anyone looking to decolonise their own reading list, where is a good place to start?
Start with anything that encourages healthy curiosity and reflection on the construction of our cultural consciousness, so Sathnam Sanghera’s Empireland and Empireworld books are great. It’s also useful to consider what ‘decolonisation’ even means, as it's contentious and has been weaponised in recent years. Language and form is also central to this issue in my opinion, so learning about the spread and power of the English language makes sense too – Robert Phillipson’s Linguistic Imperialism is good, for example. Ngugi wa Thiong’o’s Decolonising the Mind: the Politics of Language in African Literature is another brilliant read that illustrates the power dynamics between African languages and English.
The book that I've recently finished reading, Beyond The Secret Garden, highlights how literature was a tool of the British Empire. ‘English Literature’ was not created in England; it was created in Britain's colonies to create a cultural hierarchy where British culture was superior; Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie touches on this in her TedTalk, The Danger of a Single Story. I would also say this could be a time to embrace different ways of ‘reading’ so definitely go beyond just reading books! We Need to Talk about the British Empire by Afua Hirsch, and William Dalrymple and Anita Anand’s Empire podcast are worth a listen. There are so many artists that are creating work around this subject - the Singh Twins created beautiful pieces with such detail and purpose for their recent Slaves of Fashion exhibition. When I was teaching a module on Postcolonial Literature at City University on the English BA programme, the students would learn about the statue Kara Walker created as part of the Fons Americanus installation and discuss it in contrast with the 1911 statue of Queen Victoria that was created to commemorate a very specific narrative around British History and her reign. Art like this, that is in direct conversation with statues and other permanent features of our present, are tools that can help us make powerful distinctions about the past, where we are now, and why.
Tell us about a woman in publishing who inspires you.
For me, it’s got to be Verna Wilkins, who founded Tamarind Books in the 1980s as a response to a time when her son, who is dual heritage, came home one day and showed her a picture of himself that he had coloured in pink. When she asked him who it was and why he’d used a pink colouring pencil and not a brown one, he said, ‘‘No, I have to be white because it's a character for a book so I can't be my colour.” That story still fills me with such sadness, but reaffirms why I’m so glad that my mum spent time finding Tamarind titles in my childhood. I actually still have the book, Time to get up by Gill McLean, that I remember reading when I was four because I thought that the little girl on the front of the book was my sister because in my mind, she looked exactly like her. It also features a Black dad and a White mum with a baby so I thought, ‘Wow, my sister's in a book!’ and this has stayed with me ever since. So, Verna Wilkins will always be an amazingly inspirational woman in publishing to me.
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