In this episode of Diversifying Reading with Shareen Wilkinson, Shareen talks to Laura Henry-Allain MBE about the Lit in Colour research and diversifying children’s publishing, why we need to talk to children about race in school and at home, and how to be anti-racist.

Laura Henry-Allain MBE is an award-winning international writer, speaker and consultant. She is the creator of the well-loved CBeebies characters JoJo and Gran Gran as well as the series’ associate producer. She is also executive producer on a few shows that are currently in development. She is the vice-president of the British Association for Early Childhood Education, and is an educational consultant for several well-known brands as well as children’s media, television and publishing.

Laura’s new children’s book, My Skin, Your Skin, illustrated by Onyinye Iwu, explores race and racism, and empowers children to be the best versions of themselves.

Laura tweets at @LauraHAllain

Further reading and support:

• Read more about the Lit in Colour research and find out what we’re doing at OUP to support the initiative, including lots of practical tips for your school.
• My Skin, Your Skin, written by Laura Henry-Allain and illustrated by Onyinye Iwu.
• The Early Years Blacklist
• Supporting you to Raise Antiracist Children, written by Laura Henry-Allain and Emma Worrollo for Mattel Play Room, 2020.

In this episode of Diversifying Reading with Shareen Wilkinson, Shareen talks to Deputy Headteacher Daniel Fenwick about his involvement with Penguin and The Runnymede Trust’s Lit in Colour initiative and the steps that his school have taken to teach a wider range of texts.

Daniel Fenwick is the Deputy Head and English Coordinator at St Wilfrid’s Primary School. He has a real passion for English and one of his favourite things to do is to read stories to children of all ages. He’s a father to two young children and loves reading stories to them, particularly before bed.

Further reading and support:

• Read more about the Lit in Colour research and find out what we’re doing at OUP to support the initiative.
• Download our free Getting Started Guide to diversifying literature in your school.
• Penguin’s (in)complete book lists

In this episode of Diversifying Reading with Shareen Wilkinson, Shareen talks to Darren Chetty about his involvement with Penguin and The Runnymede Trust’s Lit in Colour initiative. They talk about why it’s important for all children to have access to a representative range of books, as well as ideas to support parents.

Darren Chetty is a Lecturer at UCL Institute of Education and has taught in London primary schools for twenty years. His research focuses on philosophy for children, multiculturalism and racism. Among his many books, columns and articles, he is the author of ‘You Can’t Say That! Stories Have to be About White People’ an essay in The Good Immigrant, edited by Nikesh Shukla. Darren tweets at @rapclassroom

Further reading and support:

• Read more about the Lit in Colour research and find out what we’re doing at OUP to support the initiative, including lots of practical tips and reading recommendations to share with parents.
• Penguin’s (in)complete book lists
• The Good Immigrant: 21 writers reflect on race in contemporary Britain edited by Nikesh Shukla (2017)
• Reflecting Realities Survey of Ethnic Representation in Children’s Literature CLPE November 2021
• Critical Philosophy of Race and Education edited by Judith Suissa and Darren Chetty (2021)
• Secret Gardens: A Study of the Golden Age of Children’s Literature by Humphrey Carpenter (2009)
• ‘Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors’ by Rudine Sims Bishop in Perspectives: Choosing and Using Books for the Classroom. Vol. 6, no. 3, Summer 1990. (PDF)
• Darren’s ‘Beyond the Secret Garden‘ column in Books for Keeps
• Musical Truth: A musical history of modern black Britain in 28 songs by Jeffrey Boakye (2021)