Free Verse Report
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Publishing opportunities for Black and Asian poets www.freeverse.org.uk Editor: Danuta Kean ([email protected]) Project Management: Nick Murza and Emma Hewett (Spread the Word) Quantitative Research and Data Analysis: Melanie Larsen, Nick Murza Contributors: Katy Massey, Valerie Mason-John, Daljit Nagra, Alison Solomon, Kadija George Sesay Poetry Editors: Bernardine Evaristo, Moniza Alvi Special thanks to: Ruth Borthwick, Bernardine Evaristo, Kate Griffin, Moniza Alvi, and Jane Stubbs and all at Spread the Word Advisory panel: Moniza Alvi, Gina Antchandie, Jenny Attala, Ruth Borthwick, Bernardine Evaristo, Kate Griffin, Lucy Hutton, Ann Kellaway, Nick McDowell, Jules Mann, Jane Stubbs, Emma Turnbull Design: Lambeth Communications and Consultation Print: Fox Print Produced by: Spread the Word 77 Lambeth Walk, London SE11 6DX Tel: 020 7735 3111 www.spreadtheword.org.uk www.freeverse.org.uk Research and Report commissioned by Arts Council England, Scottish Arts Council, and Arts Council of Wales www.artscouncil.org.uk www.scottisharts.org.uk www.artswales.org.uk 2 FREE VERSE INTRODUCTION The start of something... Poetry lays claim to be the John Siddique and Moniza Alvi, to marginalised, but were victims of an voice of a nation’s soul. Imtiaz Dharker to Daljit Nagra. insidious institutional racism. CONTENTS To achieve that status, it This is a far cry from the 1980s, when In Full Colour was not about merely 4 The results: the results poetry publishers were making great reporting the situation. It was about must reflect the multitude of the first ever survey of communities that make strides towards cultural diversity with promoting change, and since its such names as John Agard, Benjamin publication book publishers have into opportunities for up that nation. Zephaniah, and Grace Nichols. So what embraced myriad initiatives from Black and Asian poets. has gone wrong in the 21st Century? graduate recruitment schemes and 6 The sound barrier: On the UK performance circuit that is Finding the answer to that question – diversity training to the creation of not an issue; Black and Asian poets are and what can be done to reverse the DipNet, a networking organisation for minority ethnic poets are well represented. But when it comes to situation – is the inspiration behind Black and Asian publishers. Change breaking through on the poetry publishing, minority ethnic poets Free Verse. This report is the culmination has come to that industry. stage but not the page. struggle to be read and, as the printed of a year of research by Spread the Free Verse aims to promote similar word is what lasts, remembered. Word to discover the barriers to being 10 Come the revolution: concrete and cultural changes within published and how poets and publishers what is stopping poetry If you doubt that their voices are the poetry world. As this report reveals, can be brought back together. publishers publishing unread, then consider this: when the poets and publishers have the same more minority ethnic initial list for the Next Generation Poets So will Free Verse achieve anything resolution for change as UK book was drawn up there were no Black or concrete? Yes. Two years ago I edited a publishers and authors did two years poets? Asian faces on it, leading the judges to report for the Arts Council’s decibel ago. That is why I am optimistic about 14 Head to head: writer send out a frantic call for minority ethnic initiative aimed at promoting cultural the impact of Free Verse, because that Bernardine Evaristo and names to be submitted. Their initial diversity in the arts. In Full Colour willingness is what gets results. omission did not indicate a lack of revealed the appalling lack of diversity publisher Neil Astley poetic ability among Black and Asian within publishing houses, and that the debate the issues. Danuta Kean communities. Quite the contrary, these handful of Black and Asian people 18 Get with the communities are rich with talent from employed in the sector not only felt Editor, Free Verse programme: how do you find and keep a mentor? 20 Just rewards: how poets make ends meet. 23 Read then write: Faber’s Paul Keegan and Carcanet’s Michael Schmidt reveal the recipe for getting spotted. 24 The prize guys: where do you go to get funding? 26 The road ahead: Danuta Kean summarises the key recommendations from the Free Verse report. FREE VERSE 3 SURVEY ~ Only 8% of Black and Asian poets surveyed were published by mainstream presses The results Danuta Kean and singled out as critical for more Black The survey bore out the assumption 30% of the poets, while 25% were Melanie Larsen reveal and Asian poets to be published: 61% that Black and Asian poets are better published elsewhere. Excluding the 2% said the market needed to be represented on the stage than they are who had self-published only (in total 13% the results of the first developed; 60% said poetry by Black on the page. The majority of respondents had self-published), 55% of respondents survey into opportunities and Asian poets should have a higher were writing both for performance and had seen their work in print. for Black and Asian poets profile on the National Curriculum; the page, with only 31% writing As with all writers, perseverance pays, and 56% believed that if publishers exclusively for the page. in the UK. and of those who were published active employed more Black and Asian staff, submission (14%) or competitions (11%) more Black and Asian poets would When measured against outlets for Black and Asian poets in the UK are were cited as the main ways they be published. their work, the survey found 31% had optimistic. Few may have made it to the been paid for performances, 34% had gained exposure. The poets had a better page, but they are convinced they will. Though getting published was high on performed their work free and 31% used than expected hit rate. Of those who In the first ever nationwide survey of its the agenda, the poets surveyed were workshops as an outlet. In contrast only had been published 39% submitted their kind, 50% of the Black and Asian poets realistic about the financial returns they 28% had been published in book form. work only four times before succeeding, surveyed expected to achieve ambitions could expect from their writing. The arrival of the internet has opened up while 8% had tried between five and ranging from publishing a collection of nine times and 10% more than that. Only a tiny handful had made money new publishing opportunities for Black poetry to achieving a national or from their poetry in the past year. Over and Asian poets, 28% of respondents Networking between minority ethnic international reputation for their work. the same period, only 5% said poetry had been published on the net. However poets and mainstream presses was Not that the poets involved were was their chief source of income, 26% had no outlet for their work. poor, a finding born out in interviews unrealistic. They were keenly aware of compared to 23% who made no money That internet publishing is such a with poets and presses (see features the barriers to publication. Almost half from their work and 6% who earned significant outlet should raise alarm pages 6 and 9). Only 6% achieved (43%) regarded opportunities for them between £1,001 and £2,500. Only 9% bells. Though there are many good, publication through personal contacts. as either poor or very poor, compared to earned more than £2,500, while 57% legitimate presses using the internet to This finding contrasted sharply with the 12% who regarded opportunities as did not answer the question. bypass retailers and find readers, old surveyed poets; belief that knowing the good or very good. Though almost half (45%) wished to fashioned vanity presses, offering no right people was key to getting into Racism was not blamed for this lack of make poetry their prime source of editorial guidance or development in print. Of those published, 41% said opportunity. Only 7% cited prejudice or income, only 23% actually expected to return for the fees they charge writers, their peers were the most important racism as a barrier. Though respondents realise this dream. A further 23% did are exploiting the frustrations faced by factor in getting published, 37% cited to the survey did not blame overt not see money as a priority. writers. As the number of internet- contacts and 28% a mentor. racism for the under-representation of published poets is likely to rise, These are realistic expectations, and may Again few respondents cited prejudice Black and Asian poets on the page, guidance is needed on the minimum be assumed to mirror the experiences or racism as reasons that their work they did regard poetry publishing as service poets should expect from their of white poets. Though no statistics are had been rejected, though publishers’ unsupportive of minority ethnic talent. internet publishers. available for white poets, it is unlikely rejection slips threw little light onto There was a strong sense among many earn enough to live by poetry The number of Black and Asian poets why their poetry was not accepted. respondents that there needs to be a alone. Sales of literature and poetry are published by major publishers was small, Publishers’ most common stated shift in awareness and that minority in freefall and account for less than 1.7% only 8% (see graph, Who publishes reason for rejecting poets’ work ethnic communities should be better of the total book market, according to minority ethnic poets?). Of those who was that it did not fit their lists (19%), represented in poetry publishing than Nielsen BookScan, which collates sales had been published, mainstream while 8% were told the subject they are at present.