Author: Fives @ Down The Rabbit Hole

Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly meme, hosted by Rukky @ Eternity Books & Dani @ Literary Lion, where they discuss certain topics, share their opinions, and spread the love by visiting each others’ posts.

Prompt from Nicole @ THOUGHTS STAINED WITH INK)

How can we, as bloggers, promote diversity of all sorts in the book world? What are some things you think publishers should do to promote diversity? Is there something a publisher or another blogger is doing right now that you think is a step in the right direction? What are some things you do personally?

A similar topic to last week, yet also super important and distinct in its own right. I definitely think that as bloggers, we should try and promote all sorts of diversity using our platforms. After all, beyond just speaking our own thoughts here on our blogs, it is also a chance to reach out to the world and try to make a difference, whether the actual effect be big or small.

I think as bloggers, if there ever is an opportunity, it’s good to give a shout out or a nod to the diversity, in order to promote it whenever possible. But similar to what I said last week, there isn’t really a need to try and shoehorn “diversity” into everything – focusing on diversity where appropriate is already more than enough to do our part.

Something we did here recently at Down The Rabbit Hole was to promote Asian authors, not only because of the recent news, but also because we are Asian, and it is part of our identity. It truly felt nice to have a dedicated post to promoting these authors, as many of them are amazing authors and deserve to have the recognition, despite the current setting around Asians in the news. I feel that taking the time here and there to do appreciative posts or shout-outs are the best way to naturally incorporate and promote diversity, to show that being diverse is the natural way of things, and not something that should be so foreign and “forced”.

Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly meme, hosted by Rukky @ Eternity Books & Dani @ Literary Lion, where they discuss certain topics, share their opinions, and spread the love by visiting each others’ posts.

POV = point of view

Today’s Prompt: What do you think is the meaning of diverse? Who do you think is qualified to write a diverse book? How do you find diverse books to read? What are some diverse topics/POVs that you specifically look for when you’re finding books and why? How do you decide if a diverse topic/POV is done well?

This is such a relevant topic in today’s scene, and something I have been thinking about more and more lately. I didn’t used to reach out and search for diversity in books, but after having read some suggestions from friends, I definitely keep an eye out for them now. For me, the meaning of diverse (in books) is to have diverse characters where appropriate: people of various genders, race, sexual orientation, etc. as long as it makes sense in the story.

Another meaning of diverse is to have different kinds of authors represented in market. As an Asian person, I feel called to read books by other Asian authors, like Celeste Ng, the author of Little Fires Everywhere. Often, such authors will write from the perspective of their diverse upbringing, and it is always refreshing to see new perspectives and ideas being introduced into the book world.

With the proper research, almost anyone can write a diverse book. But of course, those most qualified are often the people write about their own backgrounds. I find that for historical fictions, and other research-heavy genres, good research is often enough to write a good diverse book. However, when it comes to specific perspectives based on the experiences of minority people (e.g. Punching the Air), I find that this is best left to those who actually have personal experience(s) with the issue.