A publisher’s perspective on diversity: A conversation with Hermione Thompson

ABSTRACT In this conversation, Hamish Hamilton’s editorial director Hermione Thompson discusses the stages by which a book reaches the buying public. The role of agents and the different expectations of literary and genre-focused publishers are considered. The Black Lives Matter movement has been instrumental in the upsurge of interest in black writing and, while welcoming this development, Thompson acknowledges the importance of not pigeonholing writers according to their identity. That matters of religious difference seldom occur in editorial discussions may be a result of the kinds of submissions received, but Thompson acknowledges that it may also indicate a secular norm, of a piece with the white middle-class norms still governing the industry. The interview ends with a consideration of new developments, such as social media and podcasting, and the tendency in some literary festivals to rely on big-name authors to pull in a crowd, thereby further entrenching ethnic and cultural norms.