WHEN you visit a bookshop, how many books in the window displays and tables that take centre-stage are written by authors from diverse backgrounds?

Last summer the Black Lives Matter movement generated a conversation around diversity, or lack of, in the publishing industry. Authors, agents, editors and other members of the industry took to social media to talk about the lack of opportunities for authors who are black or from other ethnic backgrounds and the lack of opportunities for those wanting to work as agents, editors, publicists and publishers.

In a Twitter hastag #PublishingPaidMe authors shared the advance they received for their book, and there was a shocking gulf between white authors who had five or six digit deals, and authors who were black or from other ethnic backgrounds, some of whom received as little as £500 as an advance.

In response, some publishers have launched schemes to provide opportunities for writers from underrepresented backgrounds, and some agents have made an active effort to call for submissions for books by writers who are black or from other ethnic backgrounds.

This got me thinking about books written by authors in Yorkshire. Most UK publishing companies are in London and surrounding areas, making schemes such as mentorships to writers who are black or from other ethnic backgrounds inaccessible to those located in the North. How many Bradfordian authors are black or from other ethnic backgrounds?

This conversation isn’t limited to race. How many authors from Bradford, and Yorkshire, have disabilities, or are from the LGBTQ+ community? Are their books getting published?

One of the things I love most about working in Bradford is that it’s a melting pot of cultures. With so many people from different walks of life, can you imagine the multitude of stories and wonderful books they would make? The publishing industry needs to focus on writers in Bradford. Amit Dhand, Saima Mir and Sairish Hussain are three brilliant Bradfordian authors and proof of Bradford’s writing talent.

My debut novel Hijab and Red Lipstick was published in November by Hashtag Press, and due to the pandemic, the entire editing process was conducted virtually. This proves there is scope to be an author in Yorkshire, and to successfully have your book published, without having to make frequent trips to London.

So, if you have an idea for a story, write it. The world needs to read your story. The publishing world has woken up to the need for more diverse books, and will take notice of writers in Yorkshire. Don’t call yourself an “aspiring writer” - if you write, you’re a writer. And don’t put pressure on yourself to write a certain amount each day - if it’s just one paragraph today, you’re still writing, and those paragraphs will eventually build up into an entire book.

I asked Saima Mir and Sairish Hussain for their advice to writers in Bradford. “Put pen to paper, and write, type on your laptop, your phone, whatever you have to hand, and tell the story you wish was out there already. It is important to have books by a diverse group of thinkers out in the world, because they bring change. If you believe in your story, keep going until a publisher says ‘Yes’ because the ones who get there are the ones who refuse to quit.” Saima Mir, author of The Khan (Oneworld), out March 4.

“Write the story you want to tell, the story you want to read. Break expectations. Make people uncomfortable. Surprise readers. The choice is yours to be as experimental and as bold as you want to be.” Sairish Hussain, author of The Family Tree (HQ Stories), shortlisted for the 2020 Costa First Novel Award.

* Hijab and Red Lipstick is available from hashtagpress.co.uk or Amazon, WH Smith and Waterstones.