By Najma Sultan
“86.0 per cent were from white ethnic groups. 7.5 per cent were from Asian ethnic groups. 3.3 per cent were from Black ethnic groups. 2.2 per cent said they were of mixed ethnicities.” (Porter Anderson)
Ayaan Mohamud at the You Think You Know Me debut launch
Book trends and social media
Within the capital, there is a large reading community which has built a strong connection through TikTok. Books such as How It Ends by Colleen Hoover and The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood have been trending and connecting young audiences.
Diversity is now starting, more than ever, to become more common among authors, which has led to diverse characters becoming a trend all over social media – and making the authors even more popular.
For example, Jenny Han, a Korean American author, has been rising to fame with her books To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before and The Summer I Turned Pretty, which have now been adapted into television programmes.
Teens and young adults across the capital have been hooked on the latest project of Jenny Han XO Kitty, which has a Korean Londoner as one of the main characters, Minho. Jenny’s work has received grateful fans as they finally feel seen and represented.
Representation within authors in London
London also has its own upcoming authors dedicated to diversity. Ayaan Mohamud is a Somali Muslim author who is based in London. Her most recent book is You Think You Know Me.
“I was writing about a Black, Muslim, female protagonist. Someone unapologetic about who they are and what they believe in.”
Ayaan was surprised her book was approved during the pitching stage. “When I signed with my agent and then, with my publisher, [I knew] there are so many gatekeepers in the industry – plenty that probably wouldn’t have ever wanted to publish You Think You Know Me – but I am so grateful that the book was able to pass through the right hands.”
Literary fiction
Representation can be spotted amongst writers in literary fiction and teen/ young adult novels. Nadifa Mohame and Hafsa Zayyan both write literary fiction with broad representation, as it appears that 2023 is a time where the boundaries are being pushed and the lack of diversity is being spoken about.
Ayaan said: “I think I’ve joined at a time where there is a very visible push to bolster diversity across the entire publishing landscape, from the author and illustrator side of the things as well as those players who publish these books.
“There is still a long way to go but, compared to the pre-pandemic landscape, I would say the direction looks promising.”
Difficult journey
Ayaan’s quest to become an author was quite long and it took a few years for her to write and edit her debut novel, which came out in February 2023.
“My journey into the publishing industry began with signing with a literary agent for my debut young adult novel in 2021,” says Ayaan, who has done several press events since her debut, interviews with The Guardian and has talks about her book to schools and groups.
“I spent several months editing the book with my agent before we went on submission and then, toward the end of that year, we received an offer from a publisher.”
Ayaan urged anyone who is looking to get into the industry to remain patient as it is a very long process, especially if your books have characters out of the usual representations.
The cover of Ayaan’s first book
It seems that diversity among London-based authors has been growing. Ayaan listed a few of the Black Muslim authors based in London, including Nadifa Mohamed, Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé and Hafsa Zayyan. Nadifa and Hafsa both write literary fiction, and Faridah writes for teens and young adults.
Children’s books in particular are showing more diverse representation, Ayaan added. “There has been a growing conversation around this, and it’s certainly become a hot topic in publishing, and particularly in children’s publishing.”
As a new author, Ayaan has a fresh take on the scene. “I am still very new to the industry, and I think I’ve joined at a time where there is a very visible push to bolster diversity across the entire publishing landscape… There is still a long way to go but compared to the pre-pandemic landscape, I would say the direction looks promising.”
Doubt is an issue upcoming authors face who come from ethnic minority backgrounds. Ayaan faced doubt when writing about a black, Muslim, female protagonist. “Given the Islamophobia that exists in so many corners of the UK, I wondered whether a book featuring visibly Muslim and practising characters would ever find a home in a bookshop,” she said.
“If you’ve created something that feels true to you, and that you feel will resonate with others, don’t be afraid to share it with the world, put it in the hands of the gatekeepers. All you need are the right pair of hands to take it on.”
The publishing industry is not what it was 10 years ago or even five years ago, Ayaan sad. “This industry is overwhelming, fast-changing, and opaque. You have no control over it, but you do have control over what you write and put out into the world.”
As a new author, she says she is still trying to find her feet but has started to adapt to the world of publishing. “I suppose my goals for now are to keep writing stories that feature Muslim and Somali characters. To have this representation at the fore of anything I put out into the world.”
Representation is very important to young Londoners who are aspiring to be authors and ones who need to be represented as they are a part of society. “For now, that also looks like continuing to write in the teen and young adult space because writing for this audience just feels … right.”
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