Bernardine Evaristo Renews Push for Diverse School Curriculum in England
Booker prize-winning author Bernardine Evaristo has issued a renewed call to diversify the school curriculum in England, expressing concern that the pace of change is insufficient and societal attitudes are shifting against inclusion. In a foreword to the Lit in Colour campaign's five-year progress report, Evaristo highlighted that young people are growing up in an environment where "doors are closing" on egalitarian efforts.
Slow Progress in GCSE English Literature Diversity
According to the report compiled by Lit in Colour, there has been some advancement in the diversity of texts available for GCSE English literature. The proportion of set texts by authors of colour has increased from 12% to 36% over the past five years. However, uptake remains low, with only 1.9% of GCSE pupils in England currently studying books by authors of colour, up from 0.7% five years ago.
The report warns that at this current rate of change, it will take until 2046 for 10% of students to answer a question about a text by an author of colour in their GCSE exam. More strikingly, it projects that 2115 will be the year when 38% of pupils study a writer of colour, a figure that matches the 38% of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds in English schools, as per the latest Department for Education statistics.
Challenges and Resistance to Change
In 2025, there were eight texts by authors of colour, primarily of Black and south Asian heritage, on exam board set text lists. Despite this, many teachers continue to rely on familiar texts like JB Priestley's An Inspector Calls. Barriers include a lack of resources for teaching new materials, insufficient time for training, and ongoing familiarity with existing works.
Evaristo noted that after events such as the murder of George Floyd and the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement in the UK, there was a "noticeable willingness" from institutions to address barriers faced by people of colour in education. However, she observed that by 2025, this momentum appears to be waning, with diversity becoming a "dangerous concept" in some circles, often dismissed as "woke".
Importance of the Lit in Colour Campaign
The Lit in Colour campaign, led by Penguin Random House and the Runnymede Trust, is a partnership involving educational and cultural organisations along with England's four exam boards. Evaristo emphasised that in the current climate, the campaign is "even more essential" to ensure books by authors of colour are included in the curriculum.
A spokesperson for the Department for Education responded, stating that as part of the government's curriculum and assessment review, efforts will be made to allow teachers more flexibility in choosing a wider range of texts and authors alongside classic English literature.
Related News: Lee Child Appointed as Prison Reading Laureate
In a separate development, bestselling author Lee Child, known for the Jack Reacher series, has been named the first prison reading laureate for England and Wales. This role, created under the National Year of Reading campaign, aims to highlight the importance of improving literacy among prisoners to reduce reoffending.
Child plans to expand a literacy pilot programme in prisons and involve more authors, arguing that "improving literacy is an evidence-based, practical approach that works" to enhance community safety.
