Senior Project Advisor

Elizabeth Colen

Document Type

Project

Publication Date

Spring 2021

Keywords

#ownvoices, fiction, publishing, diversity, children's literature, young adult literature

Abstract

When author Corinne Duyvis created the #OwnVoices hashtag on Twitter in 2015 as a way to recommend diverse books written by diverse authors, she could not have imagined it would spark a movement. Six years later, #OwnVoices is still being discussed in the world of fiction publishing and continues to push for increased diversity in books, authors, and the industry itself.

This paper explores the impacts the movement has had on the industry, both positive and negative. While critics argue the push for #OwnVoices books can limit and potentially harm authors, I have come to the conclusion through my research that the movement has overall had a positive and empowering impact on the industry. This can be seen in publishers and readers reckoning with the importance of diversity and representation, a new focus on publishing diverse writers, and many #OwnVoices books seeing great success, to name a few examples.

Department

English

Subjects - Topical (LCSH)

Cultural pluralism in literature; Authors and publishers; Social media—Influence; Children's literature; Young adult literature

Subjects - Names (LCNAF)

Duyvis, Corinne

Genre/Form

essays

Type

Text

Rights

Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author’s written permission.

Language

English

Format

application/pdf

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