The books children read shape their view of themselves and of the world. Every child should be able to identify with the books they read and find role models in their favourite characters and authors.   

Join us for a panel discussion on the historic and current lack of diversity within children’s literature in Wales and beyond. Learn what has been done so far, and what steps should be taken in the future. This free, bilingual session will include a 1-hour discussion between specialists in the field, followed by a 30-minute Q&A.  

Register: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_T4ZffWr5S-O6lgYrPuSX3w

Speakers 

Dr Ann Alston  

Dr Ann Alston is a senior lecturer in Children’s Literature at The University of the West of England, Bristol where she teaches multiple modules on children’s literature from 1865 to 2020. As well as writing various articles and her book, ‘The Family in English Children’s Literature’ (Routledge 2008), she has co-edited two collections of essays, ‘Roald Dahl: A Casebook’ (Palgrave Macmillan, 2012) and ‘Children’s Literature in the Long Nineteenth Century’ (Routledge 2019). Ann is passionate about children’s literature and is often invited to schools to talk to staff and pupils about critical literacy and advise them on newly published books. Ann also reviews children’s and teenage books for ‘Just Imagine’, is on the editorial board for the academic journal ‘Children’s Literature in Education’ and has been lucky enough to work with indy picturebook publisher Book Island. Ann was born and brought up in Anglesey but now lives in Cardiff with her children and a vast collection of children’s books. 

Professor Charlotte Williams 

Charlotte Williams OBE is an academic, writer and cultural critic. She is Emeritus Professor in the School of History, Law and Social Sciences, Bangor University. Charlotte has researched and published extensively on issues of migration, race / ethnicity in Wales, using academic, literary and popular media. She is co-editor of the ground-breaking text ‘A Tolerant Nation? Revisiting Ethnic Diversity in a devolved Wales’ (UWP 2003 and 2015) and her memoir, Sugar and Slate (2002 Planet, 2022 Pathian and 2024 Penguin), exploring her Welsh-Guyanese heritage and diasporic identity was awarded Welsh Book of the Year in 2003, was reprinted for the Library of Wales in 2022 and will be published by Penguin in 2024 under their Black Britain Writing Back series. In 2020 Charlotte was appointed as Chair of the Ministerial Working Group ‘Communities, Contributions and Cynefin: Black Asian Minority Ethnicities in the new curriculum’ which is set to have far reaching implications for every school in Wales. Charlotte is Thinker in Residence at the Hay Festival this year. 

Dr Siwan Rosser 

Siwan Rosser, originally from Flintshire, is a senior lecturer and deputy head at the School of Welsh, Cardiff University. Her research there focuses on Welsh literature for children and has generated a new understanding and discussion about the significance and role of literature for young readers. Her volume on nineteenth-century children’s literature and the concept of childhood, Darllen y Dychymyg, was awarded the Sir Ellis-Griffith Memorial Prize by the University of Wales and was shortlisted for the Wales Book of the Year Award 2021. 

Darren Chetty 

Darren Chetty was born in Swansea, and lives in London. He contributed to The Good Immigrant (Unbound, 2016), and The Mab (Unbound, 2022). His books as a co-editor include Welsh (Plural): Essays on the Future of Wales (Repeater Books, 2022) and Critical Philosophy of Race and Education (Routledge, 2019). His books as a co-author include How to Disagree: Negotiate Difference in a Divided World (White Lion Publishing, 2019) and What is Masculinity? Why Does it Matter? And Other Big Questions (Wayland, 2021). He writes ‘Beyond the Secret Garden’ a regular column for Books for Keeps with Professor Karen Sands O’Connor. A book based on the columns is forthcoming with English Media Centre.