Inside the Australian and New Zealand book industry

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Crowdfunding campaign for First Nations and POC Writers Count launched

The First Nations and People of Colour Writers (FNPOC) Count has launched a crowdfunding campaign through the Australian Cultural Fund to cover the cost of its research project.

The FNPOC Count seeks to count the number of books (nonfiction, fiction, poetry, children’s and YA) by First Nations and POC writers published in Australia in 2018. The funding goal of $36,868.91 will cover the cost of the survey, access to Nielsen Bookscan, the payment of researchers and advisors, and the compilation of a final report.

The organisers said the lack of diverse publications has been highlighted internationally in recent years, and while the same trends are easily observable in Australia, there is no comprehensive data to back this up.

‘This research will provide much needed demographic data on the industry,’ organisers said. ‘This will be a resource for future researchers, and for industry-wide organisations to get a better sense of the current landscape. It will also function as a jumping off point for more qualitative analysis on cultural diversity within the industry.’

The FNPOC Count executive team comprises Natalie Kon-yu, Tony Birch, Ambelin Kwaymullina, Tresa LeClerc, Rebecca Lim and Alison Whittaker, with Djed Press editorial director Hella Ibrahim, creative producer Jasmeet Sahi and MEAA board member and writer Marisa Wikramanayake serving as administrators.

 

Category: Local news