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Investigating the Publication of OwnVoices Australian Picture Books in 2018

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Abstract

This paper discusses findings from the first OwnVoices count of Australian picture books, as part of a grant-funded partnership with advocacy group Voices from the Intersection (VFTI). The research involved the compilation of a detailed annotated list of all Australian picture books published in 2018; the identities of the characters; and demographic information of authors and illustrators, sourced from publicly available resources where creators freely self-identified as belonging to structurally marginalised communities. A book’s OwnVoices status was determined from this information. Findings indicate OwnVoices picture books are significantly under-published in Australia, and contribute a greater understanding of the level of equity and access in the contemporary Australian publishing industry.

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Acknowledgements

Emily Booth is supported by an Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship, and the UTS Doctoral Scholarship. This research was supported by the 2019 University of Technology Sydney Centre for Social Justice and Inclusion Social Impact Grant. Many thanks also to Dr. Bhuva Narayan, Emily Booth’s doctoral supervisor, for endorsing this project to the grant committee.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Arts and Sciences, University of Technology, Sydney, Australia

    Emily Booth

  2. Law School, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia

    Ambelin Kwaymullina

  3. Melbourne, Australia

    Rebecca Lim

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  1. Emily Booth
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  2. Ambelin Kwaymullina
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Correspondence to Emily Booth.

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Booth, E., Kwaymullina, A. & Lim, R. Investigating the Publication of OwnVoices Australian Picture Books in 2018. Pub Res Q 37, 27–40 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12109-020-09777-3

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