During an interactive online session, three ambassadors of Inclusive Minds discussed common pitfalls when it comes to inclusive storytelling. Based on their lived experiences, they offer the participants of our Talent Development Programme advice.



About Inclusive Minds:

Inclusive Minds (www.inclusiveminds.com) is a collective for people who are passionate about inclusion, diversity, equality, and accessibility in children's literature and are committed to changing the face of children's books. Their Inclusion Ambassadors are a network of young people (and some parents, teachers, and youth workers) who share a real interest in seeing the better representation of one or more facets of diversity. These are individuals (generally aged between 8 and 30) with important first-hand knowledge of particular facets of diversity and a genuine interest in sharing their expertise and experience to the benefit of children’s books.



About the speakers:

Rachel Faturoti is a Black British Nigerian woman who works in Digital Learning. She is an aspiring author and editor with a passion for broadening the scope of authentic Black representation in young adult and children's fiction. She believes it’s important for readers to see themselves represented well in stories.
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Hannah Hoskins is a disabled entrepreneur whose no-bull approach is transforming the way we look at disability. Hannah became fed up with the constant stares and comments she got while out in public using mobility aids. After making over her rollator into a pink dream machine, Hannah found that people treated her like everyone else because they were reminded she was just a person behind the mobility aid. Determined to change the conversation around mobility aids, Hannah founded Not Your Grandma’s, a mobility aid company with the mission to give all disabled people the ability to have mobility aids that matched their personality. Prior to setting up Not Your Grandma’s Hannah worked in TV. She’s diversity reading for this year's Carnegie Book Awards and also helps with reading books for diversity prior to publication. Hannah has just released the first series of her podcast Am I Disabled Now? where she interviews guests on their experiences of becoming disabled.
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Jo Ross-Barrett (they/them) is a writer and editor with a passion for championing inclusive content and policies. They have a Distinction-grade MSc in Publishing and have had work published in Bi-ble (Volume 1), an anthology about bisexuality and related identities, and AZE Journal, an online magazine for aromantic-spectrum, asexual-spectrum and agender people. Jo is an autistic, non-binary, asexual, polyamorous relationship anarchist. They work with Inclusive Minds to help authors and publishers make their books more authentically representative of marginalised groups, and have provided workshops and talks at A Place at the Table 2020 and the UK Asexuality Conference 2019. They were a shadow judge for the CILIP Kate Greenaway and Carnegie Awards, and received commendations for the quality of their feedback. They are also the producer of What The Trans!?, a news and interviews podcast made by and for transgender and non-binary people.