Recommended Reading - A Research Digest of Diversity and Inclusion in English Teaching - Lit in Colour - Bloomsbury

Oct 20, 2026

Uploaded by Putri

Recommended reading compiling influential research to support English teaching teams in making curricula more diverse and inclusive. It explains how designing inclusion goes beyond adding new authors and provides, for each selected piece, a brief research summary, reasons it is worth reading, key highlights for quick access, and ideas for taking the work further. Featured reports include Lit in Colour and a Bloomsbury spotlight on plays and drama, outlining aims, methods, key barriers, and recommendations for classrooms.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages10

Reading Time25 min

AccessFree to download

Lit in Colour: Diversity in Literature in English Schools

What is it about?

Why read it?

Take it further

Bloomsbury Lit in Colour: A spotlight on plays and drama

What is it about?

Why read it?

Take it further

If you’re short on time…

Recommended Reading: A research digest of diversity and inclusion in English teaching Spark something powerful We understand that designing an inclusive curriculum goes deeper than introducing a more diverse range of authors to your students’ reading diet. Whether you have already adopted new texts or are beginning the process of reviewing your existing curriculum, we have selected some of the most influential, inspiring and accessible pieces of research to help you and your team rationalise any changes you might make. For each read we provide: • a brief summary of the research • why we think it’s read-worthy • some highlights in case you’re short on time to read in full • and ways you could take it further. 2 Lit in Colour: Diversity in Literature in English Schools Published 29 June 2021 Authors: Victoria Elliott, Lesley Nelson-Addy, Roseanne Chantiluke and Matthew Courtney Full report What is it about? Lit in Colour was created in 2020 by Penguin Books UK and equality think tank The Runnymede Trust. The aim of the campaign was to support schools to make the teaching and learning of English literature more inclusive. A team of academic experts were commissioned to carry out research to better understand what barriers might be preventing more diverse texts – specifically by writers of colour – from being taught in school, and to make practical recommendations for change. Why read it? It’s the first major report of its kind investigating diversity in English teaching which has prompted big, ever-expanding conversations across all sectors of the education community. It’s a good starting point to enter the debate on inclusion and representation in education and for a grounding in the current state of both the English curriculum (key stages 2-5) and the teaching profession. The report provides a review of existing research on this subject with a detailed discussion of the barriers and challenges to introducing more diverse texts into the curriculum (as identified by those who took part in the research) and concludes with specific recommendations for different groups on what needs to change. Take it further The TES hosts a dedicated Lit in Colour area as part of their Black experiences hub where you’ll find a range of free resources including webinars and KS3/4/5 teaching resources. The Secondary Teachers Toolkit is an editable PowerPoint that includes questions to prompt discussion in your department. The (incomplete) Lit in Colour book list: secondary provides a comprehensive list of books and independent reading suggestions from Key Stage 3 to 5 – there are 100 titles by writers of colour to choose from with a helpful synopsis of each one. More available on Lit in Colour’s dedicated Teachers area. 3 If you’re short on time… • If nothing else, take note of the recommendations for teacherson page 62 of the full report. • An infographic summarising the key findings of the research can be found on pages 6-7 (accurate as of date of publication 29 June 2021) . • There is a 10 minute read version of the research report. • The slide deck that accompanied the ‘Secondary Teachers Preview Webinar’ of the research report (15 slides) summarises the findings and provides 5 practical things you can do tomorrow to diversify texts in your English teaching. Bloomsbury Lit in Colour: A spotlight on plays and drama Published: 23rd November 2022 Authors: Various contributors – produced in collaboration with Lit in Colour and research partners: Jane Ball from the National Theatre and Ali Warren from Open Drama UK. Full report What is it about? Bloomsbury joined forces with the Lit in Colour campaign to commission a report in partnership with the National Theatre and Open Drama UK to investigate the barriers and challenges teachers face to introducing new play texts to the classroom. The report (estimated 20 minute read) takes a close look at the current status of drama i

FAQs

What is the overall purpose of the recommended reading digest?

It curates influential, accessible research to help schools rationalise changes toward an inclusive English literature curriculum.

What does Lit in Colour focus on?

It investigates barriers that may prevent more diverse texts—especially works by writers of colour—from being taught, and provides practical recommendations for change.

What additional perspective does the Bloomsbury Lit in Colour report provide?

It extends the original themes through drama, examining the current status of drama in the English literature curriculum, the barriers teachers face, and concluding with recommendations.

Oct 20, 2026

Uploaded by Putri