Inclusive Books for Children (IBC), a charity founded by Marcus and Sarah Satha in 2022, is set to host its first-ever award show tonight (February 28th.) The organisation, dedicated to integrating inclusivity into mainstream children’s books, has rapidly gained recognition for its comprehensive approach to showcasing diverse narratives.

Pioneering change: creating Inclusive Books for Children

In a candid conversation with How To Be Books, co-founder Sarah Satha shared the heartwarming inception story of IBC. “It all began from a personal need,” Satha explained. “Marcus and I were eager to find books for our daughter that reflected her identity – a young girl with brown skin. We wanted her to see herself in the stories she read, to know her experiences were worthy of being told.” The journey from a personal project to a significant charitable initiative was fuelled by the couple’s passion for literature and a clear gap in the market for readily available inclusive books.

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Satha detailed the evolution of their project, highlighting how their initial endeavour to compile an inclusive library for their daughter expanded into a robust platform, thanks to collaborations with entities like Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE) and contributions from publishers. “What began with cataloging 300 books blossomed into a comprehensive database, enriched by the support of a dedicated team, including publisher liaison and book procurement led by Jake Hope,” she remarked.

The study suggests there has been a rise in the proportion of Black, Asian or minority ethnic characters in children’s books. The charity’s Reflecting Realities report says that in 2022, nearly a third of children’s books in the UK featured racially minoritised characters. This reflects a consistent increase in representation from the initial survey in 2017, during which only 1 out of every 25 characters in books was from a racially minoritised background.

Celebrating diversity: the inaugural IBC Awards ceremony

The upcoming awards ceremony, described by Satha as the “icing on the cake,” aims to celebrate and promote books that embody inclusivity and diversity. The foundation’s rigorous review process ensures that the literature they endorse not only features diverse characters but also upholds high standards of storytelling and representation. This curation is part of IBC’s broader mission to influence the industry, encouraging publishers to commission more inclusive works and thereby incrementally shift mainstream children’s literature towards greater diversity.

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IBC’s innovative approach includes a user-friendly website that allows caregivers and educators to filter books based on specific representation criteria, ensuring that children from all backgrounds can find stories where they see themselves reflected. “Our goal is to make discovering inclusive books as seamless as possible, providing a mainstream browsing experience enriched with diversity,” Satha asserted.

A future of inclusivity: expanding the horizons of children’s literature

As IBC prepares for its award show, the excitement is palpable, not just for the recognition of the authors and illustrators but for the broader impact the event signifies. Tonight’s ceremony is not just a celebration of achievements, but a turning point in inclusive storytelling to help shape young minds.