Akashic Publisher Johnny Temple featured in diversity piece on NPR

NPR spoke to Akashic Publisher Johnny Temple about economic and ethnic diversity in publishing. Through their motto, “reverse gentrification of the literary world,” Akashic publishes authors and attracts readers from many diverse backgrounds. The piece not only discussed how writers of color often feel separated from mainstream publishing, described as “overwhelmingly white,” but how some are at risk of changing their own voices or styles to fit into a world where they feel unwelcome. According to Temple: “If the industry doesn’t get more economically and ethnically diverse, it’s just going to be a pit that people are not going to be able to climb out of, as this certain cultural sphere becomes less relevant to the population at large.” Kaylie Jones Books is an imprint of Akashic Books in Brooklyn, New York.