Publishing has failed to deliver on its promises after Black Lives Matter. True diversity requires a lasting shift A World Book Day question: which children’s author is name-checked in Stormzy’s song Superheroes (and appears in the video for Mel Made Me Do It ) and Tinie Tempah’s Written in the Stars ? The answer, as a generation of readers will know, is former children’s laureate Malorie Blackman . Her groundbreaking novel, Noughts & Crosses, turns 25 this year. Set in a dystopian Britain (Albion), in which racial hierarchies are reversed, this story of star-crossed lovers was one of the first young adult novels to tackle racism and class directly in the UK. It was written in response to the death of Stephen Lawrence; 20 years later, Endgame, the last in the series, was finished as the world witnessed the murder of George Floyd. Noughts & Crosses was voted one of the UK’s all-time favourite books , and has been adapted for the stage by the Royal Shakespeare Company and for TV by the BBC, with a cameo from Stormzy. Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here . Continue reading...