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Revision as of 16:26, 16 February 2021

Verna Wilkins

Verna Allette Wilkins (born 1940s) is a Grenada-born publisher and author, now resident in London. In 1987 she founded the children's books imprint Tamarind Books, "producing quality inclusive literature that featured Black, Asian and minority ethnic children and children with disabilities" out of her concern about the effect on children who did not see themselves represented in books.[1] Tamarind was acquired 20 years later by the Random House Group and became part of Random House Children's Books. Wilkins is also the author of more than 40 picture books and biographies for young people.

Background

Publishing

In 1987 school with a "This is Me" booklet in which he had coloured himself pink. When she offered him a brown crayon to use instead, he refused, saying that the image he had drawn of himself had to have pink skin because it was for a book.[2][3] When she researched the matter further, she arrived at the conclusion that her child and other children from the ethnic minorities were so under-represented in children's books that they were being denied an important stage in their learning, so she decided to start publishing books to meet that need.[4]

Starting the company in 1987, Wilkins ran Tamarind Books from her home, writing many of the books herself. New books were published only when there was enough money in the company bank account, and in the early years she sold the books herself.[5] As she later wrote: "On the kitchen table, with the support of my partner and our sons, we began a business which lasted for a quarter of a century. I was aware of the discourse on race and cultural diversity as early as the 1960s, in response to the UK's growing population of immigrants from the Caribbean, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, with discussions abounding about 'multicultural education'. So I went to schools and spoke with teachers; there was a captive audience of hundreds of thousands of children, attending schools that were advised to produce an inclusive curriculum. At that time, I was also working as a lecturer."[6]

As Tamarind Books found success, Wilkins decided that the imprint needed "growth, expansion and a committed team to take it to the next stage of development as an international publishing concern", and in 2007 it was acquired by Random House Group Ltd and became an imprint of Random House Children's Books (UK).[7]

In 2008, Tamarind Books was awarded the Decibel Cultural Diversity Award in the British Book Awards (Nibbies).[8]

Building on her achievement with Tamarind, in 2016 Wilkins set up Firetree Books,[6] which she ran as a pilot venture until 2017.[9] As part of the Firetree project, which had Arts Council support, Wilkins produced the books A Visit to City Farm and Abdi's Day in collaboration with primary school children, who featured co-publishers and whose names were included in the books.[10][11]

Writing

Wilkins is the author of more than 40 picture books and biographies for young people,[12] and her books have featured on the National Curriculum and on BBC children's television, and been among titles chosen as Children's Books of the Year.[13]

Wilkins wrote two of the best-known titles published by the Tamarind Books imprint: The Life of Stephen Lawrence (2001),[14] and Dave and The Tooth Fairy (1993), which featured a black tooth fairy. Tamarind also published biographies by Wilkins of black role models such as Malorie Blackman, Benjamin Zephaniah, Rudolph Walker, Baroness Scotland, Chinwe Chukwuogo-Roy, David Grant and Samantha Tross.[15]

Awards

In 2014 Newman University Birmingham awarded Wilkins an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters for her work as a champion for children's literature and for her involvement with the education sector.[16]

Selected bibliography

  • Dave and the Tooth Fairy, illustrated by Paul Hunt, Tamarind Books, 1993, ISBN 978-1870516136. Reissue, illustrated by Carl Pearce, Templar Publishing, 2019, ISBN 978-1787415409.
  • Martin Luther King, Tamarind Books, 1998.
  • Samantha Tross: Surgeon, Tamarind Books, 2000.
  • The Life of Stephen Lawrence, Tamarind Books (2001); 2012, ISBN 978-1848531055.
  • Malorie Blackman: Author, illustrated by Virginia Gray, Tamarind Books, 2003, ISBN 978-1870516495.
  • Hurricane, illustrated by Tim Clarey, Tamarind Books, 2004.
  • The History of the Steel Band (with Michael La Rose), illustrated by Lynne Willey, Tamarind Books, 2006 ISBN 978-1870516747.
  • Rudolph Walker, Tamarind Books, 2008.
  • Benjamain Zephaniah, Tamarind Books, 2008, ISBN 978-1848530027.
  • A Visit to City Farm, illustrated by Karin Littlewood, Firetree Books, ISBN 9781911402077.
  • Abdi's Day, illustrated by Karin Littlewood, Firetree Books, ISBN 9781911402060.

References

  1. ^ Serroukh, Farrah; Karen Sands O'Connor (21 February 2020). "Go deeper: Reflecting on Black presence in children's books". Discovering Children's Books. British Library. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  2. ^ Kate Agnew, "Imaginary worlds where everyone is the same colour", The Guardian, 7 October 2008.
  3. ^ Article for BBIA, Publishing News. Archived 17 September 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ "Tamarind Books' Verna Wilkins talks to Michelle Brooks about Making her Mark on Children's books – OHTV interview". YouTube. 24 August 2010.
  5. ^ Shercliff, Emma (18 August 2014). "Books for the Masses? Publishing Genre Fiction in Africa: Africa Writes, 13 July 2014". Africa in Words. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  6. ^ a b Wilkins, Verna (4 November 2016). "'Books have the power to include, to exclude and to create heroes'". The Bookseller. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  7. ^ Flood, Alison (7 December 2007). "Random House acquires Tamarind". The Bookseller. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  8. ^ James, Philip (14 May 2008). "Foyles and CCV pick up nibbies"". The Bookseller. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  9. ^ "A list of Black British Book Publishers". All About African Publishers – African publishers on the continent and in the Diaspora. 3 July 2017. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  10. ^ "A Visit to City Farm by Verna Wilkins, illustrated by Karin Littlewood". Dolphin Book blog for younger readers. 11 November 2016. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  11. ^ "Abdi's Day". New Beacon Books. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  12. ^ Busby, Margaret, ed. (2020). "Verna Allette Wilkins". New Daughters of Africa (paperback ed.). Myriad. p. 93.
  13. ^ "Verna Wilkins". Book Trust. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  14. ^ McGavin, Harvey (20 April 2001). "Life and death of a south London schoolboy". TES.
  15. ^ Verna Wilkins (15 April 2008). Samantha Tross: Surgeon. Tamarind. ISBN 978-1-870516-48-8.
  16. ^ "Honorary Graduates", Newman University Birmingham.
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