There has been a push towards increasing inclusivity in many areas of our society, and the book world has been seeing more and more diversity in stories. While most of the results have been positive, there can be a negative side to it. Let’s discuss.

I want to discuss the positives associated with ensuring inclusivity. First and foremost, I think it is a wonderful thing when people of diverse backgrounds and faiths can see themselves in the pages of a book. Sharing from my own personal experience, Jewish characters and traditions used to only be found in books about Jews during the Holocaust. Like, there weren’t any other stories to be found anywhere. So when I finally read a book featuring Jewish characters that didn’t center on our tragedies, I was blown away to see families and characters that mirrored my own family, and I especially loved reading about Jewish joy—romance, fantasy, and YA contemporary fiction. Obviously, I feel like members of every other minority group should be able to visualize themselves in a story centering their joy, so I’ve been very supportive of reading books written by other minorities. Another great thing about this is the way it exposes people to different cultures. I’ve learned so much about the experience of other groups by reading OwnVoices stories, and I always try to prioritize reading books about joy without overlooking the pain. Inclusivity can extend to people of cultures, faiths, and ethnicities, while it can also allow LGBTQIA+ and disabled people to find identification in books. 

Inclusivity can be harmful. Hear me out, I’m not talking about genuine inclusivity, more about of performative inclusivity. Have you ever read a book and felt like the author was just checking off boxes on the diversity checklist, without actually devoting the effort needed to create three-dimensionality. It’s like when I get an email anytime from September to December from NetGalley: there’s guaranteed to be at least a couple of emails that loudly proclaim ‘HOLIDAY READS’ in the subject. I’ll eagerly open it up hoping to find a Chanukah book so I don’t feel totally left out during the holiday season … only to discover that Every. Single. Book. Is a Christmas book. I’m not sure why Christmas became a word that isn’t supposed to be said, but in an email full of Christmas books, I can’t figure out why they wouldn’t put the subject as ‘CHRISTMAS READS.’ Another downside is how the diverse characters are being treated—disabled characters may be infantilized or viewed as needing to be fixed, stereotypes may be used to depict minority characters rather than presenting a realistic portrayal, or they are only included in the story to further the plot. 

These are some of my thoughts about inclusivity, but I want to hear about your thoughts/experiences.