Always Take Notes #162: Nels Abbey, author and co-founder of the Black Writers Guild
Jun 13, 2023
Nels Abbey, a British–Nigerian writer, media executive and satirist who co-founded the Black Writers Guild, talks about founding the Guild in 2020 and its data-driven push for industry accountability. He discusses his satirical book Think Like a White Man and why a comic alter ego worked. He also previews Hip Hop MBA and his shift from banking to a creative career.
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Disaggregate Data To Reveal Hidden Gaps
- Disaggregating BAME data revealed black authors were being left behind even when overall diversity figures looked better.
- Aggregate metrics can mask who's actually benefiting, so break data down by group.
Use Stakeholder Groups To Enforce Promises
- Create formal stakeholder groups with publishers chaired by senior executives to ensure ongoing accountability.
- Meet regularly and bring senior representation so promises translate into measurable action.
Numbers Show How Sparse Black Debuts Once Were
- In 2016 there was only one black male debut author in the UK; Penguin Random House acquisitions for black authors were around 2.5% then fell to ~0.7%.
- The 2020 surge after George Floyd was real but the Guild aimed to build a sustained pipeline, not a temporary spike.
