Women in Publishing: Margaret Busby

07 May Women in Publishing: Margaret Busby

I am forever inspired by the women who have gone before me in the world of publishing. One such woman is Margaret Busby (OBE, Hon. FRSL), also known as Nana Akua Ackon – a Ghanaian-born publisher, editor, writer and broadcaster. A woman of many talents, she was Britain’s youngest and first black female book publisher. Along with Clive Allison (1944–2011), she co-founded the London-based publishing house Allison & Busby in her early 20s, and this helped to revolutionise literature in 3 key ways: 1️⃣ Driving a Lifelong Campaign for Diversity in Publishing: By ignoring the conventions of the time, they were able to publish people like Buchi Emecheta, Christine Qunta, Hunter S. Thompson and Nuruddin Farah. 2️⃣ Reshaping Perceptions of Black Women Writers’ Impact in Literature: By editing and publishing ‘Daughters of Africa’ (1992), a groundbreaking collection of writing by women of African descent, and its follow-up ‘New Daughters of Africa’ (2019), she inspired black female writers across the world. 3️⃣ Nurturing New Generations of Writers, Editors, Publishers and Critics: By consistently making connections, mentoring writers and editors, and helping people, she has played her part in promoting diversity in publishing, writing, administration and book commissioning. In the words of Margaret Busby herself: “I hope that people are examining their beliefs and thinking: ‘Where are the people from a different class background, ethnicity or a different part of the country?’” Sources • theguardian.com & theconversation.com