Why GCSE students studying books from authors of colour is ‘even more essential’ in 2026
It will be two decades before just one in 10 English Literature GCSE students encounter a text by a writer of color, a new report has found.
The Lit in Color initiative warns that without significant intervention, 38 per cent of students will study with a non-white writer at GCSE level by 2115 (reflecting the current proportion of black, Asian and ethnic minority students in schools in England).
Booker Prize-winning author Bernardine Evaristo, Girl, Woman, OtherHe emphasized the critical importance of this campaign.
Increasing the number of black writers studied is “even more important” today, he said, “when the concept of diversity is under renewed attack.”
“The argument for a more diverse reading list is not an argument against tradition, a common assumption and point of attack by opponents, but rather an argument for both: books that reflect our multiracial society and books rooted in its literary history,” he added.
Lit in Color said the government should provide more support for teachers to introduce new texts into the classroom that offer more diverse options for all GCSE students.
The initiative was launched by Penguin Books in 2020, when just 0.76 per cent of students in England were studying a non-white author at GCSE.
This rate has risen to 1.9 per cent since the campaign was launched, but Lit in Color said in its five-year report that the pace of change “needs to be much faster”.
Lit in Color said that at the current rate of progress being made, 10 per cent of students will have answered at least one question at their GCSEs about a text by a black author by 2046.
Tom Weldon, managing director of Penguin Books, said: “Through research, resources and partnerships with schools and exam boards, we have identified and begun to break down the barriers that keep writers of color out of the English curriculum, but the latest findings make clear that now is the time for urgency, not complacency.
“As the National Year of Reading gathers momentum, there is a real opportunity for government, educators and the publishing community to work together on reform to ensure literature reflects all voices and perspectives.”
Lit in Color said investments should be made to ensure that teachers and schools have equal resources to teach texts written by authors of different ethnic backgrounds, as well as the most commonly taught texts.
Teachers also need to have support to engage with the themes of race, racism and empire in the novels, he added.
In response to a review of the curriculum last year, the government said the new curriculum should “reflect our modern society and diverse communities” and would allow teachers to draw on a variety of content to best suit the needs of their students.
On English Literature in particular, the government has said it wants schools to have the flexibility to choose a range of texts and authors “including those of local importance”.
Tes reported last year in June 2024 that the majority of GCSE English Literature students across the three largest exam boards answered questions on An Examiner’s Call.
According to Lit in Color, as of 2025, there are eight texts written by authors of different races in the text lists determined by the examination board; this rate was 12 percent in 2019.
Despite the addition of new texts, exam board AQA warned in its curriculum review submission that most teachers still preferred Inspector Calls; This may be due to familiarity, unavailability of copies of the text, or the time required to acquire training and resources on new texts, he said.
