Removing the competition from competitions
What if I announced a competition?
A writing competition, with £1000 prize?
Interested?
Then what if I told you there were certain people that were not allowed to enter the competition? Based on their colour, ethnicity, gender, some people would not be allowed to enter this competition.
That doesn’t sound like a good competition, does it? It excludes people because of things they cannot choose.
That’s exactly what The Guardian is doing.
But this competition is OK because it shows a distinct bias towards ethnic minorities – is it OK?
The prize is open to all black, Asian, minority ethnic writers aged 18 or over who are living in the UK or Ireland.
Rather than putting a bandaid over a broken leg, we should be doing something about this issue – education first and foremost. Ethnic minorities should have the same educational opportunities as everyone else living in England.
Yeah, it’s easy to say that, isn’t it? Not so easy to get the job done.
Kitty Lymperopoulou Still Disadvantaged
Ethnic Minorities and Education
Even when the news is relatively ‘good’, it’s not as good as it could be or should be. Ethnic Minority Students excelling
If I said “Hey, I’m a minority, I’m Ginger, which is 2% of the world’s population. I want, deserve, demand a special competition for Gingers so I have a chance of winning!” I’d sound like a spoiled, self-entitled brat – and rightly so, that’s exactly what I would be!
Why is there a need for competitions such as The Guardian’s exclusive writing competition?
One of the replies on my Twitter was this:
…it's because white agents send white books to white publishers & dismiss BAME writers' works as "too ethnic" to appeal to a wider audience, thus not lucrative. Absolutely think if agent/editor/publisher had to judge without seeing the author or their name, this would change.
Yes! It probably would, so let’s address THIS point, rather than giving something to placate the minorities.
And…
There is more than enough for us. Let them have their share.
Here’s where I leap in, both feet planted firmly in my mouth…
‘More than enough for ‘us’, let ‘them’ have their share.’
Does that sound a little like:
‘Aww, the poor darlings, they’re never going to win anything, let’s set up a competition and weight it so heavily in their favour, one of them will be able to say they won a writing competition and they’ll all be happy.’
That’s what we need to stop! The belief that ‘they’ will be happy with that £1000 prize once a year – It’s NOT enough and it’s not in the right direction.
So, the writing competition will be open to Gingers only, born in 1964 (in December) and open only to those who own a 2000 model Ducati Monster 900 and a 2016 Mustang convertible. And I will be checking out your eligibility!
I tell you what… fuck that shit, I don’t need to win a writing competition that much.
I’ve entered two ‘official’ competitions for writing in my career.
The Orange Prize For Fiction in 2012 – there was no way my horror story featuring werewolves and Jack The Ripper was ever going to win, but the ‘prize’ for me was entering that prestigious competition (and knowing the judges read my work).
A little ‘flash fiction’ competition run by a small, independent writing organization.
I won neither of the first prizes – I don’t even think I got mentioned or listed.
The ONE competition I objected to being excluded from was an East Midlands-based competition and I was excluded because I self-published.
The organisers claimed to be promoting writing and writers in the East Midlands, but turned up their noses at someone who self-published. I told them I don’t self-publish, but by that time, I decided I wanted nothing to do with people who looked down their noses at writers that do self-publish.
Exclusion is not the way to go. We have to change the way publishers work – but how do we do that when the basis for publishing a novel is how much money it’s going to earn for the company?
We’ve not won the lottery this week, so I’m afraid I can’t afford to set up a publishing company to rival the Big Six, but if anyone wants to sponsor me to have a go, I’m willing to listen.
As long as there is a them and an us, there will be no we! When there are no more exclusions based on gender, colour, religion, age or perceived disabilities (and whatever other categories you may wish to add), then perhaps we will have true equality. These problems have existed since time immemorial. You would think that our society would have advanced enough by now to find a way to fix it but instead, it looks like every once in awhile someone sticks a band-aid over the wound. It festers and erupts into a bigger problem down the road. I don't believe I will see a solution in my lifetime...
I think if "the powers at-be" wanted a "we" it would happen. It's much easier to control the masses when we're divided. I absolutely think there is much less division, at the basic level, then they want us to believe.
We have perfect examples of divide and conquer here in Nicaragua. Keep the people poor and uneducated and they are easier to control. Where our homestead is, we see less of the conflicts but in the capital city where my son lives, there have been riots in the streets since Wednesday. We live in frightening times.
Wow, you are so far away from me! And, yes, that is exactly it. Rioting is so scary, I hope your son is staying safe! I'm glad you are on a homestead away from most of the action.
If this is how the individual feels, then it is not the contest that needs to change rules and become an agent of exclusion, it is the industry that needs the change. Here is the idiocracy way to solve the problem:
Stupidity runs rampant in government. Not a serious law proposal, but I can see that happening sometime in the future. Now an uninformed question - "What is a BAME"?
Haha! I can see that happening before anything that really addresses the issue comes about.
BAME is explained in one of the links in the post.
Thanks, one day we may be able to just go back to where she is a she, and he is a he. It would be nice to not judge a person based on all the social and national crap poured into peoples heads, but I doubt that day is any where near close at hand.
I'd like to get to a place where a person can be whatever they want to be - as long as it makes them happy - and not have to worry about making sure another person isn't offended.
Gosh it's ridiculous isn't it - it's such a shame that everyone isn't on a level playing field!!
It is a shame, but the world we live in is not a level playing field.
I couldn't get a publishing contract. I tried for eleven years to get someone interested in my work. We were advised to 'DIY' and Gingernut Books was formed.
I didn't scream social injustice, I guessed my story wasn't commercially viable for a publisher (in their opinion at least) but I did something about it.
Sometimes we have to take matters into out hands and make things work! I think it also makes us appreciate what we achieve so much more :)
Exactly so! :)
Meritocracy is age ,gender, race, and religion blind. (it's even ginger blind , so I've heard!)
It is the only way forward.
Nice to see how racist the guardian is though...
I do think some organisations want to be seen as doing good. Competitions like this are a quick fix without actually doing anything to fix the real problem.
The only real problem, as I see it is the proliferation of cultural marxist/postmodern logic, taking over from meritocratic perspectives.
In fairness though, meritocracy has not been endorsed too much since the beginning of the 20th century.
The established 'powers that be', most certainly do not want merit to be the metric - it would be the end of the status quo.
Good for everyone else though.
I think it's an extension of 'everyone must be allowed to win something' we've come to accept as the norm. Every competitor in school gets a prize now, meaning they don't have to try to actually win in order to go home with a medal. That teaches kids that mediocrity is ok.
Good job, Society, we're growing a generation of "That'll do"s.
...and the crazy thing is it serves the 'less talented' worse, than anyone else!
...A rising tide lifts all boats, and all that...
Mediocrity keeps the the tide from rising.
It also teaches the lesson that least effort is good enough - the opposite of what we need as a society.
absolutley !!!
Buenos días, Michelle. Leí con detenimiento tu Post mientra disfrutaba un café. Mi esposa me hablaba mientras te escribo.
Ella haba que nuestro vecino se levanto muy temprano a cultivar la tierra. Ya pronto llegará la lluvia y debe estar lista para los primeros aguaceros para plantar las semillas.
Pero leí tu post y en la medida que leí me dabas las respuestas que pensaba. Lo más importante es destacar que el tema te interese, dice que a pesar de estar en mundo como la escritura que a veces aísla al productor sigues conectado con tu mundo aunque esa lejano te toco y como tu opino que debemos seguir luchando por las causas perdidas de la humanidad. La desigualdad, la discriminación, etc.
Pero yo en leo el articulo y lo veo desde los pobres; siempre lo he sido y ni siquiera me he preocupado por participar en concursos y cosas de esas porque el tiempo siempre se va en el trabajo del día a día y poder creer que una cosa a que le dedique tiempo pueda obtener un beneficio como ganar un concurso bueno no esta entre esas prioridades.
Pero demos un voto de confianza a The Guardían y veámoslo positivo a pesar del marco de podredumbre lleva esperanza en la desesperanza de los que han emigrado a un país del primer mundo o a los que recién llegan y puedan tener bajo su brazo una idea o algún papel que compartir yo dirá que para ese hombre o mujer será una buena oportunidad de confrontarse con él y con su mundo y luchar como luchas tu y los que apuestan por denunciar la injusticia.
Miche, el Mundo gira hoy da otra vuelta veo la Muerte de Aviciii dejo escuchar su música aqui bajita, mi esposa canta otra canción de las de ella y sonríe viendo al vecino trabajar fuerte; y yo me termino mi cafecito...sintiendo que avicii dejo un sonido inigualable, no te parece??
Un gran abrazo ...supera lo del concurso esos pasajes de la vida fueron obstáculos como el de la discriminación pero no te quedaste pegado allí ahora eres quien eres deja a él pasado salir de la novela de horror que fue... No puedo dejar de pensar en un super concierto en homenaje de todos los dj a Aviici en el Tomorroland del 2019
..rafa
Gracias, su respuesta y un recordatorio de la muerte de Avicii ponen las cosas en perspectiva.
Que bueno que te gusto el Tomorroland 2019....
un abrazo
What you are saying is a valid point and living in the states we constantly see this type of thing. Being white in America is not popular, one day everyone will be brown and they will probably fight based on gender. Oh wait, that is also going on now.
That's entirely the problem.
'We' are told 'They' have problems with 'Us' and 'We' should be in fear of 'Them' rising up.
'They' are told 'We' have a problem with 'Them' and 'They' should be in fear of 'Us' coming after 'Them'.
While that is entirely simplistic, and I'm ignoring real issues, I believe if 'Us' and 'Them' got together without anyone fuelling the fires, 'Them and Us' would become 'Just Us' and that's what 'Those in Power' don't want.
Divided we fall.
but how do we do that when the basis for publishing a novel is how much money it’s going to earn for the company?"... Even the local publishers where I come from will publish books for those willing to pay
The 'Big Six' Publishers don't work that way. They are companies that are there to make money - not by 'vanity publishing', but by publishing commercially viable books that sell in their millions.
That's a better approach. This place they publish useless content for money. Lol
It is a better approach until some people decide that books that are written for a minority audience (never going to be Best Sellers because there just isn't the volume of buyers for those books) need to be published too. When a Publisher is running a business, publishing books that will never sell in massive volume is not good business sense.
Oh my goodness...that's exactly how I see it as well! I want to scream about how insulting that sounds...the "they" is no less capable so please stop treating "them" like they are! No one should be excluded and no one should be patronized.
It would be awesome if that ever happened. As @cecicastor said, I can't see that happening in my lifetime.
Many female authors in the not to distant past had to publish under male names.
Recently J K Rowling took this approach to get Harry Potter into the world.
Defining a contest based on ludicrous criteria such as mentioned above indicates plain bias.
This is not about equality of opportunity. That doesn't exist.
It should be about equity. i.e. 'All' participants having a level starting position.
Promoting the marginalised keeps them marginalised. 'Status Quo!'
I agree!
Some men have to publish under female names too... paradoxical, much?
I've touched upon the real issue in another reply.
Ethnic minorities don't buy books in massive volumes and therefore, publishing a book that appeals more to ethnic minorities than a wider audience is not commercially viable - nor does it make good business sense.
The same thing applies to movies. This level of market segmentation is just not viable from a business standpoint but some people are often reluctant to admit that this is the primary motivation. Personally I've never been keen on creating work for any specific niche purely from the fact that I have a very low boredom threshold. :)
I don't produce work for a niche per se, I just like writing along the darker side of things, so thats where I go. My muse seems to be a bit of a dark horse ;)
It's a gift to be able to write anything really.
You have that gift, ability and tenacity.
I know how hard it is as I have tried on several occasions to complete just one novel.
To write several works in the same genre is an accomplishment in itself.
My real work tends towards non-fiction and academic writing that few people read or have interest in. Although having said that. I have had over 500,000 reads?
Maybe I'm selling myself short? But I'd love to be able to incorporate my sociology into something that would get a wider readership. I'm working on it :)
At 500,000 reads? You certainly are selling yourself short! WOW!
As ever, if I can help in any way, please let me know and I'll be happy to.
I regret that you have to face such social injustice. Where I live, there is no such "progressive" society. We have other problems with national minorities here.
I think that in our time there should be no concepts of "they" and "we". All people should have equal rights. Especially if it concerns people who live in one country. This is a serious topic.
These companies you wrote about are those who are primarily interested in money. These are ordinary businessmen who are interested in profit. This is my opinion and it's sad.
Not necessarily. Publishing is a business, not a charity. Publishing houses are not funded by government money and therefore have to make a profit on every venture, that means every book must sell in huge volumes - a Best Seller every time if they can.