An examination of authentic representation of the Black-British mixed race identity across children's picture books, reading schemes, chapter books and books for young adults through a range of routes to traditional publication

Davis-Featherstone, R (2026) An examination of authentic representation of the Black-British mixed race identity across children's picture books, reading schemes, chapter books and books for young adults through a range of routes to traditional publication. PhD thesis, Bath Spa University. doi: 10.17870/bathspa.00017868

Text 17868.pdf Restricted to Repository staff only until 7 July 2028.

Abstract

This PhD in Creative Writing by Publication offers new insights into how lived experience can inform the authentic representation of Black-British mixed-race identity in traditionally published children's literature, an area currently underrepresented both in terms of industry output and authorial perspective. It consists of two parts. Part one is a selection of my published works ranging from picture books and phonetically decodable reading scheme books to non-fiction books and a young adult (YA) novel, namely 'I am Not a Prince!' (Hachette, 2020); 'Over the Rainbow' (Flying Eye, 2023); 'Secret Beast Club: The Unicorns of Silver Street' (Puffin, 2023); 'The Dinosaur Who Came to Dinner' (Scholastic, 2024); 'Tap a Pan' (HarperCollins, 2024); 'The Goldilocks Guide to Bad Tempered Bears' (HarperCollins, 2024); 'Shark with a Bark' (HarperCollins, 2024); 'You Got This!' (Little Tiger, 2024); 'Oxford Blood' (Walker, 2025); and 'What Stephen Lawrence Taught Us' (Hodder, 2026). Part two comprises this critical commentary, which reflects on the authentic representation in these books, why it is important and how it was achieved. The purpose of this reflection is to explore my central question: how an representation of the Black-British mixed-race identity based on lived experience be effectively integrated into traditionally published children's literature and what routes to publication can be used to increase the number of these books published across picture books, reading schemes, chapters books and books for young adults? I address this in three chapters. The first focuses on the different ways I have incorporated mixed-race representation in my children's books for readers up to age nine. The second looks at the complexities of the mixed-race experience via critical analysis of my YA novel. The third considers my various routes to publication. Throughout my commentary, I draw on industry research about the challenges facing writers of colour and lack of representation in children's literature, as well as peer-reviewed research on the importance of children's books acting as mirrors, windows and sliding glass doors to improve children's self-esteem and empathy. This critical reflection will offer practical suggestions for marginalised writers who aspire to traditionally publish children's books that incorporate their lived experience, to the benefit of all children in our complex and diverse society.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Note:	PhD by publication. The document attached to this record is the contextualising research section of the thesis only. It does not include the publications component.
Keywords:	PhD by publication; creative writing; children's literature; YA literature; Black-British mixed-race
Divisions:	School of Writing, Publishing and the Humanities
Date Deposited:	06 Jul 2026 08:51
Last Modified:	06 Jul 2026 08:52
URN:	https://researchspace.bathspa.ac.uk/id/eprint/17868

	Request a change to this item or report an issue
	Update item (repository staff only)