The Bookseller - Spotlight - Publishing pioneer and English PEN president Busby on the pace of change

There is arguably no one better placed in the UK publishing industry to speak about how the industry has progressed regarding diversity and inclusion-indeed, whether it has at all-than celebrated publisher Margaret Busby.

Busby became Britain's first Black woman publisher when she co-founded Allison & Busby (A&B) with Clive Busby in the late 1960s. Since then she has been a writer, editor, broadcaster, critic and judged many literary prizes, including the Booker. However, despite being named the president of English PENSupported by eminent writers, this is the English branch of International Pen, which has centres in nearly 100 countries. It fights for freedom of expression and against political censorship. It campaigns for writers harassed, imprisoned and sometimes murdered for their views. http://www.englishpen.org/ last month, awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the London Book Fair in 2021, alongside other prizes, and a CBE for services to publishing, she reveals that she still feels "not part of the system".