Welcome from the Editors

A NOTE FROM THE EDITORS

Isabel Clarke, Libby Driscoll, Aaina Jassell Hello reader! We’re Aaina, Iggy, and Libby, and we’re excited to introduce the first edition of Scribble edited by us. This term, we chose to create an issue focused on the theme of diversity within literature. This edition features a wide variety of fantastic articles, ranging from the exploration of How Diverse Children’s Literature is by Immy Hollins, to Emma Owen’s in-depth analysis of Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.

This theme is clearly something our wonderful writers feel passionately about, with Abigail Kulemeka sharing her own personal experience of reading as a child. It is clear that representation of oneself is incredibly important within literature. Everyone deserves to see themselves portrayed in a positive light and positive representations of others allow us to develop into a more accepting and appreciative society. Libby Driscoll explores the importance of positive representation in her article, ‘Are All Your Favourite Villains Gay?’.

Seeing people who look, act, and experience life like yourself in media can undoubtedly make you feel more accepted and included in society. However, it is also important for people of other groups to see positive depictions of others in the media in order to prevent them from developing harmful opinions purely based on unrepresentative material. It can also allow them to better understand the hardships and discrimination faced by others. For those who are not a part of these marginalised and under-represented groups, it can be hard to be aware of or even imagine their experiences, so by consuming media that contains an honest depiction of this outlook, it can help them understand.

These articles range from canonical to modern literature and explore various marginalised groups’ presence within literature. We hope that all our readers feel represented within this issue, be it through resonating with a character discussed, or with one of our contributor's opinions. So sit back, relax, and enjoy this latest instalment of Scribble!