Diversity in publishing has been a much-discussed topic among publishing professionals in the last several years. But what can we as writers, editors, designers, marketers, and other publishing professionals do to actually make publishing a more inclusive industry?

Join us as Namrata Tripathi, Vice President and Publisher of Penguin’s Kokila (pronounced KO-ki-la) imprint takes us through her journey to create a publishing space that builds an inclusive community, while allowing storytellers to explore their full range of experiences — affecting the way children and young adults see the world and their place in it. Namrata will talk about the questions she asked as she started the imprint, her own experiences in publishing, and how the culture of publishing itself can be a barrier to inclusivity, as well as what she hopes to do to help change that. We hope you will leave this luncheon inspired to use what power you have to influence your own little corner of publishing.

About Namrata Tripathi

Namrata Tripathi is Vice President & Publisher of Kokila, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers dedicated to centering stories from the margins. Previously, Namrata held editorial positions at HarperCollins, Disney-Hyperion, and Simon and Schuster. She is the editor of the picture books Islandborn by Junot Díaz and Leo Espinosa and The Book of Mistakes by Corinna Luyken; the middle grade novels The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani, and Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley; and the YA novels Where Things Come Back, Noggin, and Highly Illogical Behavior by John Corey Whaley. Namrata grew up in Afghanistan, India, Canada, Pakistan, Germany, and Poland, and has happily called New York City home for the last twenty years.

Questions for Namrata?

We are taking audience questions for Namrata, for the Q&A portion, in advance. Please send your questions to information@publishersroundtable.org. The submission of a question does not guarantee its inclusion in the presentation.