Throughout history, the literary canon has been dominated by Western sources of knowledge and creativity. While undeniably influential to scholarship, literature written by white, English-speaking, scholars disproportionately occupy academia. Consequently, non-Western literature is subdued and stigmatised for its customs and language barriers. Amidst a rising discourse about diversity and representation in present-day academia, Eurocentric foundations of literature are being reconsidered in a new light. As readers, why do the origins of our reading matter and how can we amplify the value of books written by people of colour?
In a comprehensive collection culminated by a specialised algorithm based on ‘quality and influence,’ only six of the top 100 ‘Greatest Books of All Time’ are written by non-White and non-English speaking authors. A cultural bias persists within the literary sphere, largely due to the enduring influence of historical power structures established by the Age of European Enlightenment and American Expansionism. In prioritising Western authors, mainstream booklists, as well as commercial bookstores, and online ‘bookish’ communities, often sideline works from African, Asian, Latin American, and Indigenous traditions.
Consider the racial bias present in BookTok trends. The dark academia aesthetic is firmly rooted in the idolisation of European academic elitism, and the majority of popular romance novels focus on the experiences of white characters and are written by white authors. Names such as Colleen Hoover, Emily Henry, and Ali Hazelwood are plastered as the face of today’s booklists, while revolutionary writers of colour are subdued to the label of being an ‘obscure artist’.
Even the notion of the ‘classic’ is representative of cultural bias in literature. Shakespeare, Austen, Brontë, Hemingway, and Orwell are each English-speaking authors hailing from European or North American backgrounds. Meanwhile, classic novelists of colour collect dust on the shelves, bound by the stigma of ethnically diverse narratives. Rabindranath Tagore, Khalil Gibran, David Unaipon, Gabriela Mistral, Solomon Plaatje, and Lu Xun are all groundbreaking classic literary writers who made significant contributions to the scholarship, however, are underrepresented in the established literary tradition.
The implications of an undiverse literary canon restrict the capabilities of our intellectual and emotional intelligence. Being limited to the experiences, traditions, and perspectives, of writers from various cultural backgrounds hinders our ability to empathise with multicultural stories and contemplate conventional scholarship. To broaden the literary landscape is to expand our exploration of different histories and voices.
Online reading communities, such as BookTok, BookTube, and Bookstagram are incredibly resourceful forums that can act as echo chambers to share non-Western concepts in a digestible format. This is evident in the virality of Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s Before the Coffee Gets Cold series. Despite originally being published in 2015, the novel soared to the bestsellers and is known as a ‘BookTok book’ after it was translated from Japanese in late 2019. Having resonated with readers worldwide, the book’s international success remains consistent today, showcasing the magnificence of literature: its undiscriminating relevance to the human condition, regardless of language and origin.
It is often forgotten that several of the classics were originally written in European languages and later translated into the texts we are familiar with. The works of Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Kafka, and ancient texts such as Homer and Sophocles were all once disconnected from Western scholarship. Likewise, many modern classics are famously written by authors of colour, such as James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, Gabriel Garcia Márquez, and Edward Said. Only once books written by authors of colour are platformed can new ideas and perspectives be normalised.
Another means of diversifying our reading lists is to diversify the media we consume. By following creators who use their platforms to project the works of non-Western authors, and interacting with well-researched content, we can revitalise digital spaces to generate thoughtful discourse about literature. Social media is also a fantastic forum to join or create book clubs. Standing the test of time, they are the sweet spot between socialising and educating, equipped with regular meet-ups and well-researched book selections. International and local profiles to subscribe to include USYD’s BookSoc, creators such as Jack Edwards, Service95, Amplify Bookstore, and local independent bookstores.
To kick off the new academic year, here’s a reading list we have cultivated, highlighting the voices of ethnic and Indigenous writers:
- Dropbear by Evelyn Araluen (2021) (Aboriginal Australian, Bundjalung)
- Minor Detail by Adania Shibli (2017) (translated by Elisabeth Jaquette in 2020) (Palestinian)
- Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi (2018) (Nigerian)
- Chilean Poet by Alejandro Zambra (2022) (translated by Megan McDowell) (Chilean)
- The Fraud by Zadie Smith (2023) (English Jamaican)
- Love In The New Millennium (2013) by Can Xue (translated by Annelise Finegan Wasmoen in 2018) (Chinese)
- Burnt Sugar by Avni Doshi (2019) (Indian American)
- Last Tang Standing by Lauren Ho (2020) (Malaysian)
- Hyper (2024) by Agri Ismaïl (Kurdish)
