Freedom of expression

To help Bonnier Books UK build a relevant, sustainable publishing house fit for the future, the business works with a Diversity & Inclusion Action Plan. The overarching target is to ensure that the business’s publishing lists and workforce are more representative of its readers and listeners.

The plan aims to reach these targets by the following initiatives: renew recruitment processes, invest in the workplace, make everyone understand the value of diversity, empower people to share their stories, give everyone credit in a meaningful way, and engage in targeted sponsoring and mentoring. This approach follows the RIVERS principles of the BBC Creative’s Allies initiative, which Bonnier Books UK supports. Annually, a third-party researcher is commissioned to survey the business. This includes an audit of the workforce and the business’s lists. The results of the audits are fed back into the business and this shapes the company’s plan for progress.

Language shapes our understanding of the world, especially in children. As a children’s book publisher, Carlsen Verlag is faced with multi-faceted demands in connection to diversity and inclusion, and dialogues in the publishers’ social media channels are sometimes challenging.

In March 2021, Carlsen Verlag launched the Carlsen Social Media Netiquette, informing both employees and external stakeholders of the publisher’s values as well as its management of its social media channels. Simultaneously, a crisis communication team was set up. Since the launch, the initiative has been a model for other publishers within Bonnier Media Deutschland, with for example Hörbuch Hamburg and Thienemann-Esslinger adopting similar policies.

International PEN, and its local organisations are protecting the freedom of expression worldwide, targeting at governments and authorities in countries where writers have been imprisoned for publishing their opinions. In Sweden, Bonnierförlagen actively participates in ‘Group Krilon’, PEN’s network for the Swedish book industry. Additionally, Bonnierförlagen makes financial contributions to the organisation so that it can continue its work in the longer term.