Harlequin aims to publish a wide variety of diverse and inclusive stories so that readers see themselves reflected in the authors and stories we publish. We continue reaching out to the writing community and working to publish more romance stories by authors of all backgrounds, communities and cultures.
Here’s the latest update on ways Harlequin is working to support greater diversity in the romance genre.
Celebrating Black History Month
Harlequin is celebrating Black History Month with a new video by HER NEW YORK MINUTE author Darby Baham (Harlequin Special Edition) highlighting books by some of the amazing authors who have inspired her to celebrate Black joy in her own work. The blog post with Darby’s book recommendations links to a year-round promotion on Harlequin.com of romance stories starring Black characters.
2024 Romance Includes You Mentorship Launches
Harlequin announced its Romance Includes You Mentorship for 2024 in February. For this initiative, Harlequin is looking for story submissions from debut romance writers in underrepresented communities who are interested in starting their writing careers with Harlequin. We will begin accepting submissions on May 1, 2024. The Romance Includes You Mentorship seeks new voices in romantic fiction that bring more diversity and representation to the genre. Read more about the Mentorship here.
Emma-Claire Sunday was our 2023 recipient. Her forthcoming debut, a Regency romance story about two high society women of the Ton, is coming in fall 2024 from Harlequin Historical Romance. Read more about Emma-Claire Sunday here.
Librarian Grant
To support new librarians amid book bans, HTP Books partnered with the American Library Association (ALA) to fund The NMRT Professional Development Award. This award will support a new librarian to attend the 2024 ALA Annual Conference this June in San Diego.
Drag Story Hour
Harlequin’s Library Marketing team created thoughtful care packages for 35 librarians across the United States who host Drag Story Hour events, a national organization that celebrates reading through the glamorous art of drag. The packages, containing book gifts for librarians and performers, fun stickers, pins and tattoos, were sent to librarians who actively support welcoming and inclusive communities through their participation.
