Tamarind Books
Encyclopedia
Tamarind Books was founded in 1987 as a small independent publisher specialising in picture books, fiction and non-fiction featuring black and Asian children and children with disabilities. It is now an imprint of Random House
Children’s Books UK.
For twenty years, Verna Wilkins ran Tamarind Books from her home, writing many of the books herself, working with the support of her family and a small group of friends and freelancers. New books were published only when there was enough money in the company bank account. In the early years, Verna sold the books herself. Later Tamarind books were distributed by commercial distributors.
Two of the best-known books are The Life of Stephen Lawrence
(2001) and Dave and The Tooth Fairy (1993), which features a black tooth fairy. Tamarind also specialises in biographies of black role models (Black Stars series) which includes biographies of Malorie Blackman
, Benjamin Zephaniah
, Rudolph Walker
, Baroness Scotland, Chinwe Chukwuogo-Roy
and David Grant
.
In 2007, Tamarind Books was acquired by Random House Group Ltd and became an imprint of Random House Children’s Books (UK).
In 2008, Tamarind Books was awarded the Decibel Diversity British Book Industry Award (Nibbie).
In October 2009, Verna Wilkins retired from publishing and a successor, Patsy Isles, was announced.
In January 2011, a new team comprising editors from Random House (Ruth Knowles, Parul Bavishi, Joe Marriott and Sue Buswell) were brought in to run Tamarind, with Verna acting as a consultant.
2008 Tamarind Books wins Cultural Diversity Award at the Nibbies http://www.publishingnews.co.uk/bba/pnbbia_previouswinners_001.asp
Random House
Random House, Inc. is the largest general-interest trade book publisher in the world. It has been owned since 1998 by the German private media corporation Bertelsmann and has become the umbrella brand for Bertelsmann book publishing. Random House also has a movie production arm, Random House Films,...
Children’s Books UK.
History
Tamarind Books was founded by Verna Wilkins in 1987 after her five-year old son came home from school with a “This is Me” booklet in which he had coloured himself pink. When she offered him a brown crayon to use instead, he refused, saying that the image he had drawn of himself had to have pink skin because it was for a book. When she researched the matter further, she arrived at the conclusion that her child and other children from the ethnic minorities were so under-represented in children’s books that they were being denied an important stage in their learning and decided to start publishing books to meet that need.For twenty years, Verna Wilkins ran Tamarind Books from her home, writing many of the books herself, working with the support of her family and a small group of friends and freelancers. New books were published only when there was enough money in the company bank account. In the early years, Verna sold the books herself. Later Tamarind books were distributed by commercial distributors.
Two of the best-known books are The Life of Stephen Lawrence
Stephen Lawrence
Stephen Lawrence was a black British teenager from Eltham, southeast London, who was stabbed to death while waiting for a bus on the evening of 22 April 1993....
(2001) and Dave and The Tooth Fairy (1993), which features a black tooth fairy. Tamarind also specialises in biographies of black role models (Black Stars series) which includes biographies of Malorie Blackman
Malorie Blackman
Malorie Blackman OBE is an author of literature and television drama for children and young adults. She has used science fiction to explore social and ethical issues. Her critically and popularly acclaimed Noughts & Crosses series uses the setting of a fictional dystopia to explore racism...
, Benjamin Zephaniah
Benjamin Zephaniah
Benjamin Obadiah Iqbal Zephaniah is an English writer and dub poet. He is a well-known figure in contemporary English literature, and was included in The Times list of Britain's top 50 post-war writers in 2008....
, Rudolph Walker
Rudolph Walker
Rudolph Walker, OBE is a British character actor. Born in Trinidad and Tobago, Walker came to the United Kingdom in 1960....
, Baroness Scotland, Chinwe Chukwuogo-Roy
Chinwe Chukwuogo-Roy
Chinwe Ifeoma Chukwuogo-Roy MBE is a visual artist who has lived in Britain since 1975. Her paintings, prints and sculptures are predominantly figurative, in the genres of portraiture, still-life, landscape and narrative subjects.She was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire in the...
and David Grant
David Grant
David Grant CBE, FREng, FIET is the Vice-Chancellor of Cardiff University in Wales. Since his appointment in 2001, Dr Grant has overseen the merger between Cardiff University and the University of Wales College of Medicine, which was completed in 2004, and the awarding of University Status to...
.
In 2007, Tamarind Books was acquired by Random House Group Ltd and became an imprint of Random House Children’s Books (UK).
In 2008, Tamarind Books was awarded the Decibel Diversity British Book Industry Award (Nibbie).
In October 2009, Verna Wilkins retired from publishing and a successor, Patsy Isles, was announced.
In January 2011, a new team comprising editors from Random House (Ruth Knowles, Parul Bavishi, Joe Marriott and Sue Buswell) were brought in to run Tamarind, with Verna acting as a consultant.
Awards
2007 Tamarind Books Highly Commended at the Independent Publishers Guild(IPG) Awards http://www.ipg.uk.com/cgi-bin/scribe?showinfo=pp0442008 Tamarind Books wins Cultural Diversity Award at the Nibbies http://www.publishingnews.co.uk/bba/pnbbia_previouswinners_001.asp