Maisie Pattison Examines Diversity Gaps in English Literature
In a time of ever-evolving technology, it’s unsurprising that the media we consume can begin to form the basis of who we are (and will become) as people – especially so for young people. The texts studied in schools & colleges serve as a form of media consumption and are a significant part of education, therefore it’s vital to ensure a well-rounded variety of literature is shared with teens today.
In a 2025 study, Dylan Difford revealed that 40% of British people hadn’t read or listened to a book in the past year with the percentage growing larger amongst young people. So undeniably, the pressure to provide a well-rounded perspective on the world is increasingly schools’ responsibility, with literature being a key way that students can critique the world around them.
However, focusing on the AQA poetry anthologies for both GCSE and A-Level there’s a clear separation in content, with works by non-British (and let’s face it, non-male) writers being badly integrated with the rest of the content studied.
Take, for example, the newly introduced Worlds & Lives Anthology for GCSE. It’s an entire anthology developed for the purpose of seeming diverse, instead of updating the outdated and white male dominated anthologies still being primarily taught across the country. It is not diverse if it’s still separated.
Taking a closer look at A Level Literature, the Anthology of Love Poetry primarily includes poetry by English (and occasionally Scottish and Irish) male poets – and only sometimes women too. This means that a whole opportunity has been missed to explore a rich world of poetry beyond this corner of the world. If schools and colleges aren’t showing young people the world around them, then the media has the power to develop its own perspective.
And of course, how easy it has become to promote hate – how easy it has become to guide an impressionable young person’s mind towards resentment – which could be lessened massively through education. Education about people’s lives, education about people’s culture, education about the experiences lived by others that currently are taught in miniscule quantities.
Social media and various online platforms are producing all kinds of opinions at an unquantifiable rate, and it’s the education system’s responsibility to ensure young people are widely educated and are capable of not falling victim to the engulfing black hole of the internet. As importantly stated by Jeanette Winterson:
“The more I read, the more I felt connected across time to other lives and deeper sympathies. I felt less isolated.”
Literature creates bridges to other people, other possibilities – and if less people are willing or able to read in their spare time, it falls on the education system to fill those gaps. Literature allows for people to find their place, to realise that no negative feeling is one felt alone.
Whilst studying the classics and various famous male, British poets is indisputably important to study the history and society of the past, it is also necessary to have a deeper dive into a wider range of literature. Popular older set texts often include topics like racism, sexism, and so on, yet can be portrayed in a regressive way – showing these issues as normal rather than something that should be challenged.
Consciously or subconsciously, everything we consume leaves a lasting impression – influences our mind in a particular direction, positively or negatively; it’s up to the education system to cultivate that path.
Why do we cling so tightly onto white, straight, male dominated specifications – and wonder why young people struggle to understand opinions unlike theirs? We need texts that actively represent the society we live in alongside older texts. We need to include poems and novels that shed light onto ongoing issues and experiences – texts recently published can equally remain timeless and discuss issues found in older texts whilst promoting a more diverse culture amongst literature. Instead of saying, “This text could be interpreted to represent homosexuality,” why not include a text that is outwardly LGBTQ+?
I think it’s important to notice the lack of clear (and positive) LGBTQ+ representation amongst literature taught to us. Literature and good representation are the foundation to understanding other people – why is this often forgotten when the topic at hand is not a straight, white man?
