Our Lit in Colour partnership

Together with Penguin Random House UK and The Runnymede Trust, we want to highlight the importance of a diverse English Literature curriculum.

It's essential that students across the UK are given access to books by Black, Asian and minority ethnic writers and those from a range of backgrounds, to ensure a better reflection of contemporary culture and society, and to provide students with both experiences beyond their own and experiences that may resonate with them.

To help in achieving this mission, we've introduced the Lit in Colour Pioneers programme - and we've also developed a new unseen text anthology for those studying our Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9–1) English Language 2.0 qualification.

Register your interest in Lit in Colour

What is the Lit in Colour Pioneers programme?

The second window for our Lit in Colour Pioneers 2022 programme is closed.

We're looking for 100 secondary schools and colleges to take part in our 2022 Lit in Colour Pioneers programme, receiving free access to:

copies of the chosen set texts for every student in the relevant year group, donated by Penguin
a programme of work and series of free resources including CPD training webinars for teachers and school librarians, plus qualification support and training where required
support programmes of work for each set text including creative content from authors plus videos and a range of resources to support the specification
a Lit in Colour mini library including 300 free Penguin books by Black, Asian and minority ethnic writers designed for all age groups, together with colourful posters and artwork

To be eligible to apply, you must:

commit to diversifying your English Literature curriculum by changing to a new set text for examination from the Pearson Edexcel GCSE or A level English Literature qualifications, starting from September 2022
be a secondary school or college based in the UK
be new to the Lit in Colour pioneers programme at either GCSE or A level. If you are a 2021 pioneer, you will not receive a further library donation.

Register your interest in Lit in Colour

What are the texts?

Discover the qualifications and set texts in our Lit in Colour qualifications guide, or visit our qualifications website to find out more about the set texts on our Pearson Edexcel GCSE and A level English Literature qualifications.

Key dates and events for your diary

We've got a host of events lined up throughout March to help you find out more about Lit in Colour, the pioneers programme and the texts you can choose from. We've also made a note of the key milestones for the programme - including when you'll hear more about the progress of your application.

Take a look at our key dates and events

Find out what our 2021 pioneers have to say...

Watch our case study videos to find out more about our diverse set text options and the Lit in Colour experience.

Westonbirt School

Hear from Tabatha Sheehan, Head of English at Westonbirt School, about her experience as a Lit in Colour Pioneer and how the programme helps form a foundation for diversity and inclusion in English lessons.

Read the case study (PDF l 555KB)

Turning House School

Hear from the students at Turning House School and see firsthand the impact that can be made by taking a more inclusive approach to the study of English Literature.

Meet the students at Turning House School

More about Lit in Colour

Every young person deserves an educational experience that more fully reflects Britain’s past and the lives of its young people today. Penguin and The Runnymede Trust found that fewer than 1% of students in England study a book by a writer of colour at GCSE. This compares to 34.4% of school-age students who identify as Black, Asian or minority ethnic.

In recent research by the National Literacy Trust, 32.7% of children and young people in the UK aged 9 to 18 said that they don't see themselves in what they read, and 39.8% would like more books with characters who are similar to them.

By joining forces with Penguin and The Runnymede Trust, we hope to encourage schools to make the switch to a more diverse English Literature curriculum.

Find out more about Lit in Colour on the Penguin website

Read the National Literacy Trust research