Sensitivity Readers and Why They Make a Difference by Nav Nagra
“Is your representation of that culture, human, or practice accurate and will you do harm by putting this out into the world without it getting checked by a sensitivity reader first? Also consider if you are the right person to be writing this narrative in the first place.”
-Nav Nagra
Back in 2019, I went with a friend to see David Sedaris’ latest tour. He read a mix of new and old material during an hour or so long set at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Vancouver. Between stories, he would share musings with the audience and one such musing was about the recent uptick of editors using sensitivity readers before a piece would be published. Sedaris, clearly annoyed by this recent practice asked the audience, “have you heard of these new sensitivity readers?” He went on to bemoan the concept of someone reading his work to make sure it was inclusive and not culturally appropriative. From Sedaris’ perspective, as an older white male author, it was someone coming in to take away his creative right. To me, a young(ish) brown woman writer and sensitivity reader, it was further reason why sensitivity readings should have been happening the whole time.
But why though?
Growing up, I very rarely saw anyone that looked like me in pop culture. The books I read, the shows I watched, there was no one who truly looked like me. Princess Jasmine was the closest I had, and trust me when I say, I latched onto that. As illustrated in an early Master of None episode titled ‘Indians on TV’, white people have been appropriating people that look like me for decades at least.
Surely by now we must know that there are really no fooling Black, Indigenous, people of colour out there who can portray themselves right?
So why wouldn’t they in the written word?
The goal of sensitivity reading is to ensure the writer isn’t misrepresenting a culture, group of people, or practices that they do not take part in and do not belong to them. While it may be perfectly fine to explore the culture of another, do so with the utmost respect and research put into their histories.
For example, if you’re planning on writing a narrative piece about the Komagata Maru, consider who’s perspective you plan to take. If you would like to write from the perspective of a person on the ship then think about who the person would have been, is he a Sikh man in his twenties? What does it mean to be a Sikh man? What village would he have likely come from, what about his position in terms of the class system of India. Think about why he would be coming to Canada, what’s the history of people leaving India for North America. How would he have been greeted and how would he have understood this? To answer any of these questions, you’ll want to do your research, speak to people who are knowledgeable about the identity you’ve given your character, you’ll have to have an intimate understanding of the history of both countries and the people who were key to the Komagata Maru, not only landing but departing and being sent back. If at the end of all this, you decide that you’re the one who is going to be able to tell this story with the most respect and understanding then great. However, unless you’re someone who comes from that history and culture, I do wonder if you’re the one for this narrative. And if you came to this conclusion on your own, that perhaps this story is best for someone else, then I commend you, because through your research and interviews, you grew to realize that this was not your story.
Sensitivity readers look out for those stereotypes, missteps, and simply untrue narratives. We provide feedback to those writers who have decided to step into the shoes of someone else and often it is someone who does not share the same experiences, culture or identity.
We come in to say, this isn’t correct, have you done your research, and are you sure you should be sharing this narrative? Sensitivity readers are here to prevent writers from, for lack of a better analogy, putting their foot in their mouths. American Dirt comes to mind…
So how does this work?
Sensitivity readers or, as they are sometimes called, Equity readers are hired by editors to read over a manuscript before it is able to go to print. Sensitivity readers have a wide range of rates and take their time to read the whole piece and provide thoughtful feedback to the editor, who will share it back with the author. What happens after that is essentially up to the author and their editor, but from my experience (I have seen this feedback taken in good stride and edits have been made to the work).
The practice of hiring sensitivity readers is increasingly becoming practice for editors and large publishing houses but still has a long way to go before it is put into permanent practice. While conducting research for this piece, I came to the realization that writers themselves are actually taking this process into their own hands and requesting sensitivity readers themselves, which I found quite refreshing.
When you hand in your manuscript to your editor, ask them if they engage with sensitivity readers and see if they will get one for your manuscript. We all have biases and assumptions we are not aware of and sensitivity readers can help us identity them in our writing before they do real harm. Sensitivity reading is all about harm reduction in the literary space!
How can I make sure to get this right?
You should still write! But think about what you’re writing while you do.
Is your representation of that culture, human, or practice accurate and will you do harm by putting this out into the world without it getting checked by a sensitivity reader first? Also consider if you are the right person to be writing this narrative in the first place.
Is there another writer out there who can do so much more for this story because of their lived experience?
Finally, engage the correct sensitivity reader. Ensure the person engaging with your work has the experience (lived ideally) to assess what biases and stereotypes are appearing in your work. For example, don’t ask me, a brown woman of Indian descent to give my perspective on the experience of a Black woman living in Canada.
And be sure that you, the author and your editor, can fully speak to the concerns within your manuscript. More than saying, “I’m writing about a Black woman.” Think about the portrayal of your character and instead ask, “I’m worried this character is falling into stereotypical tropes and want to avoid that.” Or “I want to make sure this character is more than a background character and want to ensure she is fleshed-out and well-rounded.” By doing this, it shows you actually see possible issues within your manuscript and you’re not just doing this for a stamp of approval. It’s beyond the check-box tokenism and a more thoughtful exploration of how you’ve portrayed the character in your work.
Engage sensitivity readers with the same thoughtfulness they will be giving your manuscript.
Listen to the feedback given and act on it in your work. We want your manuscript to succeed just as much as you do. So, listen to your sensitivity reader, it’s what we do.
Nav Nagra is a writer, reader, and crafter who lives on the unceded, stolen territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh peoples (Vancouver, BC). Nav is the Communications Manager at Take a Hike Foundation, Care Consultant at Breathing Space Creative, and former Publisher of Room Magazine. Nav is working on a novel and a poetry collection.
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