Books Covering Issues of Equality and Diversity

Trumpet by Jackie Kay

A story about an acclaimed jazz trumpeter, Joss Moody, and the revelation of his true sex as a woman after his death, which causes a stir in the public and in his family's life.

Annabel by Kathleen Winter

About an intersex child growing up in Canada and brings to light some issues that some transgender people have lived with

Small Island by Andrea Levy (also a BBC drama)

Is a story about prejudice: Britain's and American GI's racism towards the "invading darkies"; middle-class Londoners snobbery towards the Cockneys; the Jamaicans towards the "small islanders"; the British empires treatment of its Caribbean and Indian colonies. Told from the perspective of four different characters, this is the story of the first wave of Caribbean immigrants to Britain following World War II in the 1950s, through the life of Airman Joseph Gilbert and his wife Hortense. This era is often referred to as ‘Windrush’ because that was the name of one of the boats used to transport people from Jamaica to Southampton.

Brick Lane by Monica Ali

Tells the story of Nazneen who comes to UK aged 18 following an arranged marriage to an older man.  The books deals with the culture shock she experienced coming from a small Bangladeshi village to a block of flats in London's East End.  Also deals with love, longing, loneliness and gang conflict.

On a similar subject – Property by Valerie Martin; A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini; Book Seller of Kabul by Åsne Seierstad

My Left Foot by Christy Brown

It tells the true story of Christy Brown, an Irishman born with cerebral palsy, who could control only his left foot. Christy Brown grew up in a poor, working class family, and became a writer and artist.

The Raging Quiet by Sherryl Jordan

Set in medieval times within a chilling world of prejudices and hypocrisy, ignorance and self-righteousness. Explores what happens when someone dares to befriend someone (a man who is deaf without speech) who is seen as different. This book was written originally for an older teenage audience but is an interesting read for anyone.

On a similar subject – Skallagrigg by William Horwood; Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightime by Mark Haddon; Born On A Blue Day: Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant by David Tammet.

The Road Home by Rose Tremain

A novel about an economic migrant from Eastern Europe coming to London.

Persuasion and Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen

Shows the place of women in terms of inheritance, property passing through the male line and that the only option was to marry a wealthy man but that status was all!

The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory

A depiction of how powerless women were, even at the very highest end of society, in Henry VIII's time.

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

The author is probably best known for Tipping The Velvet and many would identify her a 'lesbian writer', as she writes about lesbian themes and is a lesbian herself. Fingersmith has a lesbian character in it but the novel itself is a Dickensian mystery and a cracking good read with some wonderful plot twists.

Films Covering Issues of Equality and Diversity

Made in Dagenham (2010)

This film is about the Ford factory women's fight for equal pay. The 1968 Ford Dagenham strike by 187 sewing machinists led to the advent of the Equal Pay Act.

A Single Man (2009)

Tells the story of the day in the life of a bereaved gay man.

Inside I’m Dancing (2004)

The film revolves around two disabled young men who pursue physical and emotional independence in direct defiance of "protective" institutional living and their society's prevailing standards and attitudes.

My Left Foot (1989)

Tells the true story of Christy Brown, an Irishman born with cerebral palsy, who could control only his left foot. Christy Brown grew up in a poor, working class family, and became a writer and artist.

Children of a Lesser God (1986)

The story of a speech teacher at a school for deaf students who falls in love with a deaf woman who also works there.

Amazing Grace (2007)

This film is based on the life of antislavery pioneer William Wilberforce.

The Rabbit Proof Fence (2002)

Based on the true story of the author's mother and two other mixed-race Aboriginal girls, who ran away from the Moore River Native Settlement, north of Perth, to return to their Aboriginal families.

The Naked Civil Servant (1975)

The Naked Civil Servant is a 1975 TV film based on the 1968 autobiography by the gay icon Quentin Crisp.

The Elephant Man (1980)

A 1980 film based on the true story of Joseph Merrick (called John Merrick in the film), a severely deformed man in 19th century London.

Rain Man (1989)

The story of Charlie Babbitt, who discovers that his estranged father has died and bequeathed all of his multimillion-dollar estate to his other son, Raymond, a man with autism of whose existence Charlie was unaware.

I am Sam (2002)

A man with a learning disability is the sole guardian of his six-year-old daughter.

East is East (1999)

Set in a British household of mixed-ethnicity in Salford, Greater Manchester, in 1971.