Natasha Onwuemezi

Expanding the Canon Through Inclusive Curriculum Content

Context

As part of Lit in Colour – a collaboration between Penguin Books and The Runnymede Trust to make English Literature education more inclusive – I developed a content series that reimagined the school reading list. The goal was to support educators in broadening the curriculum by linking widely taught canonical texts with thematically aligned works by writers of colour.

My role

I conceptualised and authored the content series, identifying key GCSE and A-level texts and pairing each with contemporary works that explore similar themes, historical contexts, or literary techniques. I wrote accessible, curriculum-relevant commentary aimed at teachers, students and school librarians.

What I did

• Selected core UK school texts including An Inspector Calls, Blood Brothers, Lord of the Flies and Animal Farm.
• Conducted literary research to pair each with thematically aligned works by writers of colour.
• Wrote a series of articles that served as both reading guides and inclusion tools.
• Developed reading recommendations that were relevant to classroom teaching and encouraged broader thinking about literature.

Results

• The series was widely shared among teachers, librarians and education bodies as part of Lit in Colour’s broader outreach.
• Used as a practical classroom resource to initiate conversations around race, representation and literature.
• Contributed to Lit in Colour’s mission to drive structural change in how English Literature is taught in UK schools.

Takeaway

This project showcases my ability to:

• Create structured, insight-led editorial that connects audiences to unfamiliar but relevant content.
• Translate complex social and cultural issues into clear, accessible formats.
• Partner with institutional initiatives to drive inclusion and long-term engagement.
• Deliver content that supports both learning and decision-making across stakeholder groups.

Explore the first guide: