Literary agencies join efforts to get more Muslim writers published

The music recording industry handed out its top honors last night at the Grammys. But there was plenty of politics as well, with stars from host James Corden to Jennifer Lopez weighing in on actions being taken by the Trump administration.

The music business isn’t alone. Many individuals and organizations in the arts have been taking stands over the last few months when it comes to developments in US politics– specifically the presidential campaign and now the administration of Donald Trump. That includes the book publishing industry.

In the wake of President Trump’s recent travel ban, more than 70 literary agents joined forces and put out a call for submissions to Muslim writers, encouraging them to submit their work to be considered for publication.

Cindy Uh is a senior agent at the Thompson literary agency. She teamed up with a colleague at another agency to organize the call for submissions. We asked her what specifically prompted them to take this step:

(Photo: Stewart Butterfield)