Sensitivity Reading and the Stories We Tell
- Lantana Publishing
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Stories shape how we see ourselves and one another. In children’s publishing especially, the narratives we share can affirm identity, broaden understanding and carry histories forward. When stories draw on real communities and lived experience, they also carry responsibility.
Sensitivity reading has become an important part of conversations around inclusive publishing. At its simplest, it involves drawing on lived experience and cultural knowledge to help ensure that stories engaging with particular identities or histories are portrayed with depth and accuracy.
It is not about limiting imagination. Rather, it recognises that listening to those connected to a story’s cultural or historical context can strengthen the work. There is no single formula for how this happens; each book calls for its own approach, shaped by subject and setting. What matters most is openness to dialogue and a willingness to refine.
One example of how this unfolded for us is Freedom Braids.
A Case Study: Freedom Braids
Freedom Braids, written by Monique Duncan and illustrated by Oboh Moses, tells the story of enslaved women in Colombia who braided maps to freedom into one another’s hair. The book is inspired by the history of San Basilio de Palenque — Colombia’s first free city, founded by people who had escaped slavery.
Monique approached the story with extensive research and intention. Her work was informed in part by the research and artistic practice of Adriana Cassiani, a photographer and cultural advocate whose exhibitions explore how her ancestors preserved knowledge and resistance through braided hairstyles. Her work foregrounds braiding as both artistry and coded communication — a living archive passed across generations.
Even with this depth of research, we felt it was important to invite perspectives from individuals directly connected to Palenque’s heritage. We sought feedback from Adriana herself and from Angélica Rebolledo Pájaro, an economist and storyteller dedicated to preserving Palenque’s oral histories, including the cultural meanings embedded in Afro-Caribbean hairstyles.
Feedback was requested first on the manuscript and later on Oboh Moses’ illustrations. The visual details were particularly significant: the braiding styles, the clothing, the setting and the historical atmosphere. Because much of Palenque’s history is preserved orally — and because the meanings of specific braid patterns can be layered and fluid — this exchange helped ensure the book reflected shared understanding while acknowledging nuance.
After publication, Monique travelled to Palenque and shared the finished book with Angélica and members of the community. She later wrote to us:
“They were quite impressed with the accuracy of the project and felt honoured.”
That response felt meaningful. When research, community knowledge and artistic interpretation move in conversation with one another, a story can carry both beauty and authenticity.
Freedom Braids has since received wide recognition: it won the Black KidLit Awards Best Historical Book (2024), was named an Américas Book Awards Honour Book (2025), was featured in The New York Times, included in Oprah Daily’s Best Kids Books on Race and Racism, and shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal for Illustration (2026). These honours reflect how thoughtfully developed storytelling — shaped by research, lived insight and artistry — can resonate deeply with readers and critics alike.
Listening as Part of the Creative Process
Sensitivity reading can strengthen a manuscript, but it cannot encompass every viewpoint. Nor can it stand in for amplifying voices from within the communities themselves. It is one way of developing a story with greater awareness, particularly when it draws on histories or identities beyond an author’s own experience.
For writers exploring such subjects, thorough research and openness to dialogue are essential. Engaging with people whose lives and histories inform the narrative can add layers of clarity and richness that might otherwise remain unseen.
Stories carry influence. Approaching them with attentiveness and humility helps ensure that the communities at their heart are represented with integrity — and that young readers encounter books that feel grounded, thoughtful and real.
