Meet the Makers: Aimée Felone from Knights Of

How would you describe Knights Of?

We’re a publisher of amazing, representative children’s books. Our name, Knights Of, comes from the Arthurian legend that everyone at the table should have an equal voice, something we believe for our team and our books.

What inspired you to set up your own publishing house?

Knights Of was born out of a passion for children’s publishing and a desire to make books better. We’ve made deliberate steps to move away from conversations about how we can make children’s publishing a more diverse, inclusive space and instead committed our entire company ethos and structure to ensuring that the books we publish are from as diverse a team as possible.

It’s clear, now more than ever, that publishing has a major problem when it comes to representation both in its workforce and its output. A problem that is being addressed by both the larger publishing houses and small independents and individuals in a variety of temporary and permanent ways. In order for the industry on the whole to stay relevant, to appeal to the masses and reflect the society we live in, it needs to redress the way it publishes and hires. It needs to ensure that diversity isn’t just a topical trending discussion, but that it becomes the norm.

**Tell us a bit about your crowdfunder campaign for Inclusive Indies?**

The campaign was set up to make sure inclusive independent publishers that were struggling because of the Covid-19 Pandemic could have access to funds that ensured their survival.

Indie publishers that have been committed to inclusivity before it was a “hot topic” are the ones most at risk as the Industry on the whole has experienced losses, we felt compelled to ensure we help contribute toward their survival.

WHAT’S ON YOUR POST-LOCKDOWN WISHLIST THIS YEAR?

I'm honestly just looking forward to seeing our bookshop, Round Table Books, bustling with customers again. In the year since we’ve been open we’ve really found our community and we definitely miss our regulars.

WHO WOULD YOU SAY IS A ROLE MODEL FOR YOU, AND WHY?

It would be remiss of me to not pay homage to all the amazing Black women in publishing that have paved the way for me. Verna Wilkins and Malorie Blackman are just two of the amazing authors and publishers in children’s publishing that championed diversity long before Knights Of was even a thought.