DEI Fellows and the Weird Wish Lists of Literary Gatekeepers

Publishers and agents double down on giving preference to select groups at the expense of merit.

Composite image. Credit: Wannafang / MayaNavits.

As big companies like Walmart shuffle their DEI initiatives out of view, others are holding fast and keeping them out front. Last week, Penguin Random House, one of the world’s biggest book publishers, posted a job listing for a “DEI Fellow.” The notice reads:

For a one-year role, the Penguin Random House D…