Cat Mitchell

*No longer actively checking X* Senior Lecturer in Publishing at @DerbyUni researching disability. Ex-Penguin (@PenguinUKBooks & @VintageBooks)📚🌈 she/her

[Cat Mitchell @CatMitchell17]

The Bookseller asked me to write about my experiences of disability and working in publishing. It’s the most terrifying and painfully honest thing I’ve ever written, but I hope it can be a useful part of the important ongoing conversations about diversity in the industry.

[Molly Flatt @mollyflatt]

"We need to discuss practices that place productivity and profit over people, and workplace culture that sees sick days as moral failings rather than an inevitability of being human."

A searing piece from @CatMitchell17 on disability in publishing: https://t.co/ihtBkytgtS

[Letterbox Library @LetterboxLib]

Fab comment piece by @penny_author & @CatMitchell17 in Disability Takeover issue of @thebookseller

Industry initiatives incl ref to upcoming Reflecting Disability Project report due later this year (two. in children’s books)

#DisabilityPrideMonth
https://t.co/3kZMZiz8oK.

[The Bookseller @thebookseller]

"We still have a long way to go for disabled authors and staff to achieve parity with their non-disabled colleagues." @penny_author and @CatMitchell17 discuss what you can do to become a disibility ally in this week's disability focus 👇

https://t.co/l3gFvgri8O

[Penny Batchelor - Author @penny_author]

Tomorrow is the #DisabilityTakeover edition of @thebookseller co-edited by me & @CatMitchell17 with previews from award-winning poet @pollyrowena. Please retweet, read the edition & support #disabled authors, booksellers & publishing staff. https://t.co/Hk23yGg4AB @emblabooks

[The Bookseller @thebookseller]

Not celebrating Disability Pride is a missed opportunity to show that disabled people are a priority in publishing, to be both supported and celebrated, says Cat Mitchell (@CatMitchell17) 👇 https://t.co/Url68lTAai

[Lucy Powrie @LucyTheReader]

Over the moon to see Real When I'm With You featured in @thebookseller's Disability Previews - thank you, @pollyrowena!

And a huge congratulations to @penny_author and @CatMitchell17 on the return of the much-needed, vital Disability Focus, more important than ever to support.

[Cat Mitchell @CatMitchell17]

Very proud moment ahead of Disability Pride Month in July: Penny Batchelor and I co-edited a disability spotlight in this week’s @thebookseller magazine 📚📚
Big thanks to everyone involved in the issue and who provided quotes and info! https://t.co/X6iwLHVhrb

[Cat Mitchell @CatMitchell17]

A huge dream-come-true moment: this August I’ll be speaking at @edbookfest about disability in publishing! We’ll be discussing the work of @InklusionGuide and what the future holds for disability activism in the sector. More details here:
https://t.co/Lsyo1WC5bE

[Cat Mitchell @CatMitchell17]

Happy publication day to the wonderful @penny_author!

[Embla Books @emblabooks]

OUT NOW!

Happy Publication Day to @penny_author and her twisty new thriller.

'The Woman Next Door' is available now in eBook, audio and paperback 💄

[Penny Batchelor - Author @penny_author]

2. Sadly space is tight & we can't commission features but we'd love to hear from disabled/chronically ill authors/booksellers/publishing staff whether they think the publishing industry has improved for us over the past five years and if not, what would make most difference?

[Penny Batchelor - Author @penny_author]

1. @CatMitchell17 and I are delighted to announce that we're going to be co-editing a #disability takeover issue of @thebookseller on 20th June 2025. What does the industry need to do to become more inclusive? Email us at [email protected] #publishing

[Chloe Timms @clotimms]

This piece covers a lot of the accessibility issues at LBF and although it became a bit of a giggle when I went last week, the difficulty of finding different levels/floors, finding lifts and the lack of signage/maps really was quite ridiculous for an event of this size!

[Cat Mitchell @CatMitchell17]

@JackiePhamotse @thebookseller Thank you!

[Cat Mitchell @CatMitchell17]

My article on the accessibility of the London Book Fair is out today with @thebookseller. A big thank you to everyone who I interviewed for the piece!

You can read it here: https://t.co/LAM3TzXIPz

[Cat Mitchell @CatMitchell17]

@cl_bonner @thebookseller Thank you 😊!

[Cat Mitchell @CatMitchell17]

@becca_jo27 @thebookseller Thank you 🥰

[Rhian 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿📚 @Dear_Rhian]

I love joking about how Olympia is the seventh circle of autistic hell, but this article is so important - I had no idea there was a dedicated quiet space, but by the sound of it, that space was lacking anyway. Big kudos to Cat for spotlighting LBF’s accessibility issues!

[Cat Mitchell @CatMitchell17]

@Dear_Rhian Thank you for sharing!

[Cat Mitchell @CatMitchell17]

@fjd_gough @LondonBookFair @DerbyPublishing @thebookseller Thank you Fred!

[Fred Gough @fjd_gough]

I missed visiting @LondonBookFair during my @DerbyPublishing degree due to the pandemic.

But this great piece by @CatMitchell17 for @thebookseller explores accessibility at this exhibition & where how it could improve future events. 📚

https://t.co/RCG5FUulqJ

[Cat Mitchell @CatMitchell17]

@penny_author So lovely to finally meet you in person - very excited by all our discussions!