NYT faces flak for compiling 'all-white' reading list

A recent summer reading list released by The New York Times has faced widespread criticism for featuring 17 books by 17 white writers and not including even one writer of colour.

Readers, authors and literary publications have all condemned the list, compiled by New York Times literary critic Janet Maslin, for its lack of diversity, reports The Independent.

Book Critic writer Liberty Hardy said that while there was nothing wrong with the books they have chosen, it seemed like they would have readers believe that only white people were writing books "worthy of summer reading."

Guardian US contributing opinion writer Rebecca Carroll tweeted, "White people everywhere singing: "We Are the World!" > NYT Summer Reading List Finally Achieves 100 Percent Whiteness."

Maslin has been planning to step down as the publication's book critic in the coming months and this may be her last summer reading compilation.