Feel the love: moving beyond representation to a more inclusive English

A renewed interest in diversity for English following the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey of 2017 aligns with the concerns of inclusive education. Since previous special issues of English in Australia on gender in 1994 and 1995, the field of inclusive education has burgeoned and become recognised as a discipline in its own right. There is little in the English teaching literature that links the disciplines of English and inclusive education, or contemplates how this articulation might inform English teaching. This article seeks to address this gap and provides critical commentary of key works in inclusive education theory in relation to what they have to offer English. The article argues that the important work of achieving diverse representation in text selection is only a first step and English educators need to move beyond this to tackle barriers in the curriculum, the classroom and in culture that impede social justice for all.