Jodi Picoult: Racial inequality in US set to increase

• Video report by ITV News Correspondent Nina Nannar

Racial inequality is only going to get worse in the US and preventing it will become harder, one of the country's bestselling authors fears.

The presidential election has brought the issue of racism to the forefront and made it more apparent, Jodi Picoult believes.

"We suddenly have a free pass for hate speech and hate crimes, and we have a candidate that rode to the presidency on divisiveness and scapegoating, and because of that, unfortunately there are a lot of people in my country who are fearing for their lives and freedoms," the 50-year-old said.

In Ms Picoult's latest novel, Small Great Things, she tackles the issue of racism.