MA Black British Literature (2015-2024)

and also the ever mobile Samantha Williams 's Book Love, Black Authors' Books on wheels to your event! @bookloveandbeyond @BZephaniah @SABLELitMag

Happy Black History Month. In honour of the start of BHM I want to highlight Black bookshops. First up is New Beacon Books, the UK’s 1st Black bookshop. In 2021, owners said they’d be closing down due to financial pressures but then over £70k was raised to keep them open 🙌🏾

Baroness Valerie Amos embodies this year’s theme — Standing Firm in Power and Pride. From Cabinet to the United Nations, she has broken barriers and championed justice with dignity and determination. A true pioneer whose legacy continues to shape Britain. #BlackHistoryMonth

🏆 NoViolet Bulawayo wins the Best of Caine Award in this special 25th anniversary honor. Nobel Laureate Abdulrazak Gurnah called the decision by the judging panel “unanimous and swift.” Congratulations to NoViolet Bulawayo! @CainePrize ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​brittlepaper.com/2025/09/zimbab…

RIP the extraordinary June Reid, a pioneer placing women at the forefront of UK sound system culture. She was generous, warm and so talented and will be much misssed. @GoldsmithsUoL @britbornbajan1 @WordsofColour @sussedblackwoma

And here is the cover....the phenomenal Faith Bebbington's work. @sussedblackwoma @ManchesterLib @WordsofColour @Carcanet @_barakobama_ @RSLiterature

SuAndi's heartful, majestic and moving new volume of poems (+libretto of Mary Seacole) pub.Carcanet - is a reading companion for life. Thank-you SuAndi! @sussedblackwoma @BZephaniah @WordsofColour @Carcanet @ManchesterLib @BarackObama

Rest in power, bright star!

On the eve of the Remembrance of Homicide Victims, we remember women lost to men's violence & systemic failures. Black, minoritised & migrant women are disproportionately failed. Kennedi's case is emblematic, evidencing the need for a sentence review & UK-wide femicide inquiry.

I was lucky enough to see a preview of #Ellisparkmovie and it's a really interesting insight into someone I've long admired. The soundscape & stunning scenery mean it should be seen on a big screen, so do yourselves a favour and book a ticket today! @riocinema @CentralPictureH

Join the Caine Prize for African Writing at the Words Across Waters Afro Lit Fest this Saturday!🎉 Catch us at "Pitch Your Manuscript" & "Celebrating 25 Years of the Caine Prize" Plus — we’ll be announcing the Best of Caine Award winner!🏆 events.bl.uk/events/words-a…

Liverpool. Last Saturday after that magical meeting with the Barrister I called my friend Malik Al Nasir. By pure coincidence his book 'Searching for my slave roots'. was being launched that evening at Palm House in Sefton park. First I visited his home for the most gorgeous curried goat and coconut rice that I have ever had. Malik is an exceptional cook. He once cooked a meal for Gil Scott Heron. It changed his life. The story can be read in his first book Letters To Gil. The book launch of Searching for my Slave Roots was mind blowing. His story reveals a unique tale in Guyanese and British history which links him to the Sandbach Tinne land owning family. I am surprised he is not reading at The Guyana High Commission. He was supported on stage by Hayli Kincade a Liverpool based Neo Soul & R&B singer songwriter. Two days ago Hayli was in The Vatican where she and Pharell Williams sang for the pope. She had me in tears with Redemption Song and Something Inside so Strong. But most uplifting and inspiring was the main man Malik Al Nasir. This was his book launch. His ability to recall detail and articulate a glistening memory through committed and meticulous academic research is stunning. His journey into British and Guyanese history is illuminated by his sheer brilliance. History is storytelling. He curently works at Cambridge University and he has the dubious distinction of being 'the first black british author signed by the publisher William Collins'. I need to check that fact. Malik Al Nasir is a bona fide genius. Listen to him speak. Tour dates are on the poster. Consider where he is from, what he has done and what is to come. He exemplifies the best of humanity through the best of storytelling. And he was in care. Like me. #searchingformyslaveroots

“I thought it happened to all children." | The shocking moment a child learns his normal is a lie.

A magical evening at EdinburghInternationalBookFest with FRSLs Anthony Joseph & Colin Grant - tender tales (and poetry) about fathers, the needs of the story driving form as poem or prose and making sense of lineage. @colingrant @RSLiterature @adjoseph @edbookfest

Giant of Australian letters, Alexis Wright joins us remotely from Queensland, discussing her astounding work TRACKER a ‘massive antidote’ to short attention spans. Chaired by Deirdre Osborne.andotherstories.org/events/alexis-… @AnitaHeiss @andothertweets @RSLiterature @GoldsmithsUoL @AusLit

Congratulations Sunny! May this book be widely read and each story appreciated from an unwavering anti-colonial academic and wonderful writer. @RSLiterature @WordsofColour @IrenosenOkojie @WeAreFootnote @goodreads

“In order to pursue a career as a writer, or any career as a disabled person, I require support with daily living because of the nature of my disability. It’s what facilitates my ability to be a writer and... live on my own terms.” Matilda Feyiṣayọ Ibin (@AstroMinx) on how instrumental her team of personal assistants are to her well-being and creativity.

I’m Fatima — founder of Fatima’s UK Campaign & someone who grew up in care. I launched this to make sure no care-experienced young person is left behind or ignored. We know what real change looks like. We’ve lived it. 💛 #FatimasCampaign #CareExperiencedVoices

I get my strength from knowledge. Knowledge is power, they say. But knowledge of self is even more powerful Because if you don't know yourself, nobody else really can and nobody else really will.