Black Reading Group - The 2010 Books

I have recently become the co-ordinator for a book club - The Black Reading Group. It has been running under the wonderful leadership and guidance of A for the past 10 years. So I do hope that I can maintain the high standards that have been set for selecting quality books and chairing the lively discussions. At our last meeting we talked about the books that we had read throughout the year. I list them below briefly for your consideration and enjoyment in no particular order.

A big thank you to all the talented and creative authors who gave us such pleasure throughout 2010. And a particular well done to the brave ones who came along to our interrogations (smile here) during the year.

A favourite read of 2010.

Harare North, Brian Chikwava
Brian joined us for this discussion of his first book since winning The Caine Prize in 2004. While this was a straightforward read, its subject matter was tough. Its about a former Mugabe militia youth trying to make a life for himself in the generally unwelcoming world as a refugee in south London. This book was a good way to see London from a different perspective, and also to understand the lives of Zimbabweans in Brixton and the divisions that they bring with them because of the current situation in that country. I can recall that there was a discussion that highlighted the humorous differences between urban and rural Zimbabweans that Brian had particularly enjoyed writing. Brian was charming, particularly when we asked him how we (as an all black reading group) compared from the usual reading group events that he had attended.

The Long Song, Andrea Levy
I was particularly looking forward to discussing this at book club. Levy's first book since the acclaimed Small Island, was always going to be a real talking point. Andrea is in my opinion the UK's foremost Black British writer and her knowledge and research of life in Jamaica on a plantation prior to the ending of slavery is second to none. I could respect the research and context of the work, which was to show that slavery was not always a state of sheer terror.  And I did love the writing, it was just that I did not warm to any of these characters. I have written about this on the blog already, but while it was still a lively discussion that we had about The Long Song, in a joint event with the African-Caribbean book club, it was still a challenging topic to discuss.  Review: The Long Song.

Hearts and Minds, Amanda Craig
My copy of Hearts and Minds arrived too late for me to talk about it knowledgeably at book club. There was a question at the reading group about why we were reading a book by a white author. I think that we should be vigilant on how white authors depict black people, so I am happy to read authors who profess to write about a multi-cultural world. I have since read more, though not yet finished it. Hearts and Minds covers some of the territory about London refugee life that Brian Chikwava captures in Harare North, but the main characters here - as far as I can tell - are essentially middle-class north Londoners. Hearts and Minds is well written, with a very televisual vibe - one of those 9pm type programmes, a kind of upstairs/downstairs in the 2000s. Nothing wrong with that of course.  Amanda Craig is a regular reviewer on the literary pages of various newspapers, and I do now look out for her.

Precious, Precious Williams (published as Color Blind in the US)
Precious Williams is a member of the book club and joined us to discuss her book, some of us had also attended the book launch party. This book was a departure for us this year, since it was the only memoir, rather than fiction, that we read and talked through. Precious' story of being privately adopted from the the pages of a magazine, and life as the only black child in the community is an eye-opening story, told with honesty and graciousness. We can only admire Precious' bravery in telling her story. Our discussions at the reading groups shared how common such  'adoptions' were in the 60s and 70s, not only amongst West Africans, but also other black communities in Britain. Precious has become a spokesperson on adoption issues - watch this interview: Sky news.

On Black Sisters' Street, Chika Unigwe
Since meeting to discuss this book at book club last January, I have heard Chika talk about On Black Sisters' Street, as well as her being my first ever interview on this blog. The stories of three Nigerian and a Sudanese women working as prostitutes in Antwerp is so memorable, it really brought home the facts about human trafficking and contemporary slavery. It was easy for us to sit in judgement of the decisions that the characters, and real women sincerely make, but as Chika has said, 'What would you do for a better life for your family and loved ones?'   Interview: Chika Unigwe

The Memory of Love, Aminatta Forna
Prior to this I had only read Aminatta Forna's journalism. Aminatta is an engaging writer, the scenes set in in the 60s and in the more recent times of the civil war in Sierra Leone are so vibrant and real. I was totally immersed in this world. However, there was one point were I was chucked out completely: I just did not believe…, but as a book club colleague said to me,  'that would have been another book.' I was honestly disappointed that this book was not as well considered in various autumn book prizes, and wonder whether that is because it has 'love' in the title. I think that for some people this gives the impression that it is a less serious book than it really is and it is about so much. In book club we also discussed whether this work put Sierra Leone in our consciousness in the same way that Chimamanda's Half A Yellow Sun gave us an understanding of Biafra and Nigeria's civil war.  The feeling was that Aminatta's earlier book about her father The Devil that Danced on the Water, had already done that.

The Book of Negroes, Lawrence Hill (published as Someone Knows My Name in the US)
My copy of The Book of Negroes did not arrive in time. So I had barely opened it by the time it came to discussing it. I have to be honest and say that I have not been back to it either, I do on occasion suffer from deeply shallow moments and I found the size of this book overwhelming, and I just knew that I would never have finished reading it in a month. It is a wide-ranging historical fiction novel based upon the real. almost biblical sounding The Book of Negroes - the list of the 3,000 slaves who fought on the side of the Loyalists in the American civil war and had been told that they would be rewarded with their freedom and their own land in Canada. It tells of the journey from from west Africa to South Carolina, and the harsh existence in Nova Scotia, before the return journey and life back in west Africa. The Sierra Leonian members of the book group where able to clarify some of the points that the book set out and I found that informative - which is one of the joys of book club - learning from one another. From our discussion we were left in awe of the skill of this Canadian author, though I do recall that some considered him far too in love with his perfect heroine.

The White Family, Maggie Gee
This was the controversial book of the 2002 Orange Prize list, dealing as it does with the views of a white racist working-class family in the Willesden district of London. I bought it at the time, started it but barely read beyond the first few pages, and it had been on my shelves ever since. So pulling it out again to talk about in 2010, felt surprisingly right. I never made it to that meeting, but I did finish reading The White Family this time round. The main thing that struck me was that none of the black characters really had their own voice in the book. They were all shown through the thoughts, attitudes and actions of the white characters. I found that strange, even while admiring the way that all the characters were believable.  One thing Maggie Gee does well, is to bring out the love that many Londoners have for their particular bit of the city. I don't believe that I would have understood that in 2002, quite as well as I do now.  Maggie Gee has continued to publish regularly and I am aware that her books continue to include leading black characters, but I have not  so far, been able to check out how her creations of black identities has developed.

Love Me, Gemma Weekes
Gemma Weekes joined us for the reading group discussion. I remember at the end of the meeting she told us that she thought that we were going to give her a hard time. Book clubs love writers, I would hope that we challenge in a supportive way, but never give a hard time. This story takes place in London, New York and St Lucia. It was a real find, I am really pleased to have read this debut book and enjoyed it immensely. Love Me is a beautifully produced book - great cover, with thoughtfully designed chapters and typography. It is essentially a contemporary love story, that sweeps up a hectic grungy life in east London, and transfers to laid back underscored with the author's love of music in New York, all the while taking you back and forth to slightly earlier times in St Lucia. Gemma creates a cool vibe on the way to the solving the mystery. You cannot ignore her love of music, the scenes set in a summer in New York are just brilliant. I think that the depiction of Eden, as crazy as she might be, is one of the best characters that I met in a book this year.

The Cupid Effect, Dororthy Koomson
If you want to read a Dorothy Koomson, this one, her first, is really not the one to start with. Though to be fair, I was never going to get the jokes littered throughout, as I have never been into TV science fiction. Later books are much better, with very serious main themes such as surrogacy or adoption, but still very much about a quest for love at their core.  Dorothy publishes at least one a year, so there is always a new one to try out. Definitely in the guilty pleasures category of books to read, and even if you are not into such romantic fiction, you can play the game of hunting out the black cultural references. I hope she does an event in London soon, as I really want to see who reads these books, they are phenomenally popular.

Push by Sapphire (Precious the Movie)
I read this book days after seeing the film, which I reviewed earlier in the year. My quickest read of the year, here is the review from that time: Push and another mention of it here: Oscar. The thing that strikes me about this book/film, just as with the subsequent discussion around the TV series Welcome to Lagos, is if  we have so many stories to tell, why do people become overly exercised and upset when particular stories are told. It seems to me that the people upset are under the impression that those that don't know anything about black people will only view us as one dimensional, as if we are all as depicted in this one book, film or TV programme. It never makes sense to me. Yes, Push by Sapphire is about difficult issues, universal ones I would say, but it  is simply one story, vibrantly told.

Round-Up 14

This is my final Round-Up of 2010, and I am very pleased to be able to start it with mention of Chinua Achebe, who you may recall was the very first author I wrote about in my first ever Round-Up at the start of this year.

Chinua Achebe

Chinua Achebe was interviewed on the BBC World Service's, arts programme, The Strand,  on the 28 December - listen to the programme here. You have a responsibility to make your story known, he says, I think that this is an inspiring mantra for 2011. There is an interesting discussion about Chinua's decision to write in English, which leads to the revelation that he is translating Things Fall Apart into his first language, Igbo. It is now 50 years since Things Fall Apart was originally published and it has never been out of print. I particularly love the bit at the end of the interview where Chinua says he loves giving interviews to people who say the right things! This is a kind and generous tribute to the interviewer Harriet Gilbert, who is indeed a wonderful interviewer, and who does ask the right questions. Chinua's book of essays, The Education of British-Protected Child, published to celebrate his 80th birthday, is now out in paperback. Details of the book from my first Round-Up 1 in January 2010.

Writing Competition

BBC World Service is running a competition for African performance drama stories, the deadline for entries is 15 January. All the winning entries will be aired during August 2011. More information  here: Writing Competition For a history of African drama on the BBC World Service - visit this link - African Drama

Leila Aboulela

Leila Aboulela's new book Lyrics Alley was published earlier this month. It is a family saga based on members of her own family in Sudan, in particular an uncle who was a famous poet. The story is about the cultural tensions between tradition and modernism - during the 1950s - as the Sudanese try to leave behind the colonialist yoke of the British and Egyptians. Listen to Leila discuss the book here - Lyrics Alley  Aminatta Forna reviewed it in the FT at the weekend - review of Lyrics Alley.

Andrea Levy

Andrea Levy will be talking about her prize winning book, Small Island on January 24 at Kings Place. This is a Guardian Book Club event and you can book a place here: Book a place.

Benjamin Zephaniah and Haroon Anwar

The BBC's Today radio programme has a series of guest editors this week; Tuesday's editor was the actor Colin Firth, who spent part of his childhood in Africa. Listen to the discussion with the chief executive of Oxfam about the effectiveness of  humanitarian aid focusing on Sierra Leone here. However the real reason for this mention is so that you can hear the two generations of poets that Colin included in his programme. First Benjamin Zephaniah reciting The British  and the teenage slampoet Haroon Anwar doing his poem Western Child.

Dambisa Moyo

Zambian economist Dambisa Moyo will be on the radio programme Start the Week on 10 January 2011: Information here. She will be discussing her new book How the West was Lost - here is a link to a video of her presenting her theories in relation to the US, I look forward to hearing what she has to say about the UK.

Kei Miller

Listen out also for the Jamaican poet and author, Kei Miller discussing the King James' Bible. It is part of a series of programmes that the BBC is doing to celebrate 400 years since the first publication of the world's number one bestseller of all time! Information here: 400 years of the Bible. I had the pleasure of hearing Kei talk about his work at a Black History Month event in October, even full of a horrid cold, he was a charming and erudite speaker - I wrote about his book back in August - read it here.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie wrote a lovely piece about what she sees through her Lagos window in The Observer's Windows on the World feature at the weekend. Read it here: View from a Lagos window

Helen Oyeyemi and Aminatta Forna

Both Helen Oyeyemi (for My Daughter the Racist) and Aminatta Forna  (for Haywards Heath) were up for the BBC's (Radio 4) short story award, unfortunately neither won it. All entries for the prize have been included in a new book BBC Short Story Award 2010 - you can get a copy here: Book of BBC Short Story Award.

Bobby Smith

Bobby Smith, co-author of One Love Two Colours: The Unlikely Marriage of a Punk Rocker and his African Queen had a letter about multi-cultural Britain published in The Observer at the weekend. You can read it here: the letter.  It was in response to the Indian journalist Anushka Asthana's piece on her own experiences of growing up in the UK - AA's article.  I read Bobby and Margaret's book in 2009, it a warm-hearted and very open look at their lives - the similarities, differences, compromises; issues that are experienced in any partnership. Its uniqueness is around those issues that are specific to such relationships, such talking through how you are going to bring up children; dealing with disapproving friends; but it is told from the each person's perspective from within a loving relationship. I am in two-minds about self-publishing, but this book is such a rare inside view of a mixed-race marriage in Britain today, it is definitely worth a look.

Book Review: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

I did a short review of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks for the October edition of Lime magazine (it is at the end of this post.) And somehow failed to post it here at that time. Just recently I was talking to someone who was about to read The Immortal Life…  and in encouraging her to read it  I said, I was nervous about reviewing it on the blog because I was so overwhelmed by it. In pondering what I meant by that, I guess it is because I don't know much about science, and also the tenacity of the author, Rebecca Skloot - who took 10 years to write the book - and the humbleness, tender fearfulness and courage of the Lacks family would be too difficult to describe. Looking back, clearly I had no such fears when I read about the book back in April and wrote this commentary from the first UK write-up that had appeared in The Observer. Review of a review in The Observer

There was another thing that has constantly been at the back of mind about this book too. The review in the Sunday Times had said:

'The book has deservedly been a huge bestseller in the US. It should be here too, though British readers may have some trouble identifying with the depths and complexities of the racial issues involved. This is a book about, among other things, American divisions - between black and white, rich and poor, the ignorant and the educated. It may seem exotic.'

Can you believe that statement? Exotic? Hardly! Wouldn't you say those are universal issues - ones that continue to be the source of constant turmoil in all kinds of places. Not least the streets of this very city just this week. I really could not understand that statement before I had read the book, and having read it since I just don't get why the reviewer came up with it at all. 

That review appeared in June, when the book was published in the UK. By October it  was announced that The Immortal Life… had scooped the £25,000 Wellcome Trust Book prize. So it seems that British audiences did not have trouble identifying with it at all - read what what the Wellcome Trust had to say: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks wins science book prize

And then last week in its own round-up of books of the year, who but The Sunday Times decided that The Immortal Life… was it's science book of the year.  Here is what they had to say:

'If we ever find a cure for cancer it will be in large part because of HeLa cells. These cells were first taken without her consent or knowledge, from an American black woman called Henrietta Lacks. In the 1950s, during the search to find a polio vaccine, some six trillion HeLa cells were grown in labs every week. In her disturbing and riveting book, Skloot calculates that around 50 tonnes of Lack's cells have been grown and experimented on since her untimely death in 1951. More than a science book, this is investigative journalism of the highest order: the shocking story of how a significant number of white scientists abused mostly poor, imprisoned or enslaved black men and women in the name of research.'

The London Afro-Caribbean Book Club will be discussing The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks on Thursday 27 January 2011. Sign-up for it here: The London Afro-Caribbean Book Club

This is the review that I did for Lime magazine - where I gave it five stars.

This is my top book of 2010, it is a truly amazing read; yes it is a science biography, but it is a true story!  In 1951 a young black mother of 4, Henrietta Lacks died in the John Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, of cervical cancer. Her cancer was particularly virulent and the doctor at the teaching hospital realises this and does research that effectively turns them into 'medical tools'. In due course, the HeLa cells - as the scientific community knows them - are used to develop the polio vaccine, to advance the medical areas of in vitro fertilisation, cloning and gene mapping.  They help to develop drugs that treat leukaemia, influenza, and Parkinson's disease. Over the years the family is aware that something incredible has happened to their mother's cells, but don't quite understand the what or how. While HeLa cells make others rich, the Lacks family cannot afford any health care. Decades later along comes the science journalist Rebecca Skloot, who researches not only the scientific, medical and ethical aspects of this story, but also the history of the family for generations back, even meeting the white land-owning relatives from whom the Lacks family takes its name. She tracks downs Henrietta’s children, and most importantly, becomes a trusted friend of Henrietta's daughter, Deborah, and together they research the later aspects of the book. It is a wonderful story.

An edit of it is here in Lime magazine Lime October 2010 Book Review

Interview with Zindika Kamauesi, RISEbooks

I reviewed Zindika Kamauesi's book Valiant Women back in March - you can read it here: Valiant Women  Zindika is a lady of many talents, works in education and is a writer and a bookseller. She initially started selling her own books, but following requests from her customers, she decided to branch out to sell the books of others. Today Zindika is the CEO of the  RISEbooks.


How did RISEbooks begin?

I am a writer and I went out selling my own books. People kept asking me for other books, so I saw a gap. I decided to specialise in children’s books because I was aware that there was a need for more positive images for children from ethnic backgrounds.

What is the ethos of the company?

Our banner is ‘I see myself’ and that says it all. Children need to see positive images of themselves reflected in their society. When you are a minority in a majority culture it is very easy to be overwhelmed by the dominant culture and so it is important that they see beauty, aspirations and positive people from their own background reflected in all walks of life. We promote positive images through our books and toys.

How do you decide what to sell?

Usually from experience and also on the basis of quality and what is popular.

Tell us about the product range at RISEbooks?

We have a vast range of books, some toys and we also sell cultural artefacts and paintings.

How do you promote your books?

Usually on the website - www.risebooks.com, word of mouth, by going out to public events and we have a regular spot in Lewisham market (south London) on a Sunday.

What kind of comments do you get from parents?

Usually  ‘I can’t get these kinds of books...you have such a wide range...where do you get these books from?’  Generally people really appreciate the stock and thank us for trying to fill a huge gap.

What do children say?

Children tend to be wide-eyed and agog when they see our books. Sometimes they say they have seen a particular book before, maybe at school or in the library or they may have brought from us before and come back again for a new title. They tend to be very good at spotting a really good book.

Who is you inspiration?

My inspiration for selling and writing books is of course children – I do it for them. I didn’t have this kind of material when I was a child and I know I would have loved these books had they been around then. I always think of the end user and the benefits they will derive from it, even if they don’t know it – that is great motivation for me.

How did you get into this, is it your main job?

No, most definitely not my main job but I wish it was.  I do have a day job and luckily for me it is in education.  I am a teacher/ manager and so that gives me a current perspective on education and literature, so my roles are fairly complementary.

What is your bestselling book and why do you think that is?

Anancy books, they sell really well because of the culture and traditions it contains and  which we lack, also books promoting positive images, beauty and pride, the accepting of self such as I love my hair and our black history books are always a good seller, because children do not get that kind of input from their mainstream schooling.

What is your goal for RISEbooks?

To grow, to rise and to reach a wider audience especially online. I’ve recently introduced a new programme called RISE education – offering black history, English and maths with online tutorial support which I hope will be of interest to parents who want to help their children to achieve their full potential.

What question should I have asked you and what is the answer?

Why are black children books so expensive? It’s a question I get asked all the time - it’s to do with demand and supply. The more demand there is the market, the more we supply; the more we supply the cheaper it gets. So you have to buy more books and then it gets cheaper. Personally, I don’t think they are that expensive – the books are of high quality and well produced.

As a child what was your favourite book?

I didn’t have a favourite book but I was an avid reader and read anything I could get my hands on. I read books beyond my years and thinking – but I was just as comfortable reading comics as well.

In the past few weeks the Harry Potter roller coaster has taken off again, as a multi-cultural book seller how do you deal with this?

Well , if the Potter books encourage children to read, then that’s good,  I’m just surprised that in this day and age we don’t have a main black character in the books – I can’t tell the writer what to write but you’d think the film makers  would have addressed  this in their casting.

In our book club – the Black Reading Group, we are thinking of reading a children’s book, what would you recommend?

Great biographies such as Marcus Garvey and Bob Marley – they’ve been written for children.

What advice would you give to anyone starting off in publishing, selling books?

It’s tough, really tough,  you probably won’t get rich doing it, but do it for the love.

What is the greatest gift you have ever given or received?

Books are great to give and receive.  I got a copy of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory as a prize when I was at school. Somehow it ended up in my sister’s possession and she passed it onto my son. He loves the book and reads it again and again, just like I did. We also, saw the film. That is the beauty of a book, it is not just for now, and it can be passed on – and they make good movies.  Unlike a toy that gets broken and discarded a book can be revisited again and again and children find new inspirations.

What or who do you think is going to be hot in 2011?

Well, I hope it is Rise books! But, as the royal couple have just announced their engagement – I guess I’ll have tough competition.

Risebooks

0776 565 1747

risebooks@aol.com

An edited version of this interview appears in Lime magazine Dec/Jan 2011 edition: www.comelime.com

Book Review: A Lime Jewel in aid of Haiti

A Lime Jewel:

Anthology of Poetry and Short Stories in aid of Haiti

Edited by Yetunde Ruban

www.alimejewel.com  £9.99

2010 has been the year of Haiti. It has been on our minds for the most heart breaking of reasons. From the horrendous earthquake in January to Hurricane Tomas in November, followed by the outbreak of cholera and in most recent days news of riots at the UN run health centres. Here’s a chance to help the people of the first black-led republic in the world. A group of enterprising young Londoners, led by Yetunde Ruban, a former lawyer who gave up her job to co-ordinate the publishing of the book, has spent the year organising this beautiful book dedicated to the people of Haiti. A Lime Jewel is a selection of poetry and short stories that tell of the sadness, verve, and determination of the Haitians. The contributors are a mix of published and non-published poets and writers, old and young and many in-between. All of whom have shown this wonderful kindness of strangers by wanting to part of this project. All proceeds will be donated to the Lambi Fund, a charitable organisation based in Haiti that works to promote social and economic welfare. So as our minds turn to the season of excess and giving, this is the chance to support the people of Haiti, as the author and poet Nii Ayikewei Parkes says in his foreword ‘in a dignified way’. 

It is available on Amazon: here, but more money goes to Haiti if you get it from the dedicated website set up by the organisers/publishers: A Lime Jewel

Hot Tips for 2011

Books

For me 2010 has been the year of the biography, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot, has been a total revelation, and so with that in mind I am excited to hear about two new biographies that will be published next year. The first is I and I: The Natural Mystics, by Colin Grant, which is about the less well-known members (Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer) of the world famous group that included Bob Marley. Much has, of course, been written about Marley and Colin has taken the opportunity to bring the other members of the Wailers to the fore. (Colin’s memoir Lino – about black life in 1970s Luton will be published in 2012.)

Fiona Joseph

In autumn 2011 Fiona Joseph’s biography about Beatrice Cadbury of Birmingham’s chocolate manufacturing family will be published. Celebrating Beatrice: The Radical Quaker is the story of the heiress who gave away her fortune. She took the famous Cadbury model of philanthropy to an extreme.  In addition to this biography, Fiona’s first historical novella for English language students Barrington's Call will also be published in 2011. Follow Fiona on her blog/website at www.fionajoseph.com

LitFest and events

Literature festivals are booming if you love books they are the equivalent of music festivals. For 2011, check out the very accomplished Stoke Newington Literature Festival (3-5 June.) You would not believe that 2011 is still only Stoke Newington’s second year. Their multi-cultural strand is being ‘curated’ by Diane Abbott MP and the newsreader George Alagiah, and the festival has plans to look at the influence of Stoke Newington on the reggae, Trojan and ska scene. www.stokenewingtonliteraryfestival.com

Waterstones Islington branch aims to promote books and authors from London’s diverse minorities, and this means that they should have one African-Caribbean author per month throughout the year.  In January 2011 they will be kicking off with RED, which is a poetry anthology of 80 British black poets. Published by Peepal Tree Press, the leading publisher of Caribbean and Black British literature. Contact: 

enquiries@islington.waterstones.com

For a book club with a difference try and join BBC Radio 4’s Book Club. Each month they set a book and 20 or so lucky listeners get the chance to ask questions at the recording of, in my experience, a totally charming author. At the moment they are trying to schedule Benjamin Zephaniah for the spring of 2011 to discuss his children’s book Refugee Boy (originally published in 2001). The programme is usually aired about a month after the recording takes place. Register at www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/arts/bookclub

Blogs and websites

There are many wonderful blogs out there – too many to mention here. One of my absolute favourites is Minna Salami’s Ms Afropolitan www.msafropolitan.com. It is a beautifully written and thoughtful blog that is the development of her ideas on culture, women, Africa and musings on everyday life in the UK. To support the UN’s decade of women Minna has set up a shop on her blog that celebrates designs by African women. There is a small but exquisite selection of scarves, notebooks, earrings and other items that you’ll not be able to resist.

And last but not least, I asked Siobhan of Afrotoys, an online store selling toys, games and books for a multicultural world, what book she would recommend. She chose Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters (originally published 1987). ‘It is a beautifully illustrated African story about a lovely princess whose look and soul every black child can relate to. It’s an entertaining read for all age groups and I love it!’ she said. And so if you’ve not read it – get it at www.afrotoys.com

A version of this article also appears in Lime magazine - www.comelime.com