Upcoming Book Releases
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The Rest Of You by Maame Blue
A powerful tale of womanhood, friendship, family secrets and the Black British experience, set between present-day England and mid-90s Ghana.
On the cusp of thirty, Ghanaian Londoner Whitney Appiah was born with a special gift. The massage therapist can physically sense where her clients' trauma lies and heal them. But Whitney has no idea that she too is suffering. Tragic events from her youth have left a terrible, unseen mark.
When a dangerous encounter with the man she's dating triggers a wave of fragmented recollections, Whitney embarks on a journey to reclaim her memories and the truth that is buried deep in her early childhood in Kumasi, Ghana.
Spanning three decades, told through the viewpoints ofWhitney, her aunts - Gloria and Aretha - and their househelp - Maame Serwaa - The Rest of You explores what happens when we try to resolve the mysteries of our past.
Monster by Dzifa Benson
Monster is a bold and lyrical exploration of the Black female body as a site of oppression and resistance. At its heart is a study of the world of Sarah Baartman, aka the Hottentot Venus, a Khoikhoi woman from South Africa who was displayed in freak shows in 19th-century Europe. Baartman’s voice is framed within the social, political and legal structures of the day, offering a unique perspective.
Other poems draw clear parallels with Benson’s own experience as a Black woman born in London but raised in Ghana who returned to the UK at the age of 18. The collection is an exciting mix of vivid lyricism, sometimes laced with dark humour, using complex poetry, monologue and theatrical devices. The influence of Shakespeare sits comfortably with references to Ewe mythology and history in a collection of wide scope and depth. This is a highly accomplished first collection by a mature voice. One of a small group of published Black women poets, Benson makes an important contribution to current British poetry with the publication of Monster.
Person Unlimited: An Ode to My Black, Queer Body by Dean Atta
You've fought and you've run away.
You've danced with other Black, queer bodies until sunrise
Sometimes you wanted to be caught and sometimes you wanted to be held.
With all that you've endured, you are nothing less than miraculous.
From choirboy to drag act, grandson to mentor, poet to lover, Dean Atta has played many roles in his life. In this formally inventive, candid and courageous book, he explores what he has carried in his body: wins and losses, shame and pride, pain and joy. Dean also investigates how radical self-acceptance and a willingness to abide with discomfort open up the possibility of a life lived beyond definition: a person unlimited.
Black Girl, No Magic: Reflections on Race and Respectability by Kimberly McIntosh
Kimberly McIntosh has lived a full life, with a loving family, messy friendships, mind-expanding travel and all-night parties. She’s also spent that life wondering why such opportunities aren’t always available to people who look like her.
Stemming from years of social policy research and campaign work, this essay collection brings together all that Kimberly has learned; whether that’s dismantling the myth of social mobility for those who toe the line, to understanding why her teenage Facebook posts are quite so cringe. In it, she uses her own experiences to reveal how systematic injustice impacts us all, from the pressure of nuclear families, to enduring toxic friendships, to how painful it can be to watch Love Island.
Perfect for fans of Slay In Your Lane, Trick Mirror, and Bad Feminist, this dazzling debut collection brilliantly melds the personal and political to not only tell the story of a life, but what that life might teach us.
Water Baby by Chioma Okereke
She's the Pearl of Makoko and the world is her oyster.
In Makoko, the floating slum off mainland Lagos, Nigeria, nineteen-year-old Baby yearns for an existence where she can escape the future her father has planned for her.
With opportunities scarce, Baby jumps at the chance to join a newly launched drone-mapping project, aimed at broadening the visibility of her community.
Then a video of her at work goes viral and Baby finds herself with options she could never have imagined - including the possibility of leaving her birthplace to represent Makoko on the world stage.
But will life beyond the lagoon be everything she's dreamed of? Or has everything she wants been in front of her all along?
The Jagged Path: A Journey from Heartbreak to Hope by Charlotte Osho
The Jagged Path tells the story of a young girl’s journey from an idyllic life in rural 1940’s Nigeria, through the heartbreak of losing her parents, tumultuous years with uncaring guardians, an abusive marriage which ended in betrayal, to finally finding hope and happiness.
In this powerful tale of resilience, fortitude and faith, Charlotte Osho describes arriving in mid-sixties London faced with an onslaught of new experiences, unfamiliar foods, a very different climate and of course, the shock of racism. But though she quickly adjusted to her new home, dreams of a happy marriage and security were soon shattered by a husband who became emotionally, financially and physically abusive. Left to raise their three children alone, Osho was, at times, bereft, uncertain how she would overcome these challenging circumstances. But through a chance conversation with a colleague, she reconnected with the church, finally finding the fellowship and sense of community she had been looking for. And through her new-found faith she gained the resilience to keep fighting, truly building a life on her own terms and the confidence to develop her nursing career to support her young family.
Babygirl, You've Got This by April-Louise Pennant
How do Black girls and women experience education in England? This book explores the educational experiences and journeys of Black British women graduates and considers the influence of the intersections of race, gender, ethnicity, cultural background and social class on their journeys.
Within educational research about Black students, gender distinctions have been largely absent, male-dominated or American-centric. Due to the lack of attention paid to Black female students, relatively little is known about how they understand and engage with the education system, or the influences which shape their long-term strategies and decision making in order to gain educational 'success'. Dr April-Louise Pennant, PhD uniquely documents the entire educational journey - from primary school to undergraduate university level - within both predominantly white (PW) educational institutions, as well as predominantly global majority (PGM) schools, post-16 colleges/sixth forms and universities, in order to examine the various accessibility, financial, social and academic hurdles which Black girls and women face. The book, which transforms April-Louise's masters and doctorate research, combines theoretical frameworks such as Critical Race Theory, Bourdieu's Theory of Practice and Black Feminist epistemology, to frame personal accounts of the author and a diverse range of 42 Black British women who are embodied by 7 fictional composite characters. Through analysis of the strategies, choices and decisions made by Black British women throughout their educational journeys, this volume ultimately provides insights into how to navigate the education system effectively and provides alternatives to normalised understandings of educational 'success'.
Goleah's Lore by Xyvah M Okoye
There are those who believe that the secrets of our past are hidden in the stars; those who believe we will find the answers we seek in the bones of our ancestors. I have long since learned that, no matter our beliefs, the truth is laid bare in the stories we tell: be they inspired by stardust, or uncovered bone, or a faith in the gods who built monoliths of whitestone.
For this reason, I have scoured the lands, from East to West, seeking the age old tales passed down from generation to generation, and have seen the hidden truths within the stories we tell. Stories which transcend ages and eras, tongues and traditions; which have survived the rise and fall of great empires. Stories from across the known world which, in one way or another, are in keeping with the entries found among the sacred writ. Those of an oral tradition I have had transcribed, and those already written, I have gathered; and I have put together a tale to twist the strings of fate and set the world free.
- The Collector
✮ ⚔ ✮
Sammy Skunk Gets An Invitation by Eula May Foote
Sammy skunk doesn't get an invitation to Maureen Moles party because he is different and smelly so he makes himself smell nice and gets an invitation to Maureen Moles party, but when the smell wears off, will the other animals accept him for who he is.
This book helps children accept children who are different to them eg skin colour and hair type or children who speak different age 3 +
Where We Come From: Rap, Home & Hope in Modern Britain by Aniefiok Ekpoudom
A stunning social history of British rap and grime by one of the nation's foremost cultural chroniclers.
'A stunning exploration of a genre, a movement and a world. It's every bit as lyrical as the rap Ekpoudom has documented.'
CANDICE CARTY-WILLIAMS, author of Queenie
'Illuminating and intimate. Ekpoudom's prose is rhythmic and deft but also crackles with joy. I know I'll be reading it for years to come.'
CALEB AZUMAH NELSON, author of Small Worlds
'A rousing, inspiring, often breathtaking history that reads with the flow of a magnificent novel. Ekpoudom is one of the very finest chroniclers of black British culture.'
MUSA OKWONGA, author of One Of Them
***
I met people who never quite fit in where they were supposed to, who found solace, salvation and meaning in these sounds, these words.
Something is happening in Britain, trembling the tracks as it unfolds. Recent years have borne witness to underground genres leaking out from the inner cities, going on to become some of the most popular music in the nation.
In this groundbreaking social history, journalist Aniefiok Ekpoudom travels the country to paint a compelling portrait of the dawn, boom and subsequent blossoming of UK rap and grime. Taking us from the heart of south London to the West Midlands and South Wales, he explores how a history of migration and an enduring spirit of resistance have shaped the current realities of these linked communities and the music they produce. These sounds have become vessels for the marginalised, carrying Black and working-class stories into the light.
The House of Broken Bricks by Fiona Williams
Ain't nothing wrong with being broken. Nothing at all. You're like these houses, not a whole brick in em and look how strong they are.
As Tess traces the sunrise over the floodplains, light that paints the house a startling crimson, she yearns for the comforting chaos of life as it once was. Instead of Max and Sonny tracking dirt through the kitchen - Tess and Richard's 'rainbow twins' - Tess absorbs the quiet. The nights draw in, the soil cools and Richard fights to get his winter crops planted rather than deal with the discussion he cannot bear to have.
Secrets and vines clamber over the broken red bricks and although its inhabitants seem to be withering, in the damp, crumbling soil Sonny knows that something is stirring . . . As the seasons change, and the cracks let in more light, the family might just be able to start to heal.
This is the story of a broken family, what they see and what they cannot say laid bare in their overlapping perspectives. It is a tale of life in the cracks, because in the space for acceptance, of passing and of laying to rest, the possibilities of new energy, light and love, are seeded.
Effries by Radio Dotun
I was wanted for a murder I did not commit. Now it's time to tell my story. Time for you to read it.
BBC radio presenter Dotun Adebayo woke up and remembered he was wanted for murder. The only way he can prove his innocence is with the help of all the previous years of his life. They come together for the first time ever in this true and twisted tale that's created a genre all of its own: NOIR-MOIR (a memoir that always looks on the DARK side of life). That's EFFRIES in a nutshell.
The title is not meant to offend. EFFRIES means bullshit. You've never read anything like it. It's a memoir and yet a thriller a whodunnit and yet a confessional Idunnit and a Windrush generation history of Britain's race wars'. What's more, it's left out all the boring bits. EFFRIES is a fast dialogue and mad memories without the 'who my father is and what he does for a living' crap of old school memoirs.
Across the Scorched Sea by Jennifer Hayashi Danns
Don’t miss the second spellbinding chapter in The Mu Chronicles trilogy…
An island lost to the ocean
A people lost to the desert
A love lost to the darkness
But a new sun is about to rise
And with every ray of light
Comes a robe of shadow
Across the Scorched Sea is a visionary YA fantasy about a newborn society torn apart by secrets and sedition – perfect for fans of Girls of Paper and Fire and Skin of the Sea.
Decolonising My Body: A radical exploration of rituals and beauty by Afua Hirsch
What can ancestral practices teach us about how to live fuller lives today?
Upon turning forty, Afua Hirsch had an encounter that forever altered her preconceived notions of ancestry and body image, making her question everything from body-modification rituals such as tattoos and piercings to the foundations of sexuality, as well as attitudes towards puberty, ageing and death. This book charts her year-long journey of radical unlearning. Bringing together global scholarship, on-the-ground reportage, personal anecdotes and interviews with beauty experts, practitioners and service users, she reassesses notions of body image beyond those of the colonial, patriarchal gaze.
Decolonising My Body is a powerful excavation of the Eurocentric beauty standards that have long shaped how, in particular, those from the Global Majority are perceived and view themselves. Taking us from puberty to end-of-life, Hirsch shows us that the ways in which we adorn and present ourselves have spiritual implications and shape the possibilities we see for ourselves in the world.
These insights and discoveries will empower you to reconnect with your own ancestry, better understand the link between beauty, history and (respectability) politics, and liberate yourself from mainstream standards and systems that aren’t serving you.
Disobedient Bodies: Reclaim Your Unruly Beauty by Emma Dibiri
An unmissable essay from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Don't Touch My Hair and What White People Can Do Next
'A must-read' Psychologies
'Radical, incisive and thoughtful ... I can't recommend ordering a copy enough' Vicky Spratt, The i
For too long, beauty has been entangled in the forces of patriarchy and capitalism: objectification, shame, control, competition and consumerism. We need to find a way to do beauty differently.
This radical, deeply personal and empowering essay points to ways we can all embrace our unruly beauty and enjoy our magnificent, disobedient bodies.
It accompanies The Cult of Beauty, a major exhibition at Wellcome Collection, opening in October 2023.
'Powerful' The i, Best New Books to Read in October 2023
'[Disobedient Bodies] calls for a radical reimagination and holistic reclamation of beauty' Dazed
Presenting Miss La la by Nadine Cowan
Collins Big Cat supports every primary child on their reading journey from phonics to fluency. Top authors and illustrators have created fiction and non-fiction books that children love to read. Book banded for guided and independent reading, there are reading notes in the back, comprehensive teaching and assessment support and ebooks available.
“Roll double six or double three, let’s learn about your history.”
Join Aniyah, EJ and Olivia as they play their Ludi board game and are transported to another action-packed adventure back in time, helping real people from history and solving exciting mysteries along the way.
Aniyah, EJ and Olivia have gone back in time! It’s London, 1879, and the circus is in town. The Royal Aquarium Theatre is the place to be to see tightrope walkers, acrobats and the amazing Miss La La. But can the children solve the mystery of the missing macaques before they return to their own time?
This exciting book in the Blue Mahoes mini-series is written and illustrated by Nadine Cowan.
The King of Arcabuco by Nadine Cowan
Collins Big Cat supports every primary child on their reading journey from phonics to fluency. Top authors and illustrators have created fiction and non-fiction books that children love to read. Book banded for guided and independent reading, there are reading notes in the back, comprehensive teaching and assessment support and ebooks available.
“Roll double six or double three, let’s learn about your history.”
Join Aniyah, EJ and Olivia as they play their Ludi board game and are transported to another action-packed adventure back in time, helping real people from history and solving exciting mysteries along the way.
EJ, Aniyah and Olivia have been transported back in time! It’s 1601 and they’re lost in a dense South American jungle, where they meet a group of escaped Maroons, and their leader, Benkos. Will the trio be able to use secret call signs and hidden maps to help their new friends find freedom?
This exciting book in the Blue Mahoes mini-series is written and illustrated by Nadine Cowan.
Deep Sea Diver
Collins Big Cat supports every primary child on their reading journey from phonics to fluency. Top authors and illustrators have created fiction and non-fiction books that children love to read. Book banded for guided and independent reading, there are reading notes in the back, comprehensive teaching and assessment support and ebooks available.
“Roll double six or double three, let’s learn about your history.”
Join Aniyah, EJ and Olivia as they play their Ludi board game and are transported to another action-packed adventure back in time, helping real people from history and solving exciting mysteries along the way.
Aniyah, EJ and Olivia have been transported back in time! They meet Jacques Francis, a diver, who’s leading a team to salvage goods from King Henry VIII’s favourite ship the Mary Rose, which lies on the seabed 12 metres below. Can the trio survive the revolting Tudor cooking, save a girl accused of witchcraft, and solve a mystery?
This exciting book in the Blue Mahoes mini-series is written and illustrated by Nadine Cowan.
I'm Going To Be a Princess by Stephanie Taylor
A warm and witty celebration of the lives of amazing Black women.
What will Maya be when she grows up? A rocket scientist like Annie Easley? An Olympic athlete like Alice Coachman? A brain surgeon like Alexa Canady?
In this heart-warming and funny story, Maya discovers the achievements of some incredible Black women . . . but it's a brave Nigerian princess who really captures her imagination!
This uplifting and empowering picture book is the perfect gift for any young reader.
Wangari's Trees by Nadine Cowan
Collins Big Cat supports every primary child on their reading journey from phonics to fluency. Top authors and illustrators have created fiction and non-fiction books that children love to read. Book banded for guided and independent reading, there are reading notes in the back, comprehensive teaching and assessment support and ebooks available.
“Roll double six or double three, let’s learn about your history.”
Join Aniyah, EJ and Olivia as they play their Ludi board game and are transported to another action-packed adventure back in time, helping real people from history and solving exciting mysteries along the way.
EJ, Aniyah and Olivia have been transported back in time! It’s 1978 and they’ve joined Professor Wangari Maathai and the Green Belt Movement in Kenya. Can the trio track down who might be sabotaging the Movement and save the trees?
This exciting book in the Blue Mahoes mini-series is written and illustrated by Nadine Cowan.
The Big Five by Shiko Ngura
Simba, Princess Leo, Rhinoboy, Elie and Buff are the Big Five! These junior rangers have promised to explore, discover and protect the wild animals in Nairobi National Park, Kenya. Now they're facing their biggest challenge yet. Can they find a runaway zebra foal and get her back to the herd in time for their migration?
Big Cat for Little Wandle Fluency has been developed in collaboration with Wandle Learning Trust and Little Sutton Primary School. It consists of a range of chapter books with increasing word counts across 10 fluency levels aimed at children in Year 2 and 3. Each book builds reading confidence, stamina and speed and nurtures a love for reading.
Fluency 8 books have a word count of 5280 words with an expected reading rate of 110 words per minute.
Brilliant Black British History by Atinuke
An eye-opening story of Britain, focusing on a part of our past that has mostly been left out of the history books: the brilliant Black history of England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland.
Did you know that the first Britons were Black? Or that some of the Roman soldiers who invaded and ruled Britain were Black, too? Join this fascinating journey through the ages to meet those first Britons, as well as the Black Tudors, Georgians, and Victorians who existed in every walk of life here. The incredible journey through time is brought to life through Atinuke's fascinating storytelling and illustrated scenes, detailed maps, and timelines created by illustrator Kingsley Nebechi.
From science and sport to literature and law, celebrate the brilliant Black people who have helped build Britain. Learn about key and complex historical topics such as the world wars, slavery, the industrial revolution, Windrush, and the Black Lives Matter movement. This fascinating book will change everything you thought you knew about our green-grey British Isles.
Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo
Family Lore is full of beautiful prose, even-handed magic and all the pains and triumphs of intergenerational bonds' KILEY REID, author of Such A Fun Age
The Marte women are preparing for a gathering that will change their lives forever
Flor has a gift: she can predict, to the day, when someone will die. So when she decides to host her own living wake - bringing together her family and community to celebrate her long life - her sisters Matilde, Pastora and Camila are concerned. What has she foreseen?
But Flor isn't the only one with a secret. Matilde has tried to hide the extent of her husband's infidelity for years, and now must confront the true state of her marriage. Pastora - always on a mission to solve her sisters' problems - needs to come to terms with her past. And Camila, the youngest sibling, has decided she no longer wants to be taken for granted. Alongside their struggles, the next generation of Marte women face their own tumult of family obligations, infertility, and heartache.
Spanning the three days prior to the wake, Family Lore traces the intertwining stories of these sisters and cousins, mothers and daughters, aunts and nieces, to ask the ultimate question: what does it take to live a good life, for yourself and those you love?
Koku Akanbi and the Heart of Midnight: Jujuland by Maria Motunrayo Adebisi
After cynical thirteen year-old orphan Koku accidentally releases a demon on a trip to the British Museum, his uncle sends him to Olori, the West African land of origins, for the summer. Cursed with a weird name and an illness to match, Koku thinks life can't get any worse. His sickle cell anaemia has always left him feeling unwanted and powerless, and now he's being parcelled off to a country he barely remembers.
But when Koku arrives in Olori, he finds himself in a land of endless sun and powerful magical tribes - and on the wrong side of a war. The ruling Ogún tribe is trying to destroy the night, and the magical creatures who need it, forever. As the last living descendent of the darkness-controlling Olókun tribe, Koku is the only one who can stop them.
Accompanied by Moremi, a martial artist with an anger problem, and Osoosi, a shapeshifter who spends half of her time as a hyena, Koku must venture into the dangerous jungle of Jujuland to master his powers, find the powerful talisman called the Heart of Midnight and restore Night to Olori. But he'll have to move fast, because a teenaged assassin with a soul-swallowing sword is on his tail... and if the night disappears, then so will he.
Uprooting: From the Caribbean to the Countryside - Finding Home in an English Country Garden by Marcelle Farrell
What is home?
It's a question that has troubled Marchelle Farrell for her entire life. A longed-for career in psychiatry saw her leave behind the pristine beaches and emerald hills of Trinidad. Until, disillusioned, she uprooted again, this time for the peaceful English countryside.
The only Black woman in her village, Marchelle hopes to grow a new life. But when a worldwide pandemic and a global racial reckoning collide, the upheaval of colonialism that has led her to this place begins to be unearthed. Is this really home? And can she ever feel truly grounded here?
Drawn to her new garden, Marchelle begins to examine this complex and emotional question through the psychotherapeutic lens of her work. As her relationship with the garden deepens, she discovers that her two conflicting identities are far more intertwined than she had realised.
Full of hope and healing, Uprooting is a book about finding home where we least expect it, and which invites us to reconnect to the land - and ourselves.
Stand Up and Speak Out Against Racism by Yassmin Abdel-Magied
A vital and vibrant book answering real children's questions about racism, giving them the confidence and the tools to work towards a fairer society for all.
Illustrated by Aleesha Nandhra
Using questions canvassed from children around the UK as her framework, writer, engineer and broadcaster, Yassmin Abdel-Magied gives clear context to the racism that persists today and shows how to recognize, resist and disrupt racist conversations and attitudes. Yassmin creates a safe space for exploring an emotive and important topic. Her friendly, assured tone de-stigmatises any feelings young readers might have, while illustrations and infographics from Aleesha Nandhra provide a fresh way for readers to approach this complex issue. Ideal as a way to open the conversation with readers aged 9 and up, nurturing compassion, encouraging ways to create change and giving them the confidence to challenge inequality and strive towards racial justice for everyone.
For readers aged: 9+
The Revels by Stacey Thomas
The stage is set and the witch-hunt is about to begin.
'I am no witch. I have not sold my soul to the devil for powers. What I am has never openly been whispered of, yet it is enough that people would hang for it.'
England, 1645.
After his half-brother dies, aspiring playwright Nicholas Pearce is apprenticed to Judge William Percival, an infamous former witch-hunter who is under pressure to resume his old profession.
In a country torn apart by civil war, with escalating tensions between Catholics and Protestants, Royalists and Roundheads, and rumours of witchcraft, Nicholas hides a secret: the dead sing. He hears their secrets, but will he find the courage to speak up to save innocent lives, even if it means putting himself in great danger?
A spellbinding debut novel perfect for fans of Stacey Halls, Laura Purcell and Bridget Collins.
Tough Crowd by Andi Osho
New boyfriend. His kids. That’s a tough crowd.
Aspiring comedian, Abi, has always been told that she’s too much but never felt like enough. That is until she meets Will, who changes everything she’s been made to believe by men, the media and her mum. He loves her just the way she is.
But Will is a package deal and comes with two daughters from a previous relationship. Abi is used to playing to difficult audiences but winning over the girls and step-parenting is going to be her toughest gig yet.
A fun and feel-good romantic comedy about love, friendship and family for anyone who’s struggled to feel like enough and find their place. Fans of Mhairi McFarlane and Beth O’Leary will love this warm and witty page-turner.
The List by Yomi Adegoke
From award-winning journalist and bestselling co-author of Slay in Your Lane, Yomi Adegoke, comes The List, a sensational, page-turning debut novel about secrets, lies and our lives online.
Ola Olajide, a high-profile journalist at Womxxxn magazine, is marrying the love of her life in one month's time. Young, beautiful, successful – she and her fiancé Michael are the ‘couple goals’ of their social networks and seem to have it all.
That is, until one morning when they both wake up to the same message:
‘Oh my god, have you seen The List?’
It began as a crowdsourced collection of names and somehow morphed into an anonymous account posting allegations on social media. Ola would usually be the first to support such a list―she’d retweet it, call for the men to be fired, write article after article. Except this time, Michael’s name is on it.
Compulsively page-turning, wildly entertaining and piercing with fearless insight, The List is perfect for fans of Such A Fun Age, My Dark Vanessa and Magpie. The List by Yomi Adegoke is set to be the most hotly debated debut novel of 2023.
Everyday Action, Everyday Change by Natalie & Naomi Evans
Making changes that help make the world a fairer place can feel overwhelming.
Where do you even start? Well . . .
Small actions really can make a big difference!
In this inspiring guide, changemakers, sisters and founders of Everyday Racism, Natalie and Naomi Evans, give readers empowering advice for dealing with the issues we see, hear about and face every day, from racism and sexism to homophobia and ableism, providing you with achievable everyday actions to create change!
Tips for practising positive everyday mindsets and self-care before things get stressful make this a go-to book for feeling informed, positive and motivated too.
Join us on our journey to creating sustainable change, one small step at a time.
Natalie and Naomi