You probably know by now that lists are one of our favourite things. Another very exciting thing is that after many years of watching from the sidelines I am going to not one but two literature festivals this year!
I'm going to be involved in the Margate Bookie later in the year, but this weekend I'm venturing up to London to attend Bare Lit.
Unfortunately due to day job and childcare practicalities I'm only going for the Sunday, but I thought it would be awesome to compile a reading list containing all the books written by people who will be speaking and/or on panels over the course of the festival.
If you're not aware, Bare Lit was set up last year in response to the fact that in 2016 the UK's three largest literature festivals featured over 2000 authors, only 4% of whom were from Black Caribbean, Black African, South or East Asian backgrounds. Diversity in publishing is a problem, yes, but also bringing the work of non-white authors to the attention of the general reading public, and that's one of the major reasons why I'm so excited about Bare Lit!
If you want to grab tickets they're extremely reasonable and still available, or if you're unable to make the event you can still support it via their IndieGoGo. Alternatively grab any of the books below via our links and we'll donate the 5% commission we receive from sales to Bare Lit.
Anthology
#Afterhours by Inua Ellams
The Things I Would Tell You edited by Sabrina Mahfouz
Cookery Books
Belly Full: Caribbean Food in the UK Over the Years* by Riaz Phillips
Hibiscus by Lope Ariyo
Syria: Recipes from Home by Dina Mouswadi
Zoe's Ghana Kitchen by Zoe Adjonyoh
Fiction
From Pasta to Pigfoot by Frances Mensah Williams
Ghachar Ghochar by Vivek Shanbhag
Gloria by Kerry Young
Iraq+100 by Ali Bader
Show Me a Mountain by Kerry Young
Sofia Khan is Not Obliged by Ayisha Malik
Swimming with Fishes by Rasheda Ashanti Malcolm
The Curious Tale of the Lady Caraboo by Catherine Johnson
The Mother by Yvette Edwards
This Wide Night* by Sarvat Hasin
When We Speak of Nothing by Olumide Popoola
Non-Fiction
Dorset's Hidden Histories* by Louisa Adjoa Parker
Go Home! The Politics of Immigration Controversies by Yasmin Gunaratnam and Hannah Jones
Hold Tight: Black Masculinity, Millenials and the Meaning of Grime by Jeffrey Boakye
Inferior by Angela Saini
Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge
There are a few books published by people speaking at the festival that I couldn't find links to, but there will be books for sale during the festival itself. I'm taking empty bags...
* indicates non-affiliate links
Eddo-Lodge