Angela Morris is a Specialist Business Coach with over 25 years of experience in the Health and Social Care sector.

Specialising in supporting providers catering to children and adults in need of care and support she has a master’s degree in Applied Psychology and diplomas in Child Development, Life Coaching, and Financial Advice. A proud mother of three sons and a devoted grandmother, Morris draws from her personal and professional experiences to address the challenges mothers encounter regardless of cultural backgrounds in her latest book Don’t Let Them Stop You … It’s Personal!

Please introduce yourself …
My name is Angela Morris, I am a mother of 3. I am a business coach and author. I am of Afro-Caribbean heritage, born to Jamaican parents and raised in London.

Describe your life right now in a word or one sentence …
I am on a journey of understanding the power of letting go of that which no longer serves me.

What made you want to add ‘author’ to your list of achievements?
I have always wanted to write a book. I have loved reading from an early age and finally decided that I would write a book for my 60th birthday for myself and future generations. Call it a legacy piece if you will.

Tell us about your debut book Don’t Let Them Stop You … It’s Personal!
This book is about how as individuals we find our personal freedom whilst navigating the complex relationships with the people in our lives and how we can manage them in order to become our authentic selves. It is written to those who come from a diverse background who may have faced challenges with culture-bound approaches to every day life or who may be stuck in unhealthy relationships with friends, family or significant others.

How much do you feel your experiences as a Child Development specialist have shaped your views compared to the influence of your upbringing as a black child?
I have worked in Health and Social Care for over 25 years. I have learned that the system in the UK still has some way to go in understanding the journey of acculturation and how children are impacted by this in their life experiences. My book helps to address some of those experiences we had as children by exploring where we are now and how we are functioning as adults. I believe in order to understand adults we also need to understand children. As a child growing up our culture dictated that “children should be seen and not heard”, we now live in a time that identifies that children should be both seen and heard. The outcomes for our future generations will probably look quite different to ours.

Highs, lows, solutions …
I thoroughly enjoyed the process of writing and the main challenge was creating a structure where I could ensure that I completed the book based on my deadline (which was my 61st birthday). I decided to allocate two evenings per week for two hours of dedicated writing. I was elated when the final draft was completed three months before my deadline. As I follow the concept of being a “strengths-based” individual, I did not put myself through the challenges that I could get assistance with e.g. editing or proofreading. In other words, I try to avoid spending time on things I am not good at.

GETTING TO KNOW YOU …

What are you working on right now? I am writing my second book which is quite different to the last one but hopefully as interesting to the right audience.

What are you watching? The Apprentice and Dragon’s Den. As a small business owner, I am fascinated by these types of programmes and find them fun entertainment. I can also get some useful tips from them.

What are you reading? I am currently reading two books. One is Worthy: How to Believe You Are Enough and Transform … by Jamie Kern Lima who is a female billionaire and the other is The Price of Money: How to Prosper in a Financial World … by Rob Dix. I am a believer in lifelong learning. I don’t think we can ever say “I know it all“.

What are you listening to? I use the app Headway regularly to hear summaries of books. I love music and will go to places where they play the genre I like.

Last thing you saw on stage? Hamilton the musical last year. I was very familiar with the soundtrack and it was great to go to the live performance. I go to the theatre three or four times a year.

Whose footsteps are you following in? No one in particular. I prefer to follow principles rather than people. Everyone has their own challenges no matter how great they appear to us, however a principle either works or it doesn’t.

What’s next? To create a podcast. I think it is a great positive way of sharing information and helping people. I already have some interesting people lined up.

Where can we find you? I can be reached on LinkedIn Angela R Morris MSc.

Where can we read Don’t Let Them Fool You … It’s Personal!? My book is out on Amazon in paperback and Kindle (Amazon Prime customers get a discount too!) it is also available in paperback on many other online book platforms.

Angela Morris is a business coach and author….

Don’t Let Them Stop You! is the title of a series of hard-hitting self-help books from Angela which aims to enable readers to transform their lives on their journey of self-discovery.

Her first book titled Don’t Let Them Stop You! – It’s Personal outlines mothers’ roles, challenges they face and how to approach these challenges regardless of cultural upbringing.

We spoke to Angela about her book and what audiences can expect from it …

Please introduce yourself …
My name is Angela Morris, I am a mother of 3. I am a business coach and author. I am of Afro-Caribbean heritage, born to Jamaican parents and raised in London.

Describe your life right now in a word or one sentence …
I am on a journey of understanding the power of letting go of that which no longer serves me!

What was the that started you on this particular career path? …
I have always wanted to write a book. I have loved reading from an early age and finally decided that I would write a book for my 60th birthday for myself and future generations. Call it a legacy piece if you will.

Tell us about your debut book Don’t Let them Stop You … It’s Personal!?
This book is about how as individuals we find our personal freedom whilst navigating the complex relationships with the people in our lives and how we can manage them in order to become our authentic selves. It is written to those who come from a diverse background who may have faced challenges with culture-bound approaches to everyday life or who may be stuck in unhealthy relationships with friends, family or significant others.

How much has your experience as a Child Development specialist shaped your views as opposed to being brought up as a black child?
I have worked in Health and Social Care for over 25 years. I have learned that the system in the UK still has some way to go in understanding the journey of acculturation and how children are impacted by this in their life experiences. My book helps to address some of those experiences we had as children by exploring where we are now and how we are functioning as adults. I believe in order to understand adults we also need to understand children. As a child growing up our culture dictated that “children should be seen and not heard” we now live in a time that identifies that children should be both seen and heard. The outcomes for our future generations will probably look quite different to ours.

Highs, lows, solutions …
I thoroughly enjoyed the process of writing and the main challenges were creating a structure where I could ensure that I completed the book based on my deadline (which was my 61st birthday). I decided to allocate 2 evenings per week for 2 hours of dedicated writing. I was elated when the final draft was completed 3 months before my deadline. As I follow the concept of being a “Strengths-based” individual, I did not put myself through the challenges that I could get assistance with e.g. editing or proofreading. In other words I try to avoid spending time on things I am not good at!

GETTING TO KNOW YOU …

What are you working on right now?
I am writing my 2nd book which is quite different to the last one but hopefully as interesting to the right audience

What are you watching?
The Apprentice and Dragon’s Den. As a small business owner I am fascinated by these types of programmes and find them fun entertainment. I can also get some useful tips from them.

What are you reading?
I am currently reading 2 books. One is titled Worthy by Jamie Kern Lima who is a female billionaire and the other is titled The Price of Money by Rob Dix. I am a believer in lifelong learning. I don’t think we can ever say “I know it all“.

What are you listening to?
I use the app Headway regularly to hear summaries of books. I love music and will go to places where they play the genre I like.

Last thing you saw on stage?
Hamilton the Musical last year. I was very familiar with the sound track and it was great to go to the live performance. I go to the theatre 3 or 4 times a year.

Whose footsteps are you following in?
No one in particular. I prefer to follow principles rather than people. Everyone has their own challenges no matter how great they appear to us, however a “principle” either works or it doesn’t.

What’s next?
To create a podcast. I think it is a great positive way of sharing information and helping people. I already have some interesting people lined up!

What’s your socials?
Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Tiktok and Twitter

Where can we find you?
The easiest way I can be contacted via email angiestrategymorris@gmail.com, However I can be reached on LinkedIn Angela R Morris MSc

Where can we see / read / listen to your latest work?
My book is out on Amazon in paperback and Kindle (Amazon Prime customers get a discount too!) it is also available in paperback on many other online book platforms

Njambi McGrath, is a multi-faceted Kenyan born writer-comedian who has achieved critical acclaim for her sharp wit on BBC Radio 4 and electrifying performances at the Edinburgh Fringe.

Now, she unveils her debut novel ‘Rinsing Mũkami’s Soul,’ a poignant tale set against Kenya’s backdrop. Through the eyes of Mũkami, McGrath explores themes of resilience and identity, inviting readers on a journey filled with laughter, tears, and profound introspection …

Please introduce yourself …
Njambi McGrath is a stand-up comedian, author and political commentator.

Describe your life right now in a word or a sentence …
I am doing everything I love. 

You discovered you were funny when?
I didn’t know I could be a comedian until someone suggested it.

Telling your parents you were going to be a comedienne was like …?
My parents didn’t understand it. They had no concept of what it was so they were puzzled.

Where the UK and Kenya collide – growing up in Kenya and evolving in the UK how has that shaped your perspective?
Kenya and the UK has a shared history. Britain colonised Kenya and the effects of that was my childhood. We were forced to speak English and punished if you didn’t, so I spoke English from a young age. Our curriculum was British, and our history and literature was all British. My evolution living in Britain has been in the last few years about discovering my culture and identity.

After a successful comedic career, why was now the time to write a book?
I had to write my first book, a memoir Through The Leopard’s Gaze. This was I guess to exorcise my demons of a traumatic childhood. Through that process, I learnt I could write and I felt I had stories to share of life in Kenya.

We have the synopsis, but what is Rinsing Mũkami’s Soul about from your perspective?
It’s about a young girl Mũkami, a conscientious student with big ambitions. Living in a compound in dysfunctional post-colonial Kenya, a country is still finding itself. She has an unfortunate meeting with a bad boy who turns her world upside down. She’s now expelled from two schools and is in search of a safe abortion in a country grappling with Victorian laws that forbids abortion. This is all against a backdrop of a community under threat. Land stolen of the people by British settlers was never returned but sold off to politicians and their cronies or to multinationals so few feel the benefits of independence. Communities like where Mũkami lives are under threat and always a looming homelessness. 
 
Which came first, the character or the plot?
Actually, this book is a spin-off. During lockdown down, I wrote a yet to be published book about a dysfunctional compound called the Ministry of Works. Each of the characters are distinctive and Mũkami’s spoke to me with an urgency I couldn’t ignore, and so the book was born. I felt she deserved her own story. Her story is familiar, afflicting many girls in Kenya. Growing up, I heard of countless girls who had died or permanently injured by unsafe abortions so it felt right to have Mũkami go through this.

The book tackles potential rape, abortion consideration, prostitution – quite intense themes is this a ‘serious’ book or do you weave your comedy through the narrative?
Even in the grimmest scenarios, there’s humour to be found. The book deals with serious themes but there are quite a few laugh out loud moments. Mũkami has a way of seeing the world and just because something bad is happening doesn’t take away humorous scenarios. The comedy in the book is not intended. It just presents itself and I go with it.

Highs, lows, solutions …
Writing is a big financial and time commitment. It requires self belief that someone will want to read the book and even better, publish it. One needs to have tunnel vision and not allow negativity or self-doubt to derail the whole project. The highest moment in this journey was when I walked out of my publisher’s office with a two book deal!

Without spoilers what’s your favourite moment in Rinsing Mũkami’s Soul?
When Mũkami decides to take revenge I’d say is a great part. It’s difficult to choose which part I’m most proud of but I guess it was when I realised that the book came to a natural end and the loose ends were tied up.

GETTING TO KNOW YOU

If not this, then what?
A singer. I love singing and my dream was to sing. There’s just one problem with that and that’s my voice. I can’t sing.

What’s made you Sad, Mad, Glad this week?
Sad and Mad, the news of innocent people suffering for ideological reasons or capitalist ideals. Glad I am writing this sat by the pool in Dubai.

What are you watching right now?
Grizelda on Netflix.

What are you reading right now?
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang.

The last thing you saw on stage? 
Belly dancers and fire eaters.

What’s on your bucket list? 
Visit Namibia and see the Milky Way.

Where’s your happy place?
In amazing gardens in hot places.

Celebrate someone else …
Sinead O’Connor. I never appreciated just powerful she was in advocating for those who were abused or oppressed.

Celebrate yourself …
At 13 years, I was the victim of a violent attack which left me for dead. I walked all night to flee from my tormentor; my father. My life was tough and I worked hard to get to a place where I am comfortable and living as a comedian and author.

Whose footsteps are you following in?
Every journey is unique so I guess it’s default to have just one person. I revere people who have the courage to speak up against oppression or exploitation.

What’s Next? 
Working on my next book and writing a new comedy hour to take to the fringe.

Where can we find you? 
TikTok/Facebook – Njambi McGrath Comedy. X and Instagram – Njambi McGrath.

Where can find your latest work?
You can see my solo show live at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe. Watch my past comedy specials on Next Up. 
Listen to my BBC Radio Series Becoming Njambi here, and Black Black here. Read my books Through The Leopard’s Gaze at Jacaranda Books and Rinsing Mũkami’s Soul also at Jacaranda Books.
 
 

Kereen Getten, the celebrated author behind the acclaimed When Life Gives You Mangoes, is back with another hit!

Introducing The Case of the Haunted Wardrobe, the latest installment in her captivating children’s series, “Di Island Crew.” Set in a Jamaican village, this series follows a band of unlikely friends unraveling mysteries.

We spoke to Kereen about her current triumphs, the inspiration behind her new series, and her exciting plans for the future …

Please introduce yourself …

My name is Kereen Getten. I am a Jamaican born author living in the UK. I write Middle Grade books mostly set in Jamaica.

Describe your life right now in a word or one sentence.

Calm.

What started you on this particular career path?

I’ve always wanted to be a writer since I was eight years old. As soon as I started choosing books for myself, I wanted to create stories just like the ones I was reading. For a long time I wrote just for myself. I didn’t think anyone would be interested in stories like mine. About eight years ago I decided to give it a serious go and entered short story competitions. I then wrote a book which I pitched on Twitter for #DVpit a yearly event where writers pitch their books to industry professionals, and I got my agent.

Tell us about your latest book – The Case of the Haunted Wardrobe …

The Case of the Haunted Wardrobe is the second book in Di Island Crew Series where a group of kids form a detective agency on a small island off Jamaica. In this second instalment the kids return to the island during school holidays and are offered a mystery by one of the local inhabitants who has been hearing strange sounds inside her house. There is also a second mystery when the kids receive an anonymous letter threatening to reveal their secrets.

What’s the inspiration behind, Di Island Crew?

When I was younger I loved reading adventure and detective books like the Famous Five and Secret Seven. I really wanted to write something similar but with black kids.

How did it come about?

After writing my first two books When Life Gives You Mangoes and If You Read This which were more serious books, I wanted to write something light-hearted and fun. I had the idea of a group of kids on an island solving mysteries and the rest came to me quite quickly.

Highs, lows, solutions …

The highs for me when writing a book is always the beginning when you have this idea and it takes shape on paper. Following the story to see where it takes you is always the best part. The obstacle I faced was writing a detective series which I had never done before. It was a lot more complex than I anticipated. I solved this by doing some basic research on writing detective books for kids and then tried not to think too deeply about it. Things work best when I have gone with my gut and trusted myself.

I also wanted to include Patois in the book, but knowing my main audience would be English speakers it was difficult knowing when and where to put it. I eventually settled on the main character speaking it to her mother and when she felt comfortable around people, but also addressed the fact that she was made to feel uncomfortable speaking her native tongue amongst this new group of people.

What is your current plan B?

To own a small bookstore on a Caribbean island.

What are you watching right now?
I am currently watching Hijack on Apple TV with Idris Elba.

What are you reading?

Quiet Storm by Kimberly Whittam

What are you listening to?

I had some time off this year and did a complete revamp of my Spotify playlists that I’m lowkey proud of. I am currently listening to my Korean R & B playlist and some old skool Lauryn Hill, Missy Elliot and Whitney.

What’s the last thing you saw on stage?

It’s been a while, but I think it was an Oliver Samuel’s play I saw with my mum.

What’s on your bucket list?

To have one or all of my books made into movies. To write a screenplay. To write an adult book.

Where is your happy place?

In nature going for long walks. By water. On a beach somewhere listening to the waves comes in to shore.

Celebrate someone else …

Michaela Cole. I think she is a genius writer and an inspiration for creating realistic and deeply authentic and relatable characters.

Celebrate yourself …

As someone born in little Lucea, Westmoreland who barely left her town, my first book When Life Gives You Mangoes was sold in the US, UK, Czech Republic and Italy. I now have over fourteen award nominations for my books. My first story in Di Island Crew Series: The Case of the Lighthouse Intruder was Waterstones book of the month and my books have been featured in Oprah Magazine, Vogue and Hello.

Whose footsteps are you following in?

Miss Lou who I would listen to every Saturday with all the kids in the neighbourhood. Malorie Blackman, Patrice Lawrence, Angie Thomas all inspired me with their black books about black kids.

What’s next?

I am about to start the fourth instalment in Di Island Crew Series. I’m also switching between plotting an older MG book, an adult and a YA book.

How do we get a copy of The Case of the Haunted Wardrobe?

The Case of the Haunted Wardrobe is available in most large bookstores like Waterstones. You can also get it on Amazon and on pushkinpress.com. You will need to check with independent bookstores if they stock it

What’s your socials?

Instagram: @kereengetten
Twitter: Kereengetten
Threads: @kereengetten

Dyonne Antonette Josiah has launched a book series to help parents have those tricky conversations with their children.

The first book in the series ‘The Adventures of Canary Ryland‘ series is, ‘How Do You Get a Baby?’

Let’s get to know Dyonne Antonette Josiah …

Please introduce yourself …

My name is Dyonne Antonette Josiah. I am a children’s author from Islington, North London. I created The Adventures of Canary Ryland over 10 years ago.

What started you on this particular career path?

One day I was in a the children’s section of a book shop and noticed the lack of books about babies. This inspired me to write a book from a humerus point of view that would enable the tricky conversations between parents and their children.

Tell us about The Adventures of Canary Ryland …

Canary Ryland is a 6-year-old girl who goes on a journey to find out where babies come from. She questions all of her friends who all give her amusing answers. Canary and her friends then descend into a magical upside-down world called Destonia where they continue to look for the answer to the question. Whilst in Destonia they meet the royal twins, Princess Sophilia and Prince Seth, the Royal advisor Buddy Bee, and the people of Destonia. Oh, and I can’t forget the scary and smelly Snoockapuss.

The book ends when Canary presents the question to her parents and they ask her where she thinks babies come from. I’ve also left a space where children and parents can explore the question for themselves. This wonderfully illustrated book is colourful, has a huge gatefold, is interactive and allows children to use their imagination. Lots of thought has gone into ensuring the book is also Dyslexic friendly. The book even comes with its own Destonian language guide.

What are you watching?

I don’t often watch TV, but when I do I really enjoy watching comedy shows from the 90s and 2000s. I’m also a huge Disney fan.

What are you reading?

Currently I’m reading Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid. It’s about a band from the 70s who are on the hunt for fame.

What are you listening to?

My favourite album rotation at the moment is Earth by a band called SAULT.

Last thing you saw on stage?

The last thing I saw in stage was Cleo Sol at the Royal Albert Hall, the show was so captivating and incredible. Such a beautiful and timeless voice.

Whose footsteps are you following in?

I’ve definitely been inspired by a author called Nathan Byron and his illustrator Dapo Adeola who have written the books Speak up & Look up. I adore Malorie Blackman, her style of writing is very interesting in how she writes from the perspective of both characters. My favourite author as a child was Jacqueline Wilson who wrote my favourite book Dustbin Baby.

What’s next?

How Do You Get a Baby is the first of a trilogy. I’m currently developing Mummy’s Having a Baby, and My Brother Rooster. Both stories have been written but developing the illustrations can take a little while. I also have another 25 books and a TV show in development. I’m super excited for them to be released.

Where can we get a copy of How Do You Get A Baby?

You can purchase a copy of book from my website canaryryland.com.

Mandem is an anthology exploring Black masculinity.

The collection of short essays are written by some of our finest contemporary Black writers with themes of vulnerability and raw honesty.

Dipo Faloyin is a senior editor at VICE, where he focuses on race, culture, and identity around the world.

We spoke to Faloyin about his contribution to the Anthology …

Please introduce yourself …

My name is Dipo Faloyin. I’m a journalist and the author of, Africa Is Not a Country. I’m originally from Lagos, Nigeria but London is now home.

Can you tell us how and why you got involved with Mandem?

It was all Iggy. He reached out to me back in 2020 and I jumped at the chance to contribute a chapter to
this important project that is so badly needed.

Please tell us about your contribution to Mandem …

My chapter is called, How To Build an Immigrant. It’s about my journey from Lagos to the UK and the challenges that came with leaving everything I knew, examining my identity and what it means to be Black in a completely new environment.

Tell us about your writing process …

After Iggy set out the brief, I knew pretty quickly what I wanted to do. I’m normally quick to come up with ideas, but I’m a slow writer. What follows normally requires doing plenty of reading and walking and listening to others that I admire. For me, writing is communicating and so I wait until I can find the right voice.

What does being a Man mean to you and when did you discover its meaning?

I feel certain it doesn’t mean just one thing. A benefit of social media is that we can see how the concept of being a Man can be defined in so many ways across cultures and traditions. The more I read the work of Black creatives, the more I understand the constraints that are often placed on us to be a certain way.

What does Mandem to you personally?

Mandem as a book and a concept offers an essential platform for Blackness to be explored. It means so much to me because we desperately need more opportunities to tell our own stories and set our own narratives.

Tell us about a challenging moment during this project that you had to dig deep to get through.

It was both motivating and intimidating to have my words alongside so many writers that I admire on such an important project. When I feel stuck or uninspired, I read. It helps to see new paths and break away from my own stall thoughts.

A sentence, a moment, a paragraph in How To Build an Immigrant that defines what you want the reader to understand about you and why you said yes to being a part of Mandem …

In my chapter, I write about speaking to my parents before wanting to adopt my middle name ‘Emmanuel’ when I moved to the UK just to fit in better. They told me that I could, but they told me that they were confident that one day I’d regret it because my real name is what made me unique and spoke to my true identity. I hope Mandem helps other young Black boys embrace their true identities as my parents encouraged me to embrace mine.

Considering your career evolution, where does this project sit on your checklist?

It’s certainly one of the biggest career highlights to date. To see my work in a book alongside some of the best creative minds in the business is such a joy and a blessing.

What’s next?

I want to continue to tell stories that platform the diversity and history of our community.

How do we keep up to date with you and your work?

You can follow me on Instagram @DipoFal and check out my work on my website www.dipofaloyin.com

Where can we get a copy of Mandem?

In every single good bookstore and online retailer.

Mandem is an anthology exploring Black masculinity.

The collection of short essays are written by some of our finest contemporary Black writers with themes of vulnerability and raw honesty.

We spoke to Sope Soetan about his contribution to the Anthology …

Please introduce yourself …

My name is Sope Soetan. I’m a writer, music publicist, speaker and researcher from London.

Can you tell us how and why you got involved with Mandem?

My journey with Mandem began 4 or 5 years ago when Iggy and I had lunch at The Curtain in Shoreditch. That was when he first told me about his plans to put together an anthology of essays by Black British men. He’s always been super complimentary of my writing, so he made it clear that he was eager to have me on board. I got involved simply because Iggy asked me to.

Please tell us about your contribution to Mandem …

My chapter is titled, The Pink Frame. It’s primarily focused around a degrading incident that happened to me at school when I was 7 years old. Long story short, without spoiling it; I was chastised and policed for doing something “real boys” don’t do. My chapter charts the long-term impacts this episode had on me and how it became a watershed moment for me and my sense of masculinity.

Tell us about your writing process … especially considering this particular piece of work had to fit into a themed collection of stories?

I was one of the first contributors Iggy commissioned for the book, so there was no real brief. All I had seen at that point were rough drafts of Iggy’s three chapters. I see myself as a music writer first and foremost, so I’m not used to writing about personal topics reflective of my actual lived experiences. Nonetheless, Iggy was very adamant that my contribution not be music-focused. The Pink Frame was birthed from the two of us brainstorming about things I had gone through as a child. At some point during our conversation, I recounted the anecdote that would anchor my piece and we developed it from there.

What does being a Man mean to you and when did you discover its meaning?

If I’m being 100% transparent, I don’t know if I still can adequately articulate what exactly being a man means to me. What I can say is that my ideas around manhood were revolutionised, challenged and transformed by reading We Real Cool: Black Men & Masculinity by bell hooks, but also works from James Baldwin, Eldridge Cleaver, Junot Diaz and Patricia Hill Collins.

What does Mandem mean to you personally?

Mandem to me is a book that is shining light on nuanced experiences specific to being black and male, but also the transmission of such stories being put on wax after decades of being unexpressed and unspoken. Oral histories that for so long many of us subconsciously thought weren’t worth mentioning or exploring in-depth in fear they wouldn’t be understood or taken seriously. It also means range – the range of the subject matter in the book is remarkable.

Tell us about a challenging moment during this project that you had to dig deep to get through …

It was pretty challenging to dig deep and think intensely about triggering and hurtful encounters that I hadn’t thought about in a very long time. The very existence of the chapter itself was trying, even though it was ultimately therapeutic and it pushed me out of my comfort zone as a writer. Nonetheless, it was very weird and unusual to get to grips with sharing semblances of my life in such a public way.

A sentence, a moment, a paragraph in The Pink Frame that defines what you want the reader to understand about you and why you said yes to being a part of Mandem?

I think these two excerpts will help any prospective readers understand me more:

• “Still so young and quickly starting to understand the currency of social capital, I soon realised that I would need to trade in the essence of I was for the stability of a legitimate friend”.
• “Nonetheless, as convincing as I thought I was, as legitimate as I felt my revamped persona was, the little boy who decided to paint his frame pink followed me everywhere”.

Considering your career evolution, where does this project sit on your checklist?

Before Mandem, I had never envisioned myself as being part of a tangible published book. However, over the course of working on my chapter and gaining a deeper understanding of the kind of career I want for myself, I feel that I do have a few books in me. I want to write books on music criticism and how it intersects with race, sexuality, class and gender in the vein of Nelson George, Maureen Mahon and Questlove. That being said, the response to The Pink Frame has shown me that there are people out there who want me to continue exploring more personal and intimate subjects in my writing. So perhaps that will be a reality one day too.

What’s next?

What the future holds for me definitely includes interviewing more incredible artists and musicians; both editorially whether it’s print or online but also in a live setting where I’m chairing conversations on stage. I set up my own boutique PR agency at the beginning of this year, so I’ll continue growing that. Servicing the PR needs of artists, figures and brands that culturally and creatively resonate with me. In the long term though? I also see myself working as a researcher and consultant on music-focused documentaries and TV shows.

How do we keep up to date with you and your work?

You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram at @SopeSoetan. You can also find my writing portfolio here – linktree

Where can we get a copy of Mandem?

Mandem can be found in all online and physical retailers where books are sold.

Mandem is an anthology exploring Black masculinity.

The collection of short essays are written by some of our finest contemporary Black writers with themes of vulnerability and raw honesty.

20-year-old Athian Akec has guest lectured at London Metropolitan University, given talks at the Houses of Parliament about knife crime, and sitting on the board of a racial justice organisation.

We spoke to the writer an social activist about his addition to the Mandem Anthology and what he hopes his essay will inspire …

Please introduce yourself …

My name is Athian Akec. I’m 20 and live in Camden via South Sudanese heritage. I find it hard to say what I do but at its root it’s about synthesising my perspective on race, class and climate issues across different mediums and communicating this to the world. That manifests as me writing and presenting a series for i-D magazine called “Beyond Black history month” which presented stories of Black history not included in the mainstream such as the Haitian Revolution, a speech that I gave on knife crime being a socio-economic issue as a teenager being included on Loyle Carner’s latest album or currently doing a project with the National Literacy Trust in schools teaching kids about writing as a medium for social change.

Can you tell us why and how you got involved with Mandem?

A mutual friend of Iggy and myself (shout out to Nate Agbetu) told Iggy about my work. We then got in contact and spoke about a bunch of ideas. Eventually settling into the idea of my essay being focused on the phenomenon that I’ve observed from close in, the Black men I know and am related to but also more broadly – that Black men try to deal with trauma by trying to get rich. I think in terms of why I hope that the essay I wrote can be picked up in 20 years or whatever by a 20-year-old Black kid and help them in some kind of way, I’ve become interested in the idea of autoethnographic expression which at its root is the idea of academic researchers engaging with wider societal issues/phenomena using their own direct lived experience as something that wider points can be taken from. Mandem is a form of that.

Please tell us about your contribution to Mandem …

The title is, Get Rich or Die Tryin’. It’s about the phenomenon of Black men trying to deal with their trauma by getting rich. The essay starts by challenging the perception of Black men as being inherently violent and calls into question the violence we receive at the hands of society (social exclusion, poverty and beyond). The essay also examines through research done by the charity Mind, how many Black people’s first interaction with the mental health system is through having the police called on them or other violent interventions. The essay then looks at how we internalise the ideals of meritocracy and how this translates into people thinking they can elevate their way out of poverty through amassing material wealth.

Tell us about your writing process …

The idea of exploring the essay’s subject matter had been in the back of my mind for a while but I kind of kept it there – the process was much about external research as it was about me attempting to dissect parts of my psyche.

Rap music is the soundtrack to my life. And a hallmark of the genre is the obsession with the idea of self-determination (particularly expressed through amassing absurd amounts of money). As I began to listen more closely to the lyrics it became clear that a hallmark of the form of expression is that obtaining wealth represents more than having money in the bank and represents somewhat of a kind of psychological break with traumatic experiences rooted in poverty.

The other major component was academic studies commissioned by various mental health charities that looked at how many Black people’s interactions with the mental health system were through forceful intervention or having the police called on them.

There are many more layers; the essay takes a kaleidoscopic approach to dissecting the issues it touches on. Another big part was regularly meeting with Iggy to talk through revisions and changes (I think we met 7-8 times)

What does being a Man mean to you and when did you discover its meaning?

That’s a kinda difficult question bearing in mind I’m pretty young. But I think Malcolm X is one of my ultimate heroes. And his genius in the X was that our lives are great sites of possibility and that this exists in the site of community (and other things that are bigger than ourselves). Also, something deeply admirable about Malcolm X was how his life was a constant story of progression and reinvention. I think I want to be a man who is ambitious for more than just myself (there’s a Vince Staples lyric I love where he says “Won’t stop until the whole Hood Fed”)

I’m definitely still in the process of figuring that out.

What does Mandem mean to you personally?

Everything. I remember someone telling me once that if you don’t tell your story someone else will but they’ll do it wrong. Mandem is really a chance for us to reflect our multidimensional complex experiences. Also from an archival perspective it allows us to speak to the future through our own voice rather than depictions distorted by bias.

Tell us about a challenging moment during this project that you had to dig deep to get through?

The most challenging part was writing this in the middle of A levels prep.

A sentence, a moment, a paragraph in Get Rich or Die Tryin’ that defines what you want the reader to understand about you and why you said yes to being a part of Mandem …

“The crushing weight and pressure of not having money in an expensive society does not suddenly lift when you achieve material success. Bleak memories are not erased by shiny floors, foreign whips and nice holidays (no matter what your favourite rapper might tell you). Memories of overdrafts and council letters that threaten to shatter your world do not suddenly disappear when you become wealthy”

Considering your career evolution, where does this project sit on your checklist?

This project has been super important in terms of me letting go of expectations and speaking from a more vulnerable place (one of the most damaging effects of our ego is that it can have us become averse to risk).

What’s next?

There’s a kind of paradoxical thing I’m noticing about life, the more you talk about doing things the more energy you detract from actually just doing it.

How do we keep up to date with you and your work [socials]?

I’m @athianakec_ on Twitter and @athianakec on Instagram.

Where can we get a copy of Mandem?

All good bookshops.

Mandem is an anthology exploring Black masculinity.

The collection of short essays are written by some of our finest contemporary Black writers with themes of vulnerability and raw honesty.

Iggy is an award-winning filmmaker, artist and writer whose work touches upon themes of identity, community and coming of age. Known for his distinctive style and gripping, unexpected stories, his work crosses many mediums from film to poetry to photography.

We spoke to Iggy about the Anthology and its conception …

Please introduce yourself …

My name is Iggy London and I’m a filmmaker and writer, born and raised in Newham, East London.

Can you tell us how and why you got involved with Mandem?

I started the book after a conversation that I had with a friend, where we were questioning the idea of a so-called “blueprint” of the Black male experience. What does Black manhood look like? How does it relate to other experiences? And is a holistic view of the Black male expression within the UK even needed in today’s day and age? With so much literature being written from a US gaze, I contemplated the idea, if there was a book dedicated to the Black male experience, what would it look like? What would the stories feel like and who would be the people to tell those stories? Through this introspection, I came about with Mandem; a word to describe a group of boys, usually associated with a gang. The idea for Mandem was to be a book that encapsulates and expresses some of the experiences of Black men, allowing others to connect with it from a cultural way, which felt nostalgic and new. But it was also important for it to showcase brilliant contemporary literature that reflected us and the times. It felt only right to create an anthology of all different stories from writers of all different disciplines, to discuss the topic.

Please tell us about your contribution to Mandem …

I wrote the beginning and closing chapters of the book, but my main contribution was a chapter called The Audacity of Heartbreak. It essentially follows me during the summer of 2021, when I was in the thick of heartbreak for the very first time during COVID and the preconceptions of Black manhood that are all wrapped into the idea of heartbreak.

How were the writers found, and the stories chosen?

The writers were found in an organic way. There were a number of contributors that I had been following their work for a long time such as Yomi Sode, Sope Soetan and Jordan Stephens. I knew they were contemporary thinkers who were excited about the idea of writing in unique ways. I knew they would be able to contribute something powerful within the medium. But I also was intrigued about other writers who had been at the forefront of these conversations in different ways. I researched a lot and found a number of writers that I thought would be great for the book, such as Athian Akec and Dipo Faloyin.

Tell us about your editing process …

The editing process was a fairly organic process too. I spoke to all the contributors and asked them what they wanted to cover in the book. It was important to feel like the story was driven by them, but I also wanted the stories to have a correlation. To follow a clear direction. There was a lot of back and forth with certain writers, going through their contributors, making edits and asking the right questions to get the best out of each contribution. But in the end, it all worked out. By the last submissions, there was a clear direction that the book was going towards and so each contribution felt like another part of the puzzle, slotting neatly together. What’s so great about the book is that you don’t have to read it chronologically or need further context from more than one chapter. It’s like an album, it is meant to be read at your own pace and time and in any order.

How did you navigate giving feedback to the contributing writers – especially considering that some contributions are quite personal?

The editing process worked well for the most part because the feedback that I had with the contributors was in line with their own thoughts. I think it only got difficult when we were at odds with fundamental things, such as certain opinions within the book or the different ways of writing. As creatives, I think we can try to protect our work, however, because of the way in which everyone was so invested in the project, we were able to find a lot of common ground.

What does Mandem mean to you personally?

That young Black boys and men shouldn’t have to figure out life on their own in the closure of their homes, where the true dark and deep secrets were kept. That we, as a group of people, have more similarities than differences and we should share them. To finally be able to write in a language that was recognisable to us mandem. J. D. Salinger’s Catcher in The Rye sums it up the best: “Many, many men have been just as troubled morally and spiritually as you are right now. Happily, some of them kept records of their troubles. You’ll learn from them—if you want to. Just as someday, if you have something to offer, someone will learn something from you. It’s a beautiful reciprocal arrangement.”

What’s next?

I’m currently writing and developing ideas for new mediums of storytelling. I’d love to develop Mandem and the anthology into a short series or TV show, enveloping all the characters from each story and putting them in a fictional world.

How do we keep up to date with you and your work?

Instagram: @iggylondon Twitter: @iggylondon Website: www.iggylondon.com

Where can we get a copy of Mandem?

Mandem is available in most UK book retailers such as Waterstones and Daunts, as well as available online.

Award-winning author, poet, editor, writer, broadcaster, educator and socio-cultural commentator Nii Ayikwei’s latest book Azúcar is only his second novel.

Azúcar is set in a world which interweaves Caribbean & African cultures into a socio-political-satirical-romance story.

Parkes tells about how he brought his latest project to life, the importance of debunking global misrepresentations of Black people, and how he’s become a better lover …

Please introduce yourself …

I’m Nii Ayikwei Parkes, a Ga-speaking man born in the North of England, raised in South East London and Ghana, and claiming heritage from Ghana, Sierra Leone, Jamaica, Equatorial Guinea, Guadeloupe, Canada and the United States of America. I’m a Pan-Continental, Pan-African, writer, an editor, a father, and a full-time dreamer.

Describe your life right now in a word or one sentence …

Full.

Tell us about your latest book Azúcar …

Azúcar is about belonging. I like to think of it as a “coming to love” story, embracing all the bruises and scars life brings and finding loves in the midst of it all. It’s a book about loss, but there is joy in the undercurrent of it, because loss creates new spaces for joy. It’s a love story between two people who learn that belonging has a cost, but what you’re willing to pay to belong, to keep any myth in your story, is your choice to make.

What triggered this story?

There were a number of triggers. A major one was a conversation with my late uncle, Kofi Awoonor (who was murdered in the Westgate Mall attack in Kenya) about our Sierra Leonean roots; then I had a sudden realisation that my having an aunt called Esperanza was not random – my great grandmother was Spanish-speaking and I had been impacted by Spanish Imperialism as well as English; and, of course, as you can see by my earlier answer, my
heritages are multiple and for my children, it’s even more so, so belonging is a question that has lived with me for a long time.

How does Azúcar follow your first novel Tail of the Blue Bird? 
All my novels (he says as though he has more than two) share the use of fictional spaces, which is a tool I employ to try to avoid the specific geographic readings mainstream Anglophone culture can bring to writing from the Global South and keep the focus on ideas. They also share a concern with the dignity of characters of African heritage, unrelated to Western perspectives, and, in hindsight, the notion of belonging is touched upon in Tail of the Blue Bird in the way assumptions are made about the second major character, Kayo because he has studied outside of Ghana.

How did you and why did you marry ‘socio-political satire with romance‘?

One of the freedoms of creating a new land in which a story is set is that you create the history of that land. The satire comes in because if you consider the history of the West logically so much doesn’t make sense. For example, you can’t buy refined gold (which requires a complex chemical process) from people and call them savage at the same time. So the satire is around politics, leadership and international trade, drawing from ironies such as the historic US embargo on Cuba and the concurrent use of Cuban cigars by the most powerful politicians in the country enforcing the embargo. The romance is in the music and the relationship between the people and the land, and, of course, some of the characters.

Setting the story in a fictional Caribbean island with a Ghanaian-born protagonist there’s something about the unification of African and Caribbean cultures that is important for us historically and politically when you consider today’s climate, discuss … 

The connection has always been there. The tragedy is that it has been hidden, partly because of how history is taught and partly because of trauma. There are many families in Africa that have long-standing heritage connections from Africans from the Caribbean and Latin America who settled in Africa while colonialism and slavery still persisted. That’s because even under colonialism, Africa was generally a safer space for black bodies in the world at the time.

In many families, the history wasn’t spoken about and has become buried. For example, in Ghana, people are more likely to have a discussion about whether my European surname, Parkes, comes from Cape Coast (where many Europeans had children with local women), or from Accra (where many ex-enslaved migrants from Sierra Leone, Brazil and Liberia settled). However, yes, it is absolutely important that our connections are discussed, and that individual circumstances, cultural adaptations and innovations are respected and recognised, while
acknowledging the foundational African philosophies we share.

I recently visited St Lucia, where my host, Auntie Mary, remembered clearly that her grandmother’s name was Yaa Yaa – a very Asante (Ghanaian) name. I have also visited Grenada, Cuba, Guadeloupe and Trinidad and I am constantly amazed by the parallels I see with my upbringing in Ghana – from the way we show love, to the way we cook, to the way we shape language. Understanding our connections and the wealth of our shared history is important in debunking misconceptions and strengthening our resistance to the discrimination we face globally as
Black people.

When you write, are you in the stories or are all characters removed from who you are?

I can only tell stories using the vocabulary I have so there is always a bit of me in them in that sense, but otherwise, I tend to write partly as a quest to learn, so that characters are very different from me. I keep certain connections because they are useful starting points in imagining alternate inner worlds; for example, I write female characters by starting with elements of the women I know. I come from a pretty big extended family so I have a whole range to pick from.

Through poetry, commentary and books, you’re very much a storyteller – which story had the most impact on you personally, and what’s your intention behind being a storyteller?

The Ananse stories I was told as a child are foundational to my storytelling. I loved the way that we (the kids listening) were always included, the way the narrative was flexible enough to make space for us and how humour remained at the centre even while the story was teaching lessons. I carry those intentions in my work, but as poetry is my first love, perhaps I pay even more attention to language. Having said that, even the language element comes from the local songs I listened to. I mean a Twi phrase like Odo ye wu (love is death) is so layered, you can’t help but try to replicate that energy. In novel form, the story that had the greatest impact is an epistolary one – Mariama Bâ’s So Long a Letter which I first read as I was becoming a teenager. It altered my perspective, revealing to me the expressive authenticity that comes from speaking within a specific experiential vocabulary (in this case, a West
African woman practising Islam). I have never thought of any situation from just a man’s viewpoint since – that’s lifelong learning.

Highs, lows, solutions …

Phew. What a question. I started the initial writings around Azúcar soon after the birth or my third child so finding time was a challenge, but I managed to work around it and I got a three-week residency in Italy that I was able to take up with support from my ex, who had to solo-parent for that spell. After that initial period I slowly got through it, taking music classes along the way so I could write about the musicians in the novel with more confidence. The
real challenges came after I finished; so many publishers wrote the most complimentary feedback on the book, commenting on how evocative and compelling the prose was, but would say they didn’t “know how to sell it”, which is basically shorthand for “it doesn’t cater enough for who we imagine white readers to be”, so the book sat with me and my agent for a long time, until I suggested we speak to my poetry publishers Peepal Tree, who are invested
in stories from the Caribbean and Black Britain and I knew would judge the work on its merits and not its perceived marketability. In all of this, I am truly grateful for my very supportive agent, David Godwin, and my French publishers, Editions Zulma, who pre-empted and signed the book before I even finished it. Their faith sustained my belief in the story and allowed me to complete it.

GETTING TO KNOW YOU

What’s your current plan B?

My plan B is to grow old disgracefully. Stories are my world.

What’s made you Sad, Mad, Glad this week?

I always miss my kids’ physical presence during the week and that makes me sad, but it’s bittersweet because I talk to them, and they make me laugh. I’ve been mad for close to two years because race-based targeting of my son and my ex by a Kensington & Chelsea primary school has still not been resolved and it takes up my energy. This has been a week full of gladness: I had my book launch, caught up with old friends and drank some good rum.

What are you watching right now?

I don’t own a TV, but I occasionally binge-series to unwind. My most recent ones have been Black Ops (BBC iPlayer) with Gbemisola Ikumelo, whom I love, and The Afterparty (Apple TV), which is kinda like Only Murders in the Building in one night.

What are you reading right now?

Stuff that I need to edit, but I recently re-read Niki Aguirre’s 29 Ways to Drown and completed Caleb Azumah Nelson’s Open Water.

What are you listening to right now?

Ooh, a totally mad podcast by York and my friend Kemiyondo, called How Red Is Red? It’s about relationships and red flags and it’s hilarious.

The last thing you saw on stage?

It’s been a while. I think the last thing was Slave Play in New York. My family friend Ato Blankson-Wood was one of the co-leads. It opens with a lot of shock elements, but it’s a haunting play.

What’s on your bucket list? 

Going on a heritage trip to Jamaica with my kids, visiting Zanzibar and playing a minor part in a film.

Where’s your happy place?

In bed, the lights off, music playing.

Celebrate someone else …

I just discovered a musician called Thabo; I really love what he’s doing incorporating
traditional Bantu music with contemporary and futuristic sounds – and he has a great voice.

Celebrate yourself …

I’ve become a better lover in my old age; I mean that I’m so much better at loving the people in my life, letting them know they are valuable and making the time I have with them count.

Whose footsteps are you following in?

All my ancestors.

What’s Next?

I spent last year attached to the Hutchins Centre at Harvard University for a research fellowship. I’ll be spending the next year or so making sense of all I learned in the last year, but I expect a book or two might emerge from that.

Where can we find you?

In the kitchen, trying stuff out. I’m a little obsessed with food.

We want to buy your latest book …  

Azúcar is in bookstores all over the UK now. I write articles too, for the likes of National Geographic and the Guardian, so perhaps it’s best to follow me; Instagram is best @niiayikweiparkes.