Join us on Friday 7 June at the St Bride Foundation to celebrate the 5th anniversary of the New Daughters of Africa anthology. A special day that brings together leading poets and writers as they discuss their creative journeys, the publishing landscape and offer advice for the next generation of Black British writers. We have creative workshops, In Conversations and a Panel Discussion and Evening Performance to enjoy.
New Daughters of Africa pays homage to the history of black British publishing profiling Black women writers via the work of Margaret Busby – Britain’s youngest and first black female book publisher who co-founded the London-based publishing house Allison and Busby (A & B) in the 1960s.
New Daughters of Africa is an extraordinary collection of contemporary writing by 200 women writers of African descent, including Zadie Smith, Bernardine Evaristo and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
For this symposium, we will be hosting intergenerational conversations between panellists, creatives and poets. Join us as we explore all the dimensions of making creative work, performing and publishing with a heavy slant towards poetry.
This event will bring to light the many contributions of Black British creatives in poetry and publishing at a time when the industry still does not feel transparent or accessible to Black writers.
UPDATE: unfortunately, Yassmin Abdel-Magied is no longer able to attend this event so the workshop has been cancelled. We will be in touch with ticket holders.
This event is in partnership with Africa Writes
The day features workshops, Q&A’s, In Conversations and an Evening Performance. You can book for just a workshop, the In Conversation or the Panel Discussion and Poetry Showcase, or why not join us for the whole day and book a Full Day Ticket for just £15.
It’s a day where you can choose what you’d like to get involved in but we’d love to see you enjoying everything!
Please note all workshops take place between 3:30-5pm so it will only be possible to attend one workshop during the day.
Workshop: Writing modern feminist African stories with Tolu Agbelusi
Tolu Agbelusi will lead a workshop discussing contemporary African feminism. What do stories that centre African women look like? And what can we learn from literary giants such as Buchi Emecheta and Ama Ata Aidoo? Participants will leave with a refreshed understanding of Black feminist literature and how to centre their stories within this canon.
WORKSHOP: Classic stories for contemporary conversations with Patience Agbabi
This workshop will walk participants through adapting classic poems and will be based on her collection ‘Telling tales’ in which she rewrote the Canterbury tales. Participants will learn about the process of rewriting a historic poem and adapting it for modern day through the scope of various perspectives such as race/gender/sexuality. Supported by Renaissance One.
5:30pm-6:30pm – In conversation – Malika Booker being interviewed by Kat François
Join poetry heavyweights Malika Booker and Kat François. In this conversation for a closet confessions style conversation. They will speak candidly about their respective careers to date, the current state of the creative industry, the opportunities for black women to take up space as well as the nitty gritty of creative living such as finding an agent.
7:30pm-9pm – Panel discussion + poetry showcase, led by Jumoke Fashola
This panel will feature Black British poets and writers who have made their mark in the Black British creative scene. Jumoké Fashola will be joined with esteemed editor Margaret Busby, Bridget Minamore and Tolu Agbelusi to discuss their creative journeys so far, writing inspiration, the publishing landscape and their hopes for the next generation of writers. A poem commissioned by Billie Meredith and Eileen Gbabgbo will also be shared.
Full Day Tickets are available, enjoy a workshop, In Conversation event and the Evening Performance for just £15
About New Daughters Of Africa
This landmark anthology celebrates the work of 200 women writers of African descent and charts a literary landscape as never before.
A glorious portrayal of the richness, range and diversity of African women’s voices, this major international collection brings together their achievements across a wealth of genres: autobiography, memoir, letters, short stories, novels, poetry, drama, humour, journalism, essays and speeches.
From Antigua to Zimbabwe and Angola to the USA, overlooked artists of the past join key figures, popular contemporaries and emerging writers in paying tribute to the heritage that unites them, the strong links that endure from generation to generation, and their common obstacles around issues of race, gender and class.
Bold and insightful, brilliant in its intimacy and universality, this landmark anthology honours the talents of African daughters and the inspiring legacy that connects them—and all of us.