Search results for ""Author Kadija Sesay""

The poems in Irki rise out of Kadija Sesay's experiences – amusing, loving, confusing, sad – of growing up in foster care in the UK after leaving her home country of Sierra Leone.'Irki' means 'homeland' in the Nubian language, a language and history fast becoming extinct, but the poems conjure up images of home as an imagined, remembered, still physical place. Writing as a second-generation West African, Kadija also recounts her arrival to the UK (with parents of different religions), and her experience of growing up Black against the racially divided background of Britain in the 1960s, 70s and 80s.Kadija Sesay was born in Sierra Leone. She read West African studies at Birmingham University, then became a freelance journalist. In the mid-1990s she set up the newspaper Calabash. She founded SABLE LitMag in 2001 and the SABLE LitFest in 2005. Kadija has edited several important anthologies, including IC3: the Penguin Book of New Black Writing in Britain (2000), co-edited with Courttia Newland; Write Black, Write British (2005); and Red: An Anthology of Contemporary Black British Poetry (Peepal Tree, 2010), co-edited with Kwame Dawes. Her own poems have appeared in anthologies published by Canongate, Apples & Snakes, Macmillan and Flipped Eye. She lives in London.

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A celebratory 20th anniversary edition of A landmark collection from black writers across the literary spectrum'The fact that IC3, the police identity for Black, is the only collective term that relates to our situation here as residents ('Black British' is political and refers to Africans, Asians, West Indians, Americans and sometimes even Chinese) is a sad fact of life I could not ignore' from Courttia Newland's Introduction, 2000First published twenty years ago into a different literary landscape, IC3 showcases the work of more than 100 black British authors, celebrating their lasting contributions to literature and British culture. It spans a wealth of genres to demonstrate the range and astonishing literary achievements of black writers, including:Poetry from Roger Robinson, Bernardine Evaristo, Jackie Kay and Benjamin Zephaniah. Short stories from Ferdinand Dennis, Diana Evans, Catherine Jonson, E.A. Markham and Ray Shell.Essays from Floella Benjamin, Linda Bellos, Treva Etienne, Kevin Le Gendre and Labi Siffre.Memoirs from Margaret Busby, Henry Bonsu, Buchi Emecheta, Leone Ross, and many others.Featuring a new introduction from original editors Kadija Sesay and Courttia Newland, this collection reflects on the legacy of these writers, their extraordinary work, and stands as a reminder that black British writers remain underrepresented in literature today.

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'A vital and timely introduction to some of the best books I've ever read. Perfectly curated and filled with brilliant literature'Nikesh Shukla'The ultimate introduction to post-colonial literature for those who want to understand the classics and the pioneers in this exciting area of books'Symeon BrownThese are the books you should read. This is the canon.Joan Anim-Addo, Deirdre Osborne and Kadija Sesay have curated a decolonized reading list that celebrates the wide and diverse experiences of people from around the world, of all backgrounds and all races. It disrupts the all-too-often white-dominated 'required reading' collections that have become the accepted norm and highlights powerful voices and cultural perspectives that demand a place on our shelves.From literary giants such as Toni Morrison and Chinua Achebe to less well known (but equally vital) writers such as Caribbean novelist Earl Lovelace or Indigenous Australian author Tony Birch, the novels recommended here are in turn haunting and lyrical; innovative and inspiring; edgy and poignant.The power of great fiction is that readers have the opportunity to discover new worlds and encounter other beliefs and opinions. This is the Canon offers a rich and multifaceted perspective on our past, present and future which deserves to be read by all bibliophiles - whether they are book club members or solitary readers, self-educators or teachers.

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'A vital and timely introduction to some of the best books I've ever read. Perfectly curated and filled with brilliant literature'Nikesh Shukla'The ultimate introduction to post-colonial literature for those who want to understand the classics and the pioneers in this exciting area of books'Symeon BrownThese are the books you should read. This is the canon.Joan Anim-Addo, Deirdre Osborne and Kadija Sesay have curated a decolonized reading list that celebrates the wide and diverse experiences of people from around the world, of all backgrounds and all races. It disrupts the all-too-often white-dominated 'required reading' collections that have become the accepted norm and highlights powerful voices and cultural perspectives that demand a place on our shelves. From literary giants such as Toni Morrison and Chinua Achebe to less well known (but equally vital) writers such as Caribbean novelist Earl Lovelace or Indigenous Australian author Tony Birch, the novels recommended here are in turn haunting and lyrical; innovative and inspiring; edgy and poignant.The power of great fiction is that readers have the opportunity to discover new worlds and encounter other beliefs and opinions. This is the Canon offers a rich and multifaceted perspective on our past, present and future which deserves to be read by all bibliophiles - whether they are book club members or solitary readers, self-educators or teachers.

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