Selected

Reading

"My selection of books all centre around narratives that have been obscured and lived experiences that have been marginalised. My personal journey in publishing is one that has invited me to explore the realities of race and racism, examining my own experiences in broad contexts. To this end, I’ve found myself seeking out wider perspectives and deeper truths, often via books that interrogate the paradigm that we’ve all been born into. Exposing these truths is an act of dismantling, in the purest and most productive sense of the word.

Allow me to indulge into a quick vocabulary lesson to explain what I mean. The word ‘dismantle’ basically means ‘un-mantle’, and as a verb ‘mantle’ simply means to cloak, cover or conceal. So, dismantling becomes an act of uncovering, or discovery. That’s what each of the books I have chosen has offered to me: the discovery of truths that can illuminate in the face of ignorance. Grand words perhaps, but I’m confident that these books can do the same for any reader, across a broad range of lived experiences." Jeffrey Boakye

Jeffrey Boakye

I Heard What You Said

"My own book, I Heard What You Said, acts as point of reflection over my experiences of being a black teacher in a white system based around a selection of phrases, interactions, anecdotes and insights. My aim for this book was always to share my perspective and, through doing so, shed light upon the realities of race politics in British education. Along the way, there are genuine surprises and profound moments of learning, which surely has to be what school is all about." Jeffrey Boakye

Dipo Faloyin

Africa Is Not A Country

"In Africa Is Not a Country, Dipo Faloyin does the remarkable job of myth-busting stereotypes and misconceptions of modern Africa, both objectively and through the specifics of his own perspective. It’s exhilarating. I learned so much about countries I thought I knew, as well as details about histories I had only previously been introduced to. An essential read for anyone with any level of curiosity about how racism has shaped (and continues to shape) the world of today." Jeffrey Boakye

Nova Reid

The Good Ally

"In writing The Good Ally, Nova Reid offers all the generosity, wisdom and guidance of the best kind of coach. Her book is an entire course in anti-racism, asking the necessary questions while simultaneously providing all the support to further your anti-racism journey. She writes with deep knowledge and care, and the result is a book that seems to grow in line with the confidence it gives." Jeffrey Boakye