About Books: Six British Non-Fiction Books on Race To Read This Year

The past few weeks have enlightened many of us living in Wales about the lack of education we have received on British racism. Many of us are now looking to educate ourselves on how to become better allies in the battle for equality. According to a survey by the Reading Agency, over thirty percent of people in the UK are reading more during lockdown, which means there are more of us looking for new books to read. Reading gives us the ability to listen to the voices of British people who have faced racism and learn how to do our part in the Black Lives Matter movement.

The publishing industry is hugely prejudiced against BAME authors, as proven by the social media campaign ‘#PublishingPaidMe’, which makes it even more important to seek out underrepresented voices and support them. This week, Bernardine Evaristo and Reni Eddo-Lodge made history by becoming the first Black British women to top the paperback fiction and non-fiction charts, respectively. Many expressed their outrage online that this feat was only now being achieved in 2020. Eddo-Lodge has been vocal about her anger at the injustices that Black authors face in the publishing industry, and the dismay that these achievements have been reached due to the ‘tragic’ event of George Floyd’s death.

With this in mind, we must continue buying, borrowing, and reviewing books by BAME authors as it is evident that readers have the power to swerve the bestseller charts and make their stand.

‘Why I’m No Longer Talking To White People About Race’ by Renni-Eddo Lodge

This is a fantastic starting point for British white people to begin their education on the history of UK racism. It covers topics from the UK’s history of slavery, to answering questions about white privilege and media representation, to intersectional feminism and the class divide.

‘The Good Immigrant’ by Nikesh Shukla

A collection of 21 essays by BAME voices across Britain exploring otherness, racial inequality, and the immigrant experience. Uncovering the British immigrant experience, Shukla’s curated book is full of laughs and heartache, sure to entertain and educate any reader.

‘Natives: Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire’ by Akala

A political memoir, British rapper Akala discusses his realisations of race and class divisions. He recalls his upbringing as a ‘Black boy born from a white womb’, including the injustices within the police and whitewashed education system, media representation and more.

‘Me and White Supremacy’ by Layla F Saad

For readers who want a book with a more practical approach, Me and White Supremacy teaches readers how to dismantle the privileges they internalise and (often subconsciously) inflict on people of colour, and help other white people do better, too.

‘Brit(ish)’ by Afua Hirsch

Brit(ish) is a personal, but simultaneously universal, investigation into her crisis of identity. Addressing the age-old offensive question, Where are you really from?, Hirsch discusses the everyday racism that plagues British society and why ‘colour-blindness’ causes more problems than it solves.

‘It’s Not About the Burqa: Muslim Women on Faith, Feminism, Sexuality and Race’ by Mariam Khan

A collection of essays from seventeen Muslim women, speaking about the Hijab, wavering faith, love and divorce, feminism, queer identity, sex and the battle between their community and their racist country. Exploring what it means to be a Muslim woman in the West today, from the women who know the truth.