On Sunday night, I went to see author Taiye Selasi read from and talk about her new novel, Ghana Must Go. She was ace – witty and warm. Also she’s a stone fox, with the deep brown complexion and cheekbones of a goddess. I got to ask a question (yeah!), and she smiled at me [...]
Two times last week – in this, the coldest March in 50 years, apparently – I put on an iro and buba. Both times, as I tied the wrapper securely about my waist, it occurred to me that London, England, is no kind of place for an iro and buba. And when I struggled to fit [...]
A few weeks back, following several days and sleepless nights of terrible illness (a head cold that felt like a troop of ill-tempered monkeys – led by a stompy soldier – had taken up residence in my body), I wrapped up in three layers, biker boots and a headwrap to go attend a film screening [...]
I live in a small and perfectly formed flat in east London. Yes, I know: a writer who lives in Hackney. In my defence, I do not own a cat (or a sausage dog), I have never left the house with a ‘hipster topknot’, I cannot ride a bike nor do I own one, and [...]
The scene: 10:30pm, Brixton Station, a couple of weekends ago, waiting for the 133 bus.
I think every black British person on my Twitter timeline had seen the video of the woman who launched into a racist tirade on a tram somewhere in London before noon on Monday morning (watch it here if you fancy topping up your daily dose of rage, avoid if not – it’s pretty vile). A [...]
Hey, y’all. Last week, at a literary night called ‘Letters You Never Sent’, I read out a letter to a roomful of strangers (and a few friends). It was the first time I’ve ever read any of my fiction in public, to a paying audience (eek!) and I enjoyed it very much – thank God [...]
I’m currently in a job which gives me Fridays off. I’m so grateful for it – as well as having a designated day of non-work writing, it allows me to have a lie-in on a weekday (woo!), and I get to do the necessary-but-boring stuff like paying bills and returning library books.
In the course of my job, I have been invited to speak on radio programmes, about subjects that I have some knowledge of. I’ll be honest, it’s always thrilling – “Me? Really? YOU REALLY LIKE ME!” – and appeals to the inner social retard Hollywood has convinced me exists deep inside. Anyway, after one such [...]
I recorded a (very) short piece about the London riots – specifically Hackney – over the weekend. It’s available to listen on the iPlayer until the very precise time of 10:02 on Sunday, 21 August. My ego thanks you.
We’ve all been glued to the internet and our TV screens for the last few days, watching as London seemingly imploded. So many voices have piped up with opinions (like areseholes, we’ve all got one) and they range from the ‘WTF?’ (see Max Hastings in Daily Mail – highlights include references to polar bears, wild [...]
Yeah, that totally happened. Last Wednesday, I was sitting at a bus stop in east London, waiting for my sister to come get me so I could help with her house move (we were due to to clean the flat’s carpets, cos we’re just this side of OCD). So there I was, late afternoon August [...]
It really is this simple: I cannot imagine my life as it is today without libraries. I joined my first library at the age of 4 – when we were doing a massive clearout some time in 2001, we discovered an unreturned library book (sorry!) from 1987. Civic irresponsibility aside, it was one of my [...]
Morning, all. Last Sunday I was invited into the hallowed halls of Radio 4, to do the newspaper review on Broadcasting House. I was so excited, a little wee may’ve come out. Ahem. I had a lovely time, the other guests – former head of the Arts Council, Sir Christopher Frayling and hynotist and author [...]
Last Monday night, I left my parents’ house in quite a bit of pain – the left side of my back was in agony – shooting pains that got worse every time I attempted a deep breath. My dad insisted he follow me to the hospital, but I convinced him – finally, at the bus [...]
