By Nadia Shah, Yumna Iqbal and Michelle Ye
October marks Black History Month in the UK, a vital opportunity to celebrate and reflect on the contributions of Black individuals to our culture and history. This issue, we bring you the debut authors making their mark in 2024. These emerging voices bring fresh perspectives and narratives that enrich the literary landscape. In this article, we will explore the works of several debut Black authors, highlighting their unique experiences and the significance of their stories in contemporary literature.
The House of Broken Bricks by Fiona Williams
The House of Broken Bricks by Fiona Williams, published on 18 January 2024 by Faber & Faber in the UK and Macmillan in the US, is a literary novel that explores the intricacies of family life, love and loss. The narrative follows Tess, a London-born daughter of Jamaican parents, who yearns for the comforting chaos of her former life. Living in a small Somerset village with her white husband, Richard, and their twin boys, Sonny and Max, Tess grapples with the challenges of adapting to her new environment, particularly as the only person of colour in the community.
The story is structured into four parts, each representing a season, which reflects the emotional journey of the family. Williams employs a unique narrative style, with Richard’s perspective presented in the third person, while Tess and the boys share their experiences in the first person. This approach allows for a deep connection with each character, highlighting their struggles and triumphs.
The themes of race, acceptance, healing and family dynamics are central to the narrative, providing an exploration of the complexities of interracial marriage. The writing is lyrical and evocative, capturing the landscapes of the countryside while grounding the characters' experiences in relatable emotions.
For anyone on the lookout for a story that dives into the heart of family dynamics while also tackling important social themes, The House of Broken Bricks is sure to leave a lasting impression.
The Poisons We Drink by Bethany Baptiste
The Poisons We Drink by Bethany Baptiste, published on 5 March 2024 by Sourcebooks, is a fantasy novel intertwining themes of magic, love, loss and revenge, set in a world that’s divided between humans and witchers.
It follows protagonist Venus Stoneheart, a witcher who illegally brews love potions to support herself and her family. Brewing is a dangerous task with painful side effects and getting caught means a prison sentence or, worse, death. However, Venus has another problem: the magic inside of her is growing.
After a sudden attack that kills her mother, Venus is hellbent on revenge. And when the head of her coven, the Grand Witcher, approaches her with the opportunity to punish the one who killed her mother, she has no choice but to do it. Yet all things come at a cost, and hers is to brew potions to control the most powerful politicians in D.C. Dealing with all this chaos on the outside, as well as that brewing inside of her, Venus does not know who to trust, herself included.
A formidable, emotional fantasy with themes of power and revenge, this book is a sure page-turner.
For Such a Time as This by Shani Akilah
Shani Akilah’s debut short story anthology was first published on 20 June 2024 and has garnered rave reviews. As a Black British Caribbean writer and screenwriter based in South London with a master’s degree in African Studies from the University of Oxford, Akilah is no stranger to the creative space or to the unique experiences of Black British Londoners. She further connects with her community as the co-founder of the Nyah Network, a book club for Black women, and has honed her literary discernment as a judge for the Nota Bene Prize 2023.
For Such a Time as This is a collection of interconnected short stories that act as windows into the lives of Black British Londoners in the aftermath of the pandemic. For Gabby and Daniel, it is a time of unexpected meetings and potential. While David is hoping to claw his way out of depression with his first visit to Ghana in years, Sharna is on a journey of her own, travelling to Jamaica where a secret will transform her understanding of family. And for Niah, strengthened by the BLM (Black Lives Matter) movement, it is a time for confrontation as she speaks out against racism shrouded by performative diversity and inclusion. Through these characters, and more, Akilah’s work highlights pertinent topics within the Black community, including sickle cell disease, mental and reproductive health and social pressures, while still celebrating the joy that permeates throughout each character’s life.
For those searching for a short and touching narrative that features depth of character and difficult discussions, For Such a Time as This is unmissable.