We are delighted to welcome 3 authors whose work touches on the legacy of the slave trade and Windrush generation.

Ahead of Black History month we are delighted to welcome three authors who's work touches on the legacy of the slave trade, the Windrush generation and of the tight-knit communities they all know so well in the UK.They will discuss their work and influences, and their experiences of the world of publishing as debut authors.

There will be a Q&A session and book signing.

Please contact the store if you have any access issues.

Phoebe McIntosh

Phoebe is a writer and actor.In 2018, she co-produced her solo show DOMINOES with Black Theatre Live and the Lighthouse Arts Centre Poole as an associate artist, playing at venues including Tara Theatre, Stratford Circus and the Assembly Rooms Edinburgh.Her debut novel Dominoes is a tender, smart and conversation-starting love story which explores questions of identity and the legacy of the slave trade in 21st century Britain.DominoesWhen Layla and Andy first meet, they can't believe they have the same surname. It feels like fate…What seemed like a fairy-tale romance is rapidly derailed as Layla begins to uncover parts of her history and identity that she had never imagined – or, perhaps, had simply learnt to ignore.And now, she faces an impossible choice.“A warm, sweet love story, and a thought-provoking examination of the British slave trade and its legacy”- MARIAN KEYES

Mel Pennant

Mel is an awardwinning playwright and she won the CWA Whodunnit Dagger for her debut novel, A murder for Miss Hortense.Her Jamaican grandparents moved to England in the 1950’s as part of the Windrush generation. Mel is drawn to stories that explore what’s hidden below the surface and celebrate the richness and strength of tightknit communities.Miss Hortense and the Last RitesNine nights to solve a murder... or she'll be next.When Bigglesweigh's notorious gangster, Cuttah, uses up the last of his nine lives, and is found dead, there is only one person who can solve the mystery of who killed him: indomitable retired nurse Miss Hortense.Cuttah left behind a list of suspects. Miss Hortense is ready to investigate, but there's just one problem: her name is on the list and, worse, she only has nine nights before his cronies seek retribution…“More than a cosy crime mystery . . . it's the story of a community” - Jennie Godfrey, author of The List of Suspicious Things

Lisa Smith

Is a british-jamaican author. Her short story Auld Lang Syne won the 4thWrite Prize in 2017 and in 2020/21 she was a London Library Emerging Writer.Her debut novel Jamaica Road is a transformative love story about two best friends who fall for each other, fall apart and try to find their way back together in their tight-knit community. A deftly plotted and emotionally expansive novel about race and class.Jamaica RoadSouth London, 1981: Daphne is the only Black girl in her class. All she wants is to keep her head down, preferably in a book. The easiest way to survive is to go unnoticed.Daphne's attempts at invisibility are upended when a boy named Connie Small arrives from Jamaica. Connie is the opposite of small in every way: lanky, outgoing, and unapologetically himself.“Jamaica Road exudes love . . . with a wisdom and warmth that jumps off the page.”- Vanessa Chan, author of The Storm We Made

Description supplied by the event organiser.