Tottenham Literature Festival 2023

Monday 13 – Sunday 19 November 2023

Join us at #TLF23 as we explore what it means to live as whole selves today.

I believed, and still do, that our bodies are our selves, that my soul is the voltage conducted through neurons and nerves, and that my spirit is my flesh.
Ta-Nehisi Coates

What does it mean to engage with our mind, body and spirit as one?
How can holistic perspectives on our lived experiences create new awareness?
Can embodied knowledge help us better understand what serves us?

Join us at TLF23, and a host of Black writers, poets and artists as we explore what it means to live as whole selves today.
Further events to be announced soon; sign up to our newsletter for programme updates and more.

EVENING TALKS: 16 & 17 NOVEMBER

Evening Talk: Showing Up for Love with Liv Little

Thursday 16 November | 19:00 – 20:30 | BGAC Theatre
Tickets from £5 (Pay What You Can)
How do our experiences impact our ability to show up to love and be loved?

Hear from the author, and founder of gal-dem, Liv Little, as she discusses love, friendship and the realities of modern life in her debut novel Rosewater. The story follows Elsie a Black queer poet, navigating love and loss while working long hours for minimum wage in South London. The event will include a performed extract from the novel.
Book your Tickets here.

Evening Talk: Love in the Black Imagination

Friday 17 November | 19:00 – 20:15 | BGAC Theatre
Tickets from £5 (Pay What You Can)
What part does fantasy and imagination play in the formation of our identities?

How do images and experiences of Black love and relationships shape our desires, as well as our ability to express and and receive love? Join as we discuss the realities of Black love through the relationships with our cultural imagination.
Book your Tickets here.

FESTIVAL DAY PROGRAMME: SATURDAY 18 NOVEMBER

Family Programme: Dr Ronx & More!

Saturday 18 November | 10:00 – 14:00
Tickets £5 (Pay What You Can)
Join us for family fun at #TLF23!

With an amazing lineup of Black authors and illustrators sharing the magic of stories. From readings and author talks to workshops and performances TLF23 brings diverse children’s stories in fun and engaging ways. Headlined by award-winning trans non-binary emergency doctor and CBBC’s Operation Ouch presenter and activist Dr Ronx. More to be announced soon.
Book your Family Festival Morning tickets here.

Main Programme: Gary Younge & More!

Saturday 18 | 13:30 – 19:00 | BGAC
Tickets from £5 (Pay What You Can)
Join us for holistic views of the Black experience.

We’ll share perspectives on how we navigate the world today with a host of incredible Black authors in events ranging from talks, performances, workshops, and our books market – there’s lots to choose from. Talks in the BGAC Theatre will be BSL interpreted. 
Book your Afternoon Festival tickets here.

TLF23 FILM PROGRAMME: MON 13 – FRI 17 NOVEMBER

“These are the untold stories that make up our nation.”
Steve McQueen

Join us at Bernie Grant Arts Centre as we screen a series of feature length and short films by Black British directors that tell the wide and varying experiences of Black people in Britain.

FEATURE FILM PROGRAMME

BGAC HUB

from £5 Pay What You Can

GONE TOO FAR (Cert 12) 88mins
7:00pm, Mon 13 November
Directed by Destiny Ekarargha, Gone Too Far! Is an utterly authentic slice of South London life and a fantastic, freewheeling urban comedy.

A MOVING IMAGE (Cert 15) 74mins
7:00pm, Tues 14 November
After a long absence, Nina returns home to Brixton, a rapidly gentrifying community in South London. She sets out to create the ultimate piece of art to explore her complex relationship with her community. In doing so she poses a tricky question – is she part of the problem or can she use her work to be part of the solution? Directed by Shola Amoo.

SECOND COMING (Cert 15) 105mins
7:00pm, Weds 15 November
Acclaimed playwright Tucker Green’s enigmatic tale plays both as an uncanny urban mystery and a meditation on motherhood, and is anchored by dreamlike naturalistic images and a highly nuanced central performance from Marshall.

BABYMOTHER (Cert 15) 77mins
7:00pm, Thurs 16 November
Babymother is a feminist triumph and widely considered the first Black British musical. Anjela Lauren Smith gives an outstanding performance as Neeta, a young mother who nurtures dreams of becoming a dancehall star with her two rude gyal friends. Directed by Julian Henriques.

BGAC THEATRE

from £5 Pay What You Can

LOVERS ROCK (Cert 15) 68mins
8:30pm, Fri 17 November
Lovers Rock tells a fictional story of young love at a blues party in 1980. The film is an ode to the romantic reggae genre called lovers rock, and to the black youth who found freedom and love in its sound at London house parties, at a time when they were unwelcome in white nightclubs. Directed by Steve McQueen.

Full film programme announced soon. 

TOTTENHAM BIG READ: DR RONX, AMAZING BODIES

As part of #TLF23, we are giving away free copies of AMAZING BODIES, by award-winning trans non-binary emergency doctor, CBBC’s Operation Ouch! presenter, and activist Dr Ronx. Children can pick up a copy of Dr Ronx’s AMAZING BODIES which will be available at BGAC during the festival week and in participating libraries.

Proudly delivered in partnership with The Reading Agency.

Tickets: From £5 Pay What You Can

Monday 13 – Sunday 19 November 2023

Tottenham Literature Festival 2023

Tottenham’s controversial Black Boy Lane to be renamed after black author and activist John La Rose

Tottenham’s controversially titled Black Boy Lane is to be renamed in honour of a late black writer and activist.

Haringey Council said the decision was made after residents raised concerns the road’s current name had racist connotations and was a source of hurt for black people.

It will be renamed after Haringey resident John La Rose – a black publisher, poet and essayist who was an influential figure in the struggle for social justice and recognition of authors and artists of colour.

Mr La Rose, who died in 2006 at the age of 78, played a key role in founding the UK’s first black bookshop New Beacon Books in Stroud Green, and later the Carribean Artists’ Movement.

A legal order issued on Thursday set the renaming process in motion after the council’s Corporate Committee voted to change the name of the street to La Rose Lane earlier this year. The name change will then happen officially on January 23.

Cllr Peray Ahmet, Leader of Haringey Council, said: “I’m delighted that we’re able to pay tribute to John La Rose with a new street name. John made such a huge contribution to Black life both here in Haringey and across the UK and played an important role in gaining recognition for Black authors and artists, as well as championing inclusive education.

“I understand that this is a decision which has generated passionate responses. Several rounds of consultation were held, and I know that the Corporate Committee took the full range of views into consideration when deciding to change the name of the road. It is time now to move forward with this.

“While every effort is being made to ensure the transition is as smooth as possible, we recognise the name change will cause some disruption for residents, so I’m pleased that we’re able to make a £300 voluntary payment to affected households. Our officers will be out and about in the area over the coming weeks providing practical support to residents who need it.

“I also want to be clear that this is just one small part of the work that we must do to ensure Haringey is a place where everyone feels welcome and included. I look forward to working with residents and communities on this important mission in the months and years to come.”

Mr La Rose’s grandson, Renaldo La Rose, said: “John’s family are really proud that John’s life and work is to be recognised by having a road named after him. John’s work was of national and international significance but much of it started here in Haringey.

“We hope that through having his name memorialised in this way we will bring the message of his work – the urgent need for race equality and justice – to a new audience.”

House numbers and postcodes will not be affected, and organisations including the Royal Mail will continue to recognise the old name of the street for a transitional period to minimise inconvenience for residents.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/tottenham-london-black-boy-lane-renamed-black-author-john-la-rose-b1045612.html

Save the Maa Maat Centre

SAVE THE MAA MAAT CENTRE!

London’s Leading Pan-African Bookshop and Community Space

By Pepukayi and Boukman Academy

The MAA MAAT Centre, located on Tottenham High Road in London, has been a staple of Britain’s pan-African community for decades. Home to some of the greatest and rarest Black studies literature, its walls have seen many brilliant scholars pay a visit to spread their knowledge, such as Julius Malema, Runoko Rashidi, Anthony Browder, Bayyinah Bello, Akala, Llaila Afrika, Queen Afua, and Robin Walker. However, it is in desperate need of your help.

Over the years, the building itself has begun to deteriorate. A lack of support has meant that hiring people to look after the building and the products has proved difficult. Pepukayi, the founder of the Maa Maat Centre, has done everything he can to prevent the closure of this great community space. He has put in thousands of his own money over decades to ensure that the knowledge remains accessible for everyone. Now, the MAA MAAT Centre is calling upon the community to help keep its doors open.

Where Your Money Will Go

The task at hand is simple but extensive. As a result of many circumstances, with the recent pandemic being a major factor, the Centre has lost a lot of income. Additionally, the worsening condition of the building has made it difficult for one of the few remaining Black radical spaces in the country to remain open. As such, we now need £70,000 to cover the complete renovation of the Centre in order to ensure it remains a hub of Black intellectual thought.

The £70,000 provided by you will go towards refurbishing the entire interior of the building including:

• Complete renovation of the bookshop
• Clearing and restoring the basement for storage of stock
• Creating two new events spaces for talks, lectures, workshops, book signings and more
• Restoration of the conference room

Once the £70,000 has been raised, an innovative Black radical community space will be available for everyone to attend. Children of all ages will be able to take part in workshops held by multiple education organisations. Adults will be able to hear contemporary pan-African scholars teach. Organisations will be able to use the space as a hub for various tasks.

About Pepukayi

For over 50 years, Baba Pepukayi has been instrumental in the growth of the Black Consciousness Movement in Britain, providing not just books but many spaces for various members of the community to listen, learn and study. Embodying the ethos of “each one teach one”, Pepukayi has dedicated a great amount of his life to the pan-African cause. Far from being merely a provider of books, he has also been heavily involved with many social justice movements and organisations, helping to fight institutional racism in Britain. Now at 71, Pepukayi deserves to past the baton to the next generation. It is up to the rest of us to come together and provide the funds to renovate the Centre.

What You Will Receive as a Donor

All donations, no matter how small, will go towards the building works mentioned above. However, as Pepukayi has made it his mission to spread knowledge, those that donate the following set amounts will have the opportunity to receive a particular book of their choice – some of which aren’t available anywhere else in the U.K! Below is the list of donor amounts and corresponding literature (brackets indicate RRP).

£10: Allows you to choose one of the following children’s books

• Malcolm X for Children by Arnold Adoff (£4.99)
• Knowing About Marcus Mosiah Garvey and the UNIA by Nyela, Sankofa and Afruika (£4.99)
• Who is Nelson Mandela? by Adrian Hadland) (£4.50)
• Kung Fu Trip by Benjamin Zephaniah (£4.99)
• Akimbo and the Lions by Alexander McCall Smith (£3.99)
• Boyz to Men by Yinka Adebayo (£4.99)
• Pig Heart Boy by Malorie Blackman (£3.99)
• Journey to Jo’Burg by Beverley Naidoo (£4.99)
• Tickle Tickle by Dakari Hru and Ken Wilson-Max (£4.99)
• Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number by Yinka Ayo (£3.99)

£20: Allows you to choose one of the following books

• Singin’ & Swingin’ & Gettin’ Merry Like Christmas by Maya Angelou (£7.99)
• Taking the Arrow Out of the Heart by Alice Walker (£8.99)
• The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin (£11.99)
• Sula by Toni Morrison (£10.99)
• Cooking the Caribbean Way by Cheryl Davidson Kaufman (£11.99)
• A Song Flung Up to Heaven by Maya Angelou (£6.99)
• Someone Knows My Name aka The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill (£12.99)
• So Much Things to Say: the Biography of Bob Marley by Don Taylor (£14.99)
• Anatomy of Female Power by Chinweizu (£13.99)
• Demystifying Cancer by Devon S J Morgan (£10)
• Songs of Enchantment by Ben Okri (£9.99)
• Sweet Sweetback’s Badassssss Song by Melvin Van Peebles (£11.99)
• My Life in the Bush of Ghosts by Amos Tutuola (£6.99)
• Midnight Robber by Nalo Hopkins (£11.99)
• Africa in History by Basil Davidson (£12.99)

£50: Allows you to choose one of the following books

• Seize the Time by Bobby Seale (£16.99)
• Garvey and Garveyism by Amy Jacques Garvey (£22.99)
• Malcolm X Speeches at Harvard (£16.99)
• Black on Black Violence by Amos Wilson (£18.99)
• The Falsification of Afrikan Consciousness by Amos Wilson (£14.99)
• African Holistic Health by Llaila O. Afrika (£17.99)
• Overcoming an Angry Vagina by Queen Afua (£17.99)
• Tapping the Power Within Hardback by Iyanla Vanzant (£17.99)
• Visions of a Liberated Future: Black Arts Movement Writing by Larry Neal w/ Amiri Baraka and others (£24.99)
• Up From Slavery Hardback by Booker T. Washington (£22.99)
• In the Spirit: the Inspirational Writings of Susan L. Taylor of Essence Magazine (£24.99)
• The Power of Black Music by Samuel A. Floyd, jr. (£24.99)
• Race, Religion, and the Continuing American Dilemma by C. Eric Lincoln (£15.99)
• Man Sharing: Dilemma or Choice by Audrey B. Chapman (£21.99) (£47 on Amazon)
• Food and Identity in the Caribbean by Hanna Garth (£24.99)
• Stroud’s Slave Laws (US Slave History) by George M. Stroud (£16.99)
• Why, Lord? By Anthony B. Pinn (£24.99)
• Black Foremothers by Dorothy Sterling (£14.99)
• Soul: Black Power, Politics and Pleasure (£24.99)

£100: Allows you to choose one of the following books

• The West and the Rest of Us by Chinweizu (£39.99) (£164 on Amazon)
• Decolonising the African Mind by Chinweizu (£34.99) (£92 on Amazon)
• Of Water and the Spirit Hardback by Malidoma Patrice Somé (£45.99)
• African Origins of Major Western Religions by Yosef Ben-Jochannan (£26.99)
• Revolution of Conscience by Greg Moses (£27.99) (£184 on Amazon)
• Egyptian Book of the Dead Hardback and Illustrated, translated by E. A. Wallis Budge (£34.99)
• Company of Prophets by Joyce Elaine Noll (£34.99) (£155 on Amazon)
• Black Man Emerging by Joseph L. White and James H. Cones III (£34.99)

In order to receive a copy of the book of your choice, please make your donation, then contact us via GoFundMe with your details and choice accompanied with the shipping address.

What Else You Can Do

As the MAA MAAT Centre is a community space that houses a bookshop, the easiest way to help in the renovating process is by simply buying books. These can be for yourself or family/friends, or as a donation to other organisations or schools at home and abroad.

Additionally, if you have a specific skill and would like to provide your services to the renovation of the building, please do not hesitate to contact us via GoFundMe.

If you would like to volunteer with any sort of help, just let us know via GoFundMe and we can arrange it.

Future Plans

As well as having a completely refurbished bookshop and community space, there are many other prospective plans for the near future. These include:

• The development of a pan-African library system where Black radical literature can be accessed by all for a minuscule price.
• The development of a pan-African library in Liberia, one of the first on the continent. Books will be provided and shipped by the Centre, which will contribute to establishing a free learning centre in West Africa. If you would like your donation/purchase of a book to go towards the library in Liberia, let us know via GoFundMe with your receipt and book choice attached
• Bi-monthly teaching sessions hosted by Boukman Academy for all age ranges and levels of experience.
• A range of community activities such as workshops and classes provided by the Centre
• A space for hire that the community can use for a number of activities

Thank you for your support. We close with the words of the great warrior Assata Shakur; “We must love and support each other. We have nothing to lose but our chains!”

Pepukayi, founder of the MAA MAAT Centre

Tyrone Smith, founder of Boukman Academy

Boukman Academy is the only free pan-African online school, providing a complete curriculum of Black history, political science, liberation philosophy, psychology, sociology and culture. You can find out more about us on our website: www.boukmanacademy.com. You can also find us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Patreon.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/save-the-maa-maat-centre?qid=b5706e70d2951c62c5d930aa52145956

Six-year-old with alopecia writes children’s book to help other kids with the condition

A six-year-old girl has written her debut book about her journey with alopecia.

Little Deléna Thompson was just four when she started losing her hair and was diagnosed with the condition. It was a tough thing to come to terms with, but now she wants to share her story to help other children.

I Am Not My Hair is a heartwarming illustrated book that tells Deléna’s story, and is dedicated to all children who have ever felt different.

‘Even though I don’t have any hair, I am still me,’ reads the book.

Deléna was supported in writing the book by her mum Telena Longmore, a business woman who runs a nursery, and she and Deléna’s father Delvin Thompson, from Haringey, north London, are ‘extremely proud’ of their little girl.

‘We are proud of Deléna being able to talk and write about her experiences from her own perspective,’ they say. ‘Deléna is an inspiration to us all. She is an incredibly talented, determined and kind young girl. We often have to remind ourselves that she is only six years old.’

Deléna was diagnosed with alopecia in 2019, after her mum found a coin-sized patch with no hair on her scalp. As the hair loss got worse, Deléna was sent to a specialist who told her that soon her hair would all be gone, and it may never grow back.

This made her ‘very sad’, and she worried how her friends at school would react.

When the bald patches became impossible to style or cover up, Deléna’s mum suggested that they shave it all off. She even shaved her own head first so her daughter wouldn’t feel so alone.

Going back to school with no hair was scary for Deléna, and the other children stared at her at first. But with support from her parents and teachers, she was able to follow her mantra: ‘I am brave, I am smart, I am beautiful’ – which helped her to feel confident and happy.

I wanted to write a book so I could share what it was like lose my hair,’ Deléna tells Metro.co.uk.

‘I feel OK about having alopecia because I’ve learnt about why I have it and I know that having alopecia can not stop me. 

‘I want people to be aware of alopecia and I want people to stop bullying people who have this condition, or look different. I want anyone who feels or looks different to know that they are not alone. They are loved and they will always have a friend in me.’ 

The book is to be published by BlakJac Media, a company founded by former deputy headteacher Juliet Coley after surviving cancer. It’s the only publishing house in Europe that specialises in publishing books written by Black children.

Juliet was inspired to ask Deléna to write a book after meeting her. She explains: ‘There are so many books out there about young Black girls embracing their beautiful and natural hair and after learning of Deléna’s hair journey I was impressed by the courage and strength she exhibited having none and thought her story would make a great book. 

‘I’ve experienced hair loss myself. When I underwent chemotherapy for colon cancer I found the experience traumatic, so when I met Deléna, and heard about the positive way she dealt with it, I had nothing but admiration for her.’

Mum Telena adds: ‘When Deléna first saw her book, she was in shock.  

‘She signed some copies for her aunts, and afterwards she came and sat in my lap, and whispered in my ear, “Mummy I’m so proud of myself.”

‘Deléna hopes through reading I Am Not My Hair, people will have a greater understanding of how people with alopecia feel, especially children and have greater compassion for those who are different.

‘Deléna is the eldest of three children and is described as an inspiration to those who meet her.’

I Am Not My Hair by Deléna Thompson, supported by Telena Longmore and illustrated by Malika-Zaynah Grant, is out on November 1, but you can pre-order your copy online.

Six-year-old with alopecia writes children’s book to help other kids with the condition