By Erin Stott What is the purpose of literature? Why do we read? How does a book come to be one that matters? In what contexts does it matter? And to whom? We will all, no doubt, have several answers to all of these questions. And of course all answers are true and welcome: we […]

By Molly Masters Man Booker prize shortlisted, critically acclaimed, and beautifully, startlingly written, Washington Black by Esi Eduygan was a clear choice for our Black History Month celebration here at Books That Matter. What was not clear, however, was how to get ahold of it. Only out in hardback until next April, this amazing novel […]

By Erin Stott To paraphrase Ebony Utley’s review of ‘Purple Hibiscus’: the power of this narrative is that we readers – through Kambili’s perspective and cognition – sense and feel the oppression that laces the novel, without ever naming it. Whilst young Kambili’s voice cannot fully articulate the effects of colonialism, strict catholicism or hypermasculinity […]

By Riziki Millanzi “’Imagine what the Standard would be if we were all quiet.’ It was a joke. Ade Coker was laughing; so was his wife, Yewande. But Papa did not laugh. Jaja and I turned and went back upstairs, silently.” There’s a well-known saying in the English language that says that ‘sometimes silence speaks […]

Talking about her first published book, Purple Hibiscus, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie describes how, “in a sense it’s kind of my first baby and it’s the first baby that I’ve sent out into the world, and when I wrote that book I didn’t think anybody would read it. I thought maybe four people would; three family […]

Put down your phone, and pick up this book. I cannot think of anything more important for you to do. I’m kick-starting my first proper blog post with something incredibly close to my heart: reading. Especially reading books about female empowerment, feminism and intersectionality (can I get a “hell yeah” from the back?). Chances are […]