© National Portrait Gallery, London. Images are supplied for one-time use only and must not be archived or stored on a database. As October draws to a close, so does Black History Month, which we have been pulling as much focus on as possible here at Books That Matter. It is always worth noting that this awareness month is more …

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 all read for our own …

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 was printed in paperback exclusively …