Black and British: an illustrated history for young readers

“Olusoga’s celebrated title is now available in a beautiful and absorbing illustrated format that invites readers from seven and up to pore over its pages. Maps and portrait galleries effortlessly convey how Black and British history have been woven together since the Roman invasion.” * The Guardian *
“it truly sings in picture book form with the history made even more vivid via a trove of old paintings, maps and photographs combined with bold artwork by Melleny Taylor and Jake Alexander.” * Imogen Carter, Observer *
Olusoga tells the fascinating – and often heartbreaking - story of Black people in Britain’s history clearly, and with a focus on the real humans involved. Much of the book will doubtless also be an education for many parents, who will also not have been taught Black History while they were at school, as well as their children. This is a truly brilliant and well-realised book, and a must read for all. Illustrated with brilliant art by Melleny Taylor and Jake Alexander. * BookTrust *

David Olusoga

David Olusoga is a British-Nigerian historian, broadcaster, and BAFTA award-winning presenter and filmmaker. He is Professor of Public History at the University of Manchester and a regular contributor to the Guardian, Observer, New Statesman, and BBC History Magazine. His books include Black and British, which won the PEN Hessell-Tiltman Prize and the Longman-History Today Trustees Award, The Kaiser’s Holocaust, and The World’s War. He is also the author of Black and British: A Short Essential History, which was shortlisted for the Waterstones Prize. He was also a contributor to The Oxford Companion to Black British History. In 2019, he was awarded an OBE for services to history and community integration.

Jake Alexander

Jake Alexander is an illustrator from the South of England. In 2019, he won both the Macmillan Prize and the Creative Conscience Gold Medal with an early version of We Want Our Books. He often makes work based on popular culture and current events, having created a Star Wars-themed zine and portraits of public figures such as Taika Waititi and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Melleny Taylor

Melleny Taylor was a secondary school Art & Design teacher before becoming an illustrator. She enjoys working with a variety of materials, using a range of mixed media from pencil crayons to inks, from watercolours to sticks from the garden! In recent times, she has moved into the digital world.

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