A community-led organisation hosted its first ever “all-rounder” book event at Islington Central Library on 28 October, marking Black History Month with a celebration of African and Caribbean storytelling.
Go Africa, founded by Anna Njie, aims to bring communities together to foster greater representation of African and Caribbean stories and experiences through cultural events such as art workshops and musical showcases.
Njie said that the main goal of Go Africa is to “mobilise African and Caribbean people through the arts and literature” as she believes that the arts can play an important role in challenging racism and encouraging greater understanding between people from “all walks of life”.
The event featured a range of stalls spotlighting the books and products of seven authors, including Rene Bissohong, a former BBC journalist and author of the book series, The Nubian Princesses.
Bissohong said that she “always had the longing to do something different and meaningful”. Following an upsetting conversation with her friend’s four-year-old daughter who expressed unhappiness in her identity as a young mixed-race girl, she realised the importance of helping children embrace their heritage. Bissohong remarked, “there was nothing more fulfilling and satisfying than that”.
For Njie, community engagement has always been central to her work. Reflecting on the importance of Islington Central Library, she described the institution as having been her “bedrock”, highlighting the role local spaces play in supporting her initiatives.
Go Africa’s wider network tends to incorporate music, theatre and food, providing opportunities to promote African cultural heritage and push learning through different forms of creative expression. The inaugural campaign represents another step towards Go Africa’s ambition of making African and Caribbean culture more visible and accessible.
Ibtisam Abdullahi is an MA Journalism student at City, St George's University of London. She has worked on Redbrick (University of Birmingham), runs her own blog on Substack and freelances for football page, FromTheSpot.