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Tenelle Ottley-Matthew

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Book Review: Who They Was by Gabriel Krauze

#BlackLivesMatter

Please check out my Linktree, which contains Black Lives Matter resources and a selection funds you can donate to that are by and for black people.

Read my Medium essay on representation in children’s & YA literature

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Being so busy these past few weeks has stalled my

Being so busy these past few weeks has stalled my reading a bit, but I'm getting back into my flow again. Here are three books I’ve loved this month.
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(* = gifted)
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📖Punching The Air by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam*
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An outstanding verse novel in which a black, Muslim art student and poet, named Amal, is wrongly convicted of a crime. Beautifully written with lyrical prose that brings Amal to life–I didn’t want it to end. The book’s themes include racism, class, injustice and mass incarceration, and it shows the power of creativity and hope even in the most awful circumstances. Perfect for fans of Angie Thomas and Elizabeth Acevedo.
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Thank you @tinamories for my copy 💜
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📖Terraformed by Joy White
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White tells the story of East London borough Newham and examines of how racism, gentrification and structural inequalities affect young black people living in the area and beyond. Terraformed is an insightful, emotional and engaging read that taught me a lot about Newham. The chapters discussing Newham’s contribution to grime music and losing her nephew to knife crime were especially powerful. I can't wait to read more from White. Thank you @survivingsocietypod for my copy!
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[Terraformed is on sale (50% off) over at repeaterbooks.com until 22 September]
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📖Overcoming Everyday Racism by Susan Cousins
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A somewhat urgent read for me, with all the racial trauma my community have been subjected to throughout 2020. This practical, accessible guide explores the psychological effects of racism on BAME people. I’m reading this in small doses and the advice, case studies and exercises inside are so helpful. A must-read for all but especially non-white people wanting to improve wellbeing, resilience and thrive in a white, racist society.
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Have you read any of these? If so, what did you think?

BOOK REVIEW: Who They Was by Gabriel Krauze [gifte

BOOK REVIEW: Who They Was by Gabriel Krauze [gifted]
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This Booker Prize-longlisted autobiographical novel follows a young man named Gabriel–or Snoopz to his friends–as he enters the brutal world of gang life in London. Gabriel, whose parents are Polish, grew up in South Kilburn and chose to go down this path as a teenager.
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This novel lacks plot and structure. Gabriel gives us a window into this harsh and violent world in which guns, drugs, robberies, stabbings are the everyday norm. The novel opens as Snoopz and his boys are about to rob a woman outside her home. We see Gabriel deal drugs, fight, rob (one afternoon, he and a friend pocket £30k cash after breaking into a house), go to prison, chase girls and complete his English Literature degree all at once. It started brilliantly and had me hooked. My enjoyment spiked and fell throughout, I was engrossed in some chapters and others were just OK. Krauze has a distinctive voice and his writing sometimes felt lyrical. I like that the novel is written almost entirely in London slang. Readers less familiar with this dialect may need to get used to the writing.
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The novel's main focus is Gabriel’s entanglement with gang life but it also touches on family, loyalty, friendship, love and betrayal. I thought it humanised characters for the most part. Krauze explains some of the characteristics of this life, including why violence and aggression are encouraged, why reputation is everything and why there is no room for vulnerability.
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This book made me gasp. I couldn’t believe how quickly violence escalated in many situations and the lack of remorse shown. The treatment of women in the book also made it a difficult read. Toxic masculinity and the use and abuse of women are disturbingly commonplace in the gang world.
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(continued in the comments)

Do you collect play texts? 🎭📚
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In recent years, I’ve made a conscious effort to pick up an accompanying play text when I go to see a play. Play texts for me are like a souvenir from a theatre visit, and a way to experience a production again once it begins to fade from my memory.
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I wasn’t able to see The Convert during its last run at the Young Vic but I LOVED Danai Gurira in Black Panther so I bought the text as soon as I found out she wrote the play. Obviously it’s not possible for me to every show that I want to see, which is another reason I love play texts. As far as I’m concerned, they count as reading. Next I want to read the work of prolific British playwrights like Winsome Pinnock and debbie tucker green.
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Some plays I’ve seen and loved recently include:
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💫 Black Lives, Black Words (2017, Bush Theatre - pictured)
💫 ear for eye (2018, Royal Court - pictured)
💫 Nine Night (2018, National Theatre)
💫 Black Men Walking (2018, Royal Court)
💫 Barbershop Chronicles (2019, Roundhouse)
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*ear for eye by debbie tucker green is available to read for free on the @royalcourttheatre website until 3 September. It’s a bold and brilliant exploration of race, protest and injustice in the US and UK - very timely and I highly recommend reading it if you haven’t seen it IRL!
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👉🏾 royalcourttheatre.com/earforeyeplaytext
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Have you seen any of these plays? Do you enjoy reading play texts or have a favourite playwright?

Black girls on book covers, we love to see it 🥰

Black girls on book covers, we love to see it 🥰
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It's a bit wild to me that, for a long time, publishers avoided putting black people on the covers of books because it was deemed too “risky” and believed that they don’t sell.
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I love YA literature. Seeing so many children’s & YA book covers adorned with beautiful black girls and women makes me so happy. It would be great, however, to see more inclusive YA lit being published in the UK because I think we lag behind the US in that respect.
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Last year, I wrote a personal essay about the books I was obsessed with as a kid, seeing myself in literature and representation within UK YA books. When researching this piece, it became clear to me that black girls tend to read more than other demographics and yet, for so long we haven’t been able to see ourselves in the books we read. I’m glad to see that this is finally changing.
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TAP the link in my bio to read the essay. It’s one of my favourite pieces I’ve ever written and I’d love to hear your thoughts!
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What are your favourite book covers that feature black girls/women?

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