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Tenelle Ottley-Matthew

Arts and culture writer. Book reviewer.

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6 UK Publishers Prioritising Inclusion and Diversity
Book Review: Sensuous Knowledge: A Black Feminist Approach for Everyone by Minna Salami
Book Review: A Kick in the Belly by Stella Dadzie
Book Review: Rainbow Milk by Paul Mendez

#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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I like to experiment with my hair, and one of my l

I like to experiment with my hair, and one of my least favourite things about lockdown is not being able to visit the salon. However, I've played around with new styles this year and LOVE how big my fro is getting.
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Two great books I’ve read in 2020 are Good Hair by Charlotte Mensah and Don’t Touch My Hair by Emma Dabiri. They both compliment each other well. Good Hair discusses the history of afro hair and styling/treatments in a similar vein to DTMH, but with the addition of expert advice and step-by-step instructions on how to achieve a range of styles.
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I picked up Good Hair mainly for Mensah’s story rather than the haircare advice (although I really appreciate this element). The British-Ghanaian hairstylist became the first black woman to be inducted into the British Hairdressing Hall of Fame in 2018 and has probably worked her magic on (at least) one of your favourite celebs.
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Both books explore why hair remains a source of contention, and even trauma, for black people as well as the more spiritual aspects and cultural history behind it.
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We are constantly reminded that black hair is never just hair. I often wish that it was but unfortunately that isn’t the world we live in. The policing of black hair remains a huge problem in 2020. For instance, black women and children are still being penalised for wearing natural hairstyles at school and work. The way our hair grows naturally out of our scalps is deemed controversial or a problem. It seems that black women’s hair is *always* up for debate even when we never ask for anyone’s opinion.
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I better stop there because I could talk about this topic for ages. With afro hair so commonly misunderstood and treated with disdain, I'm glad these books exist.

🐧 New Penguin Classics ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

🐧 New Penguin Classics
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Penguin recently published 20 new books in their bestselling Great Ideas series after a 10-year hiatus. I wanted to buy most of them at first but refrained and settled on four.
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I bought Ain't I A Woman? by Sojourner Truth and When I Dare to be Powerful by Audre Lorde because the titles stood out to me. A book I absolutely love, Ain’t I A Woman? Black Women and Feminism by bell hooks, is titled after Sojourner Truth's 'Ain't I A Woman?' speech so I'm looking forward to reading Truth’s other speeches in this collection.
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When I Dare to be Powerful is described as a celebration of female strength and solidarity, and a cry to speak out against those who seek to silence anyone they see as 'other'.
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The other two books I picked up were The Power of Words by Simone Weil and The Freedom to be Free by Hannah Arendt. I love the range of titles in this new series as well as the cover designs. Some of the others I have my eye on are:
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- Steps Towards a Small Theory of the Visible by John Berger
- The Decay of Lying by Oscar Wilde
- Being Happy by Epicurus
- What Is Existentialism? by Simone de Beauvoir
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Have you read any books in the new Great Ideas series, or plan to?

F*ck Being Humble: Why self-promotion isn't a dirt

F*ck Being Humble: Why self-promotion isn't a dirty word by Stefanie Sword-Williams
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In February, I attended a F*ck Being Humble event in London and was in awe of Stefanie and the platform she’s created to help people unapologetically shout about their accomplishments.
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F*ck Being Humble is a practical and straight-talking guide to self-promoting with integrity and authenticity. It shows you how to figure out what you truly want in your career, articulate your values, craft an impressive online presence, network effectively and ask for more money, among other things.
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Stefanie’s voice is friendly, conversational and authoritative in a way that commands your full attention. She explores the negative connotations of self-promotion and the reluctance around it. I appreciated her acknowledgement of how inequalities and societal/cultural barriers create challenges around self-promotion for some people. Besides sharing her own story, the author interviews several rising stars from different fields. I enjoyed these insights as they emphasised the points made in the book.
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F*ck Being Humble is a brilliant book to keep on your desk or bedside table. Regardless of your gender, age or occupation, this indispensable guide equips you with the tools to get noticed and get ahead in your career. I highly recommend this to anyone needing advice on how to put themselves out there and big themselves up. It’s also perfect for graduates, job seekers and career changers.
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With the book's message in mind, feel free to share an achievement you’re proud of or something you love about yourself below. It doesn’t have to be career-related 🧡

A Kick in the Belly: Women, Slavery & Resistance b

A Kick in the Belly: Women, Slavery & Resistance by Stella Dadzie
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A Kick in the Belly explores the “forgotten history of women slaves and their struggle for liberation.” It highlights the numerous ways enslaved women in the West Indies rebelled and resisted subordination during the transatlantic slave trade.
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The book dispels common misconceptions about enslaved women’s experiences, including the idea that women had an easier time on the plantations. Dadzie makes it clear that this was not the case. African women were punished just as cruelly as the men and expected to perform back-breaking tasks in poor conditions while carrying the extra burden of reproductive labour too.
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I'm fascinated by the idea of maternity as resistance and Dadzie’s chapter on reproduction is brilliant. She thoughtfully discusses how the daily realities of enslavement would have impacted women’s gynaecological health. She also reveals how, despite being expected and forced to constantly breed, women exercised bodily autonomy by carefully controlling their fertility and went to great lengths to avoid the enslavement of their own children.
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I love how accessible Dadzie’s writing is and found myself flying through this often harrowing book. My mind kept returning to the “strong black woman” stereotype and how it impacted the treatment of enslaved women–a stereotype often used to justify the exploitation and dehumanisation of black women today.
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A Kick in the Belly shows that for enslaved women, resistance took many forms. Their race and gender shaped their unique experiences of oppression and they fought for freedom and preserved their cultures in remarkable ways. This excellent book is a much-needed addition to discussions around black history. I can’t recommend it highly enough.
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Read my full review via the link in bio.
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Copy kindly gifted by @versobooks 💚

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