Saturday 30 September 2023

Black & Irish by Leon Diop, Briana Fitzsimons and Jessica Louis


This landmark publication in Irish history is a celebration of Black Irish identity. Featuring profiles of Black Irish public figures from the worlds of pop culture, politics, sport, business and the arts. Includes Ruth Negga, Gavin Bazunu, Phil Lynott, Paul McGrath, Emma Dabiri, Rhasidat Adeleke and Dami Hope. Published in collaboration with Black and Irish.

It's become common over the last few years to see children's books featuring heroes in various spheres - we started out with the Rebel Girls titles, and several other publishers have done similar titles. However, this one is aimed a little older than most, making it perfect for someone who's enjoyed the Rebel Girls but has grown out of them.

As you can tell from the title, this volume features Black Irish in a variety of walks of life - we've got actors, activists, entrepreneurs, musicians and far more. They go into a nice amount of detail about each person's life and their specific trade, along with notes about aspects of their lives and short features on other similar people. It's enough information without being overwhelming.

The art is a huge part of how effective the book is; each person has a portrait in bright, cheerful colours, highlighting one or two parts of their personality. It's really effective - the first time I picked up the book I flicked through just looking at the pictures before I looked at anything else!

It's a great read and it will certainly be high on my list of recommendations this Christmas (sorry, I said the C word...)


Black & Irish publishes on the 1st of October, 2023. I received a free copy and am giving an honest review.

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