Irki

A collection that brings to bear the memory of a pan-African homeland upon the reality of a British upbringing, this book unlocks stories—at times amusing and loving, at other times confusing and sad—that surround the “invisibility” of private fostering; the dislocations and negotiations of migration; and home as an imagined, remembered, and physical place. Exploring the idea of growing up black as one of the “Michael Jackson generation,” against the racially divided background of Britain in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, this poetry compilation also draws upon the poet’s travels to relate intimate childhood experiences.

Kadija Sesay is a literary activist of Sierra Leonean descent and the founder of SABLE LitMag. She is the editor of several anthologies, including Burning Words, Flaming Images and IC3: The Penguin Book of New Black Writing in Britain; the series editor and codirector of Inscribe, an imprint and writer development program housed by Peepal Tree Press; and the fiction editor for Amalion Publishing in Senegal. She is also the recipient of various awards, including Candace Magazine’s Woman of Achievement, Cosmopolitan’s Woman of Achievement award, and the Woman of the Millennium award.