Brit(ish)
ISBN 9781784705039 | |
Brit(ish): On Race, Identity and Belonging is a 2018 book by the journalist Afua Hirsch. The book is part-memoir and discusses black history, culture and politics in the context of Britain, Senegal and Ghana. It received mixed critical reception.
Synopsis
Hirsch grew up in
Hirsch talks about the Black Lives Matter movement and criticizes the frequency with which black men are killed by law enforcement. Hirsch objects to the United Kingdom policy of "stop and search", finding it overly harassing to black men. She recounts incidents from her journalism career relating to race, such as meeting with far-right English Defence League members and attending a club in which white men watched as their white partners had sex with black men.
The book also describes the
Reception
According to The Bookseller, the book had sold 36,000 copies by October 2020.[1]
Martina Evans in The Irish Times wrote that the book "teems with fascinating and uplifting as well as tragic stories". Evans praised its "dense, eye-opening" chapter on British and Ghanaian history and "writing that really shines" in its description of both countries.[2] Bernardine Evaristo in The Times Literary Supplement wrote that Brit(ish) is "a free-flowing book of ideas, experiences and analysis that reach far beyond the personal. The past and present are in conversation with each other as Hirsch interrogates the roots of racism and dismantles myths."[3] Colin Grant's review in The Guardian concluded: "The power of her writing matches that of other important black writers".[4] Nikesh Shukla in The Observer praised the book as "warm, informative and occasionally heart-wrenching". Shukla believed it was "a countrywide conversation-starter" and "a deeply personal look at who she always knew she was, but didn’t feel ready to say yet".[5]
References
- ^ Cowdrey, Katherine (8 October 2020). "Puffin bags Afua Hirsch's Hidden Histories". The Bookseller. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
- ^ Evans, Martina (3 February 2018). "Brit(ish) review: dazzling stories about race and identity". The Irish Times.
- ^ Evaristo, Bernardine (31 January 2018). "Broken identity". The Times Literary Supplement.
- ^ Grant, Colin (18 January 2018). "Brit(ish) by Afua Hirsch review – everyday racism and a search for identity". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
- ^ Shukla, Nikesh (29 January 2018). "Brit(ish) review – what does it mean to be black and British now?". The Observer. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
- ^ Goodhart, David (11 January 2018). "Brit(ish): On Race, Identity and Belonging by Afua Hirsch – a review". London Evening Standard. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
- ^ Kwarteng, Kwasi (29 January 2018). "Book review: Brit(ish): On Race, Identity and Belonging by Afua Hirsch". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 29 January 2018. (subscription required)