Merky Books Loves Malorie Blackman Tickets and Dates

This event takes place in the British Library. 
 
Three writers from #Merky Books: Jade LB, Jyoti Patel and Taylor-Dior Rumble , join Sofia Akel to celebrate the impact and legacy of author Malorie Blackman and explore how she has influenced their creative outputs. 

#Merky Books is the award-winning imprint launched in 2018 by musician Stormzy and Penguin Random House.  It has a clear ambition to publish books that will own – and change – the mainstream. Their aim is to publish the stories that will allow a new generation of writers and readers across the UK to see themselves represented more regularly within the pages of a book. 

In 2005, the author known only as 'Jade' began releasing chapters of Keisha The [Da] Sket on Piczo. The work became a viral sensation. 13 years later the character was revisited and amplified into the highly successful novel, Keisha The Sket.

Jade LB is a London-based creative and academic writer whose writing explores Black women and relationships, Black British culture and the Black British working-class experience. One half of The Echo Chamber podcast, she has written articles and essays and currently takes up space in academia. 

Jyoti Patel was born in Paris to British Indian parents and grew up in North West London. She is a graduate of the University of East Anglia’s Prose Fiction MA and winner of the 2021 #Merky Books New Writers’ Prize. Her writing has previously been published as part of We Present's ‘Literally’ series and in the anthology for the 2022 Bristol Short Story Prize, for which she was shortlisted. The Things That We Lost is her debut novel. 

Taylor-Dior Rumble is a writer, born and raised in south-east London. She started her journalism career at BBC News at the age of 18 and has since gone on to produce and cover stories ranging from the politics of Black hair to colourism in Hollywood. The Situationship is her first novel. 

Sofia Akel is an award-winning cultural historian, creative consultant, writer, host and lecturer specialising in Black British history. She is also the founder of the non-profit, Free Books Campaign which gets books to those who can’t afford or access them for free. Her work has been featured in national and international press.  In addition to publishing sector-leading research exploring socio-political issues in the UK, she lends her talent to documentary film, TV, audio and music videos. Her debut book exploring Black British history will be released in 2025.

In association with #Merky Books 

Follow @eventsBL on X for the latest events updates. 

Please arrive no later than 15 minutes before the start time of this event.  

The British Library is a charity. Your support helps us open up a world of knowledge and inspiration for everyone. Donate today.