It was such an exciting prospect. A new Masters programme addressing Black British writing, drama and performance as a continuum. A course that would highlight black literature and examine its heritage in British culture through varying perspectives and its historical significance. One dedicated to examining black literature in its various forms. The sort of course I would have loved to have had on offer when I was a student, which is run by the prestigious Goldsmiths, University of London.
But it seems it wasn’t to be. Due to start this autumn, it seems the course has been cancelled due to lack of take-up. It’s still unclear if it will run in the future, but for now the course has been withdrawn. Does this decision imply that there isn’t really a home for innovative courses like this, or does all academic analysis of black literature need to be mainstreamed? If so, where will the next generation of Black British academics come from? Andrea Enisuoh spoke to five black British-based writers to get their thoughts.
Malorie Blackman OBE and Jacob Ross.
Award winning writer Malorie Blackman OBE is an honorary fellow at Goldsmiths, University of London and is the Waterstones children’s laureate. Blackman has a prolific writing career. Her latest novel for teenagers, Noble Conflict, was published in the summer.
“I greatly welcomed that this new MA in Black British Writing was to run. I thought, at last Black British writing would receive the academic recognition and the proper in-depth analysis that it deserves. It always seemed to me that black and minority ethnic (BME) writing from America, Africa and the West Indies was treated with a gravitas somehow not afforded to our own home grown BME writing talent. This new MA would’ve gone a long way to providing some balance on that front. Which is why I’m deeply disappointed to hear that this new course is now going to be withdrawn.
A course that focuses on the works as such literary luminaries as Zadie Smith, Benjamin Zephaniah, James Berry, Aminatta Forna, Bernardine Evaristo, Mike Gayle, Catherine Johnson, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Jackie Kay, Andrea Levy, Courttia Newland, Helen Oyeyemi, Mike Phillips, Lemn Sissay, Alex Wheatle and Roy Williams to name but a few seems to me to be not just timely but incredibly
apt. Such a course would be a celebration of Black British writing, but would also serve to highlight the wealth of talent and the diversity of literary voices we have in the UK.”
Jacob Ross is a poet, playwright, journalist, novelist and creative writing tutor. He has toured and lectured extensively as a writer and is currently editing CLOSURE, a new anthology of contemporary Black British fiction.
“I do think Black British literature should be studied as part of mainstream courses. In some ways it is already embedded in quite a few university courses under post-colonial literature. But then they are not exclusively British or indeed black. There isn’t a black writer I know who doesn’t want their books to be appreciated as strong accomplished works that reach as many readers as possible rather than as only black books or Black British books. However important being black and British is to them as writers.
Black British history is an altogether different matter to me. It is at least 500 years deep and continents wide in terms of the body of work available for serious in-depth study. Its impact on British society is more profound that the British themselves care to acknowledge. On the other hand, Black British literature is, leaving aside Olaudah Equiano et al (the true value of whose work is more historical than literary), only a few decades old and yet to be clearly defined.”
Bernardine Evaristo and Kadija Sesay. Picture credits: Brunel University/Victor Dlamini
Bernardine Evaristo is the author of seven books including her latest novel, Mr Loverman, about a 74 year old Caribbean born London-based man who is closet homosexual. Evaristo’s writing ranges in genre from poetry, verse-novels, a novel-with-verse, a novella, short stories, prose novels, radio and theatre drama, and literary essays and criticism.
“The course would have been a fantastic opportunity for artists, writers and performers to focus on producing work that is intensely focused on Afro-diasporic experiences, drawing on various cultures, traditions, practices and methodologies. I do, therefore, believe that there is a place for such a black-specific course. I’ve no idea why there is a lack of take-up but a course like this would need to be advertised not just nationally but internationally.”
Kadija Sesay is a literary activist. Sesay has edited several anthologies of work by writers of African and Asian descent. Her new poetry collection Irki is published by Peepal Tree Press and is out now.
“I would have been ecstatic to have a course like this when I was studying, but I ended up studying something that was really a sideline interest to me. To have a course like this embeds Black British literature into academia. It is viewed as having more longevity…not just a bunch of fly by nights. It also says Black British literature is part of British literature.
Goldsmiths have hosted some great one off events with black writers, but this was going to be so much more than that. Something wide enough to interest anyone interested in black writing – not just literature. It is difficult to see why they are not seeing it through. You have to work really hard to get courses like this on the map. They say they publicised it, but they also need to put their weight behind it. Do you know there are only 50 black professors in this country? It must be such a lonely path. For many Black British academics, if they are going to get anywhere in their careers, they feel they have to leave the country. They believe they are supported more abroad.”
Nathan E Richards is a writer and video journalist. Since 2010 he has been working as a digital archivist, producer and researcher. Richards most recent work includes a collection of short ‘factional’ historical essays and video interviews with a number of African writers, including Kenyan author Ngugi Wa Thiongo and Caine Prize winner Binyavanga Wainaina.
“Degrees like this are massively important because they provide an alternative framework of enquiry. Otherwise what we get is a narrow pool of academia which impacts on society. What you then get is an elite group of mainly white men, leaving you with a very narrow view of the world.
We need more black academics and writers. There are 5.9 per cent black students in this country, while we are an estimated 3.3. per cent of the population. Yet there are just 0.4 per cent of black professors. We are over-represented as students and under-represented in general academia. That means we are not the decision makers. We are not helping to shape the agenda or debate.”
When the university was approached on its decision, a spokesperson from Goldsmiths, University of London, said:
“We approved the programme because we believe in the richness and contemporary relevance of Black British writing and we were delighted with the enthusiasm and support for it from our diverse academic community and industry colleagues. Despite this, and our best promotional efforts, we have had less than a handful of applications from prospective students this year. This presents financial risks as well as those relating to the student experience.
However because of the high value we place on the content of this MA, we are looking at developing some of the core courses into modules to be available to students on other, highly subscribed MA courses in related subjects. This will mean that more students get the opportunity to study Black British writing and will be able to debate and discuss with a good number of other students in a seminar setting.”