Let's Start Sharing, Then They'll Have To Listen    5^th November 2006 

This observation illustrates the position of second or third generation Black people living in Britain today. We are the children of immigrants who came to England in the 1950s to rebuild the country after the Second World War. We, the contemporary generation, carry the feelings of insidership and outsidership, of being Black and born in the UK. In official discourse, to be Black and British goes unnamed. The idea of national identity is built upon a notion of racial belonging, upon a hegemonic white ethnicity that never speaks its presence. We are told that you can be either one or the other, Black or British, but not both (Safia Mirza, 1997). Being Black in Britain is about a state of becoming racialised; a process of consciousness when colour becomes the defining factor of who you are.

Contemporary Black women writers born in Britain have Britain as their home. No matter how hostile British society can be, it is still part of our identity, but we struggle to call it "home". We don’t have first hand experience of Africa or the Caribbean, so where do we feel at home? I would argue that we are part of the middle ground, the land in between cultures. So what kind of writers does this create?

The first thing a Black British women poet must do is find her own voice and find some way of representing herself. Black women have been represented in works of literature, but seldom in their own words. Until quite recently, Black women writers have had to challenge the images perpetuated by others in order to express their own representation of themselves for themselves. A graphic example was the recent Independent newspaper Africa Issue which instead of using a real Black woman journalist to do the job, ran a blacked up photo of Kate Moss (cheeks and nose reshaped, lips enlarged, eyebrows thickened and deepened, and of course, with shiny browny-black skin tone). This reinforces the belief that Black women haven’t got a voice. "We do have a voice!"



This quote explores how Evaristo's Lara cannot find "home"; a place of validation in the UK. She is living in a city that refuses to recognise the legitimacy of her presence. Through this text, Evaristo brings to light uncharted issues and expression.



Agbabi in her poem, shows the speakers keeness to fit in by preparing to make herself easily read.   'Read' is used here in the sense of being understood. By definition, the alien does not fit in. The speaker 'reads' Mother Earth but is frustrated that Mother Earth does not 'read' her back.
I would argue that this Black British woman, and other writers, are using the genre of performance poetry as a way of physically speaking out.

In the performance space Agbabi's words are actually articulated, allowing her text to be told, thereby moving away from silence with defiance. Agbabi came through the performance circuit to have two collections published and was the only Black or Asian face amongst the list of Next Generation Poets drawn up in 2004.  However,



This quote, part of a report into the publishing opportunities for Black and Asian poets in the United Kingdom, presents the reality surrounding the poetry world within Britain. The report finds that there is a thriving community of ethnic poets within the performance circuit, but that these same poets are failing to reach publication. Fewer than one percent of all poets published by mainstream presses in Britain are Black or Asian. The editors in question are primarily white and male and declare that their selection criteria are based on quality, irrespective of race or gender. Are we to assume then, that Black and Asian poets are basically just not good enough? This is the message we are receiving.



What are the Solutions?

-There should be more Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) people in the writing, editing and publishing businesses.
-This would encourage a greater first-hand understanding of the different cultural voices and perspectives out there.
-Mentoring is another way of gaining in confidence and skills; this is especially useful for those poets moving out of the spoken circuit onto the page.
-We can’t network enough in this industry. Go to readings, launch events, festivals. Make sure you’ve got a business card for these events, it always goes down well.
-Go on courses, not just for BME writers, but all sorts of courses.
-Also, there should be more BME people reviewing BME work.

It’s a closed circle otherwise, poets write for poets. "Validation comes totally from within." We need to get on the inside of the circle. There are a lot of small presses that are springing up to make sure other, new voices, get out there, like Dogeater press and Mouthmark.

The most important two things to start doing more of are read and submit. We’re not going to get published if we are not reading other poetry and if we do not send work out for consideration. We each have an individual voice and experience about being Black British.  Let’s start sharing and then they will have to listen.

© Sheree Mack, 2006 (all rights reserved)

Sheree is currently writer in residence at The Lit and Phil -largest independent library outside London.  Find out more...

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