Ties that Bind: Writing for Collective Liberation

Join us as we hear from collectives whose books have evolved out of their organizing. We’ll explore how, as people of colour in the UK, the struggles of our past have shaped our present and futures.

How can we dismantle structures of oppression while building safer, stronger communities together?

Landmark book, The Heart of the Race was first published in 1985, republished in 2018, and is a testimony to the collective experience of Black women in Britain, and their long relationship to the violence of the state. It was written by Beverly Bryan, Stella Dadzie and Suzanne Scafe, members of OWAAD (Organisation of Women of African & Asian Descent).

Brick by Brick is the first book by Cradle Community, a collective of organisers committed to radical education and building understanding of Pr*son abolition and transformative justice. It was published in 2021 as an important resource for those who dream of building a just, caring, Pr*son-free society, illuminating how harmful ideas of criminality and punishment can manifest in many ways beyond the Pr*son industrial complex.

Hosted by the Race Beat, a mutual-support network for people of colour in the media.

Stella Dadzie

Stella Dadzie is best known for her co-authorship of The Heart of the Race: Black Women’s lives in Britain which won the 1985 Martin Luther King Award for Literature, and was recently re-published by Verso as a Feminist Classic. She is a founder member of OWAAD (Organisation of Women of African and Asian Descent), a national umbrella group that emerged in the late 1970s as part of the British Civil Rights movement, and was recently described as one of the “grandmothers” of Black Feminism in the UK. Her career as a teacher, writer, artist and education activist spans over 40 years.

Suzanne Scafe

Suzanne Scafe is an Associate Professor of Literature at London South Bank University. She was a member of OWAAD and the Brixton Black Women’s Group. Her recent work includes essays on violence in the spatial imaginary of Kingston fictions and several essays and book chapters on black British women’s autobiographical writing, black British fiction and drama, and Caribbean women’s writing.

Cradle Community

Cradle is a collective of organisers committed to radical education and building community understanding of Pr*son abolition and transformative justice. In 2020, Cradle produced how to be an abolitionist today, a colourful, astrology-themed zine with practical tips on supporting and caring for each other in everyday interactions.

In their first book Cradle Community invites us to explore what it will take to dismantle structures of oppression, and to imagine the future we can rebuild together—brick by brick.

The Race Beat

The Race Beat is a nationwide media network for, and led by, people of colour. A network to meet, learn skills and collaborate - from experienced journalists to those just starting out.

Venue Accessibility

Wheelchair Accessibility

Access to our shop is through a large door (91cm wide) and a ramp (77W x 48L x 12H with 240kg max weight) can be placed for wheelchair access. If you require assistance or the ramp to enter the shop, please ring the doorbell that is located on the right hand side of the front door and one of our staff will come and help you.

The ground floor is wheelchair accessible with enough room to turn around in and we are also very happy to move around furniture to accommodate any spatial needs. We regret to inform you that our basement level and garden is inaccessible to wheelchairs or those with mobility restrictions. We have seating available throughout the shop and stools to access higher shelves. Our till is on the ground floor near the door and we are very happy to locate and retrieve any books or items that you would like to see, please just ask one of our staff members.

Toilet

Our gender-neutral toilet is located on the basement level, which sadly due to structural restrictions, is not wheelchair accessible. The basement is accessed via 10 stairs with a handrail on the right hand side. We have on-site baby changing facilities in our bathroom.

Concessions

If you would like to come but are unable to purchase a ticket please feel free to contact us at [email protected] and we will see what we can do.

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