Ic3

Description

A celebratory 20th anniversary edition of this landmark collection from black writers across the literary spectrumThis ground-breaking anthology was first published twenty years ago, into a different literary landscape. Showcasing the work of more than 100 black British authors, this 20th anniversary edition celebrates their lasting contributions to literature and to our wider culture.
Including poetry from Roger Robinson, David Dabydeen, Bernardine Evaristo, Jackie Kay and Benjamin Zephaniah, short stories from Ferdinand Dennis, Diana Evans,Catherine Jonson, E.A. Markham and Ray Shell; essays from Floella Benjamin,Linda Bellos, Treva Etienne, Kevin Le Gendre and Labi Siffre; memoirs from Margaret Busby, Henry Bonsu, Buchi Emecheta, Sol B. River and Leone Ross, and many others.
IC3spans a wealth of genres – from poetry, to short fiction, memoir and essays – to demonstrate the range and astonishing literary achievements of black writers, who remain underrepresented in British culture today. Featuring a new
introduction from original editors Kadija Sesay and Courttia Newland, this collection reflects on the legacy of these writers and their extraordinary work. Courttia Newland is the author of seven books including his much lauded debut,The Scholar. His latest novel, A River Called Time, was published in 2021 andCosmogramma, a story collection, will be published later in the year. He was shortlisted for the 2007 CWA Dagger in the Library Award and the 2010 Alfred Fagon Award. As a screenwriter, he has written episodes of Steve McQueen's 2020 series Small Axe.
Kadija Sesay is a literary activist of Sierra Leonean descent. She is the founder of the magazine SABLE LitMag and creator ofAfriPoeTree, a selective interactive video. She is the Publications Manager for Inscribe/Peepal Tree and editor of several anthologies including Six Plays by Black and Asian Women Writers and Write Black, Write British: From Postcolonial to Black British Literature. She co-edited Dreams, Miracles and Jazz: New Adventures in African Fiction with Helon Habila and Dance the Guns to Silence: 100 Poems for Ken Saro-Wiwawith Nii Parkes. She has published a poetry collection, Irki. She has received awards and fellowships for her work in the creative arts and her research, including an AHRC doctoral scholarship to research Black British publishers and Pan-Africanism.

A pioneering collection of work that spans multiple genres, Ic3 is an essential overview of the diversity and richness of black writing in Britain.

Updated with an urgent, revelatory new introduction from the collections' original editors, exploring the changes in black literature since the book's original publication.

Thoughtfully repackaged with a fresh, bold look that features cover artwork by a fantastic black British artist.

Featuring original pieces from an array of black literary icons – including Bernardine Evaristo, Jackie Kay and Benjamin Zephaniah

"The title is a tongue-in-cheek reference to the system of British police identity codes – IC1 is Caucasian; 1C2 Mediterranean; IC3 Black and IC4 refers to Asians. Bearing in mind how different people's backgrounds can be the authors recognized the irony of using a collective identity to refer to themselves. Author Kadija Sesay comments:
'You could say that some people are African, but then some would say "I am Caribbean". You can't necessarily have Afro Caribbean, as a lot of these terms are very political. We were also conscious of the fact that none of these terms have been picked by black people to call themselves. We knew that IC3 would be a very good debating point, it would open up discussion and issues about what is British identity these days.'

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