We are delighted to announce the launch of our brand-new Pods, Celebrating British and Irish Authors of African and Caribbean Heritage. The first in a series of planned special projects that aims to shine a light on subjects that have historically been overlooked in education, these Pods explore the literary contributions of the African diaspora in the UK and Ireland.

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Written and curated by poet Degna Stone, we have produced Pods on 25 contemporary Black and Mixed-Race authors, playwrights, and poets. In addition to a Pod on each writer’s background, influences, and style. Additional resources for our subscribers have been commissioned by experts in the field of diversity and education to produce complementary resources containing suggested classroom activities and discussion topics, as well as ideas for independent learning and further reading.

This much deliberated shortlist, while presenting a diverse and fascinating cross-section of British and Irish talent is, of course, just the tip of the iceberg. Our hope is that these Pods, and accompanying learning materials, will inspire and empower educators and learners alike to read more, learn more and do more.

You can find the Pods under English Literature and the additional resources are available to download as workbooks. If you have any questions about the Celebrating British and Irish Authors of African and Caribbean Heritage project, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We would love to hear about how you’re using these Pods in your schools, so please share your stories with us and tag us in any social media posts. With thanks from everyone at GCSEPod.

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Created in partnership with Degna Stone

“It’s so important to get a real diversity of writers. There’s this idea that there’s a certain type of Black writer, or Black writing, which illustrates the experience of British and Irish writers of African and Caribbean heritage. I wanted to make sure that, where possible, I had a mix of different people across the UK and Ireland rather than just being London-centric. I was also really keen that we weren’t just looking at fiction writers, but that the longer list included poets, playwrights, journalists – all people who are story tellers”

Degna Stone, Curator

“My experience from doing my own GCSEs was that the focus on Black writing tended to be on African-American writers, rather than on writers of African and Caribbean heritage closer to home. My hope is to encourage teachers and their students to think about who is missing from their reading lists and to seek them out, whether that’s Black writers from the UK and Ireland, or other writers marginalised in the curriculum.”

Degna Stone, Curator

“The curriculum is only half the story though – with subjects like English and History you’re supposed to read around the subject anyway, so the chance to fill in any holes in the prescribed reading list is already there. Teachers don’t need to wait for the curriculum to be decolonised to ensure that when they make recommendations for wider reading, each of their students should see themselves reflected in that list.”

Degna Stone, Curator