Celebrating Authors of African and Caribbean Heritage
Celebrating British and Irish Authors of African and Caribbean Heritage are a series of pods designed 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.
Pupils could leave secondary school in England without studying a novel of play by a non-white author. Share these pods in your school.
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.


Emma Dabiri

Emma Dabiri
Watch pod
Grace Nichols
Watch pod
Bernadine Evaristo
Watch pod
Caleb Femi
Watch Pod
Hannah Lavery
Watch Pod
Jackie Kay
Watch Pod
Jay Bernard
Watch Pod
Johnny Pitts
Watch Pod
Raymond Antrobus
Watch Pod
Roy Williams
Watch Pod
Selina Thompson
Watch Pod
Zadie Smith
Watch Pod
Akala
Watch Pod
Alex Wheatle
Watch Pod
Marvin Thompson
Watch Pod
Dean Atta
Watch Pod
Dorothy Koomson
Watch Pod
Inua Ellams
Watch Pod
Kit de Waal
Watch Pod
Mara Menzies
Watch Pod
Okechukwu Nzelu
Watch Pod
Patience Agbabi
Watch Pod
Roger Robinson
Watch Pod
Reni Eddo-Lodge
Watch Pod
Warsan Shire
Watch PodCreated in partnership with Denga 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.
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."

Already got a subscription?
That’s great news! Get full access to all lessons, videos, quizzes and extra content by logging in to your account.
Login
Log into your GCSEPod account and unlock hundreds of bite-sized ‘Pods’ tailored to your exam board for maximum relevance. Test your skills with our interactive Check & Challenge quizzes to reinforce your knowledge and make it stick!
Not subscribed yet? Let’s fix that!
If your school hasn’t signed up for GCSEPod, don’t worry – you can help change that! Share this brochure with your Headteacher to showcase how GCSEPod benefits both students and teachers. It’s packed with all the reasons your school should join the thousands already boosting their success.