Black History Month at the Library
Details of our planned activities for Black History Month.
Reading lists
We've collated resource collections of fiction, non-fiction, films, and documentaries about Black history and Black experience. Our lists have a mixture of digital and physical resources.
- Black History Month - reading for pleasure, Black British history, Global Majority history, resources for creatives and more.
- Poetry - immerse yourself in the words and thoughts of prominent Black poets.
These resource lists are not exhaustive. Please use library search to view our full collection.
Book giveaways 2023
Our very popular book giveaway continues this year. We'll be hiding copies across our libraries and sharing clues about where to find them on our Instagram Stories. Follow us on Instagram @uwelibrary for your chance to win a book. You can find out when we're giving books away by viewing the Black History Month events on the Events Diary.
Our titles for this year are:
- Natives by Akala
Race and class have shaped Akala's life. In Natives he recalls his own experiences, events like being stopped and searched as a child, and explores how British society has got to where it is today. Covering everything, from identity and education to politics and the police, this book is a must read. - Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
This is the story of two half-sisters. One marries a British slaver, the other is sold in to slavery. Homegoing follows the future generations of each of them, in Ghana and America respectively, and how the legacy of slavery unfolds. - Why we kneel, how we rise by Michael Holding
Starting from the catalyst of Holding speaking out about the racism he has seen and suffered through his career during a rained-off cricket game. This book explores what it is like to be treated differently due to the colour of your skin through the lens of sport and the hope for future change. It contains conversations with sports icons including Usain Bolt, Naomi Osaka and Thierry Henry. - Hood feminism by Mikki Kendall
This essay collection is for anyone wanting to learn more about intersectional feminism. Kendall weaves anecdotes and statistics together to show us how women of colour are almost always disproportionately affected by the social issues white feminists seem to ignore. - Black cake by Charmaine Wilkerson
A story of inheritance, secrets, betrayals and memories. Black cake is a beautifully written novel about a family's past discovered after the loss of a mother, and how the relationships of those left behind develop to form it's future. - Wake by Rebecca Hall
Wake is part memoir, part graphic novel and tells the story of women-led slave revolts. These women have been forgotten from the historical record despite their courageous feats. Hall endeavours to find out the truth about them and make sure they are remembered. - We have a dream by Myra-Rose Craig
This book looks at 30 young environmental activists from areas on the forefront of global change and the dreams they have for the future. All of them are either people of colour or Indigenous people and typically underrepresented with the environmental movement. But now their voices are being heard. - Kindred by Octavia Butler
Kindred is a cornerstone of African-American literature. It follows Dana, an African-American woman tangled up in time with a white slaveholder she needs to protect. This book uses a clever sci-fi narrative to tackle serious issues such as human rights and slavery.
Decolonising and diversifying your Library
Find out what we are doing to make our collection more inclusive. You can suggest titles for your reading lists to be entered into a monthly prize draw.
Social media celebration
Join us on our social media accounts as we celebrate Black history, achievement and culture.