How literature can engage with race – Gladstone’s Library hosting free online event

Five passionate speakers will take part in a discussion of how literature can engage with race.

Gladstone’s Library in Hawarden, Flintshire, will host a free, online event called ‘Reading Race: the Power of Literature’ at 6.30pm on May 5.

The talk, which is designed to introduce viewers to both fiction and non-fiction that deals with equity, anti-racism and equality, is free to attend and will be held on Zoom.

It will feature works like Reni Eddo-Lodge’s Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race and Natives: Race & Class in the Ruins of Empire by Akala.

The speakers are Wales-based activists Nkechi Allen-Dawson, Omolara Cordle, Jackie Anyango and Shanice Burke, joined by author Noor Yusuf.

Jackie Anyango, who is the diversity and inclusion and BAME (black and minority ethnic) network lead for a major company, said: “This talk is about equipping people with the knowledge that we all need to take part in creating an anti-racist environment.

“I think that, because of the different aspects of social issues covered by these books, they allow people to see other stories, and to hear from people who have lived through a system of inequality, and they allow us to challenge that thinking.”

Nkechi Allen-Dawson, co-chair of the Embrace Network, has spoken at numerous public events in Wales about the need to articulate the experiences of black and minority ethnic people.

She said: “I believe in everybody having a purpose and one of my purposes is bringing people together from all walks of life, and books are a way of doing that.

“They offer messages, they evoke emotions and they also offer a way to articulate experiences that readers may never have thought they would be able to put on paper or see on paper.”

A spokeswoman for Gladstone’s Library said that this event is designed to be accessible and open to anyone interested in building empathy and understanding.

She said: “Everyone is welcome, from any background. It’s sure to be an engaging discussion.”

To join in, visit https://www.gladstoneslibrary.org/events/events-courses-list/reading-race-an-online-panel