​A LEAD NON-FICTION TITLE FOR PICADOR IN 2022

A Black Teacher, A White System, A Revolution in Education. 

'Inventive, refreshing and humorous ... never fails to surprise and entertain' 
BERNARDINE EVARISTO


'Intense and compelling' 
DAVID LAMMY


Before Jeffrey Boakye was a black teacher, he was a black student. Which means he has spent a lifetime navigating places of learning that are white by default. Since training to teach, he has often been the only black teacher at school. At times seen as a role model, at others a source of curiosity, Boakye’s is a journey of exploration – from the outside looking in.


In the groundbreaking I Heard What You Said, he recounts how it feels to be on the margins of the British education system. As a black, male teacher – an English teacher who has had to teach problematic texts – his very existence is a provocation to the status quo, giving him a unique perspective on the UK’s classrooms.

Through a series of eye-opening encounters based on the often challenging and sometimes outrageous things people have said to him or about him, Boakye reflects on what he has found out about the habits, presumptions, silences and distortions that black students and teachers experience, and which underpin British education.

Thought-provoking, witty and completely unafraid to call out some of the most pressing issues of our times, Boakye offers sharp analysis, lively prose and a searing vision for how we can dismantle racism in the classroom and do better by all our students in the future.

Jeffrey Boakye is an author, broadcaster, educator and journalist.
Originally from Brixton in London, Jeffrey has taught secondary English for fifteen years. He is the author of Hold Tight: Black Masculinity, Millennials, and the Meaning of Grime; Black, Listed: Black British Culture Explored; What is Masculinity? Why Does it Matter? And Other Big Questions; and Musical Truth: A Musical History of Modern Black Britain.
He now lives in Yorkshire with his wife and two sons.

@jeffreykboakye
@picadorbooks
#IHeardWhatYouSaid 

​Publishing 9th June 2022
​

Hiya! Alison Hammond here! I love getting to know all about different people and I'll tell you a secret ... Sometimes people we don't know much about are the most interesting of all! Which is really what this book is all about.

Let me ask you a question: How many Black people can you name from our history? Mary Seacole? Ira Aldridge? George Bridgetower? Pablo Fanque? Walter Tull? Have you heard of these people?

Yes? That's great! But if you haven't, don't worry, you're not alone, which is why I'm so excited to tell you all about them. Because the people in this book should be totally famous given the AMAZING things they've done! And we're not going to stop in the past, I'll introduce you to people making waves right here and now!

From sportspeople to scientists, activists to musicians, politicians to writers, we're going to meet a whole bunch of AWESOME people who have helped shape the world we live in. So, are you ready for a journey Black in time?? Course you are, let's go!

Join Alison Hammond on a journey throughout history as she delves into the lives of influential Black British figures with the help of Emma Norry. Through an informative and entertaining combination of fact files, narrative stories and interviews, Alison explores their impact on our society to show young readers how Black History is British history.

Featuring people from the world of science, sports, the arts, politics and more, readers will meet a host of exciting Black Britons – all who have done incredible things yet remain largely unknown. The book also features interviews with Black Britons of today, with the likes of Nicola Adams and Malorie Blackman sharing views on Black British history and what we can learn from it.

About Alison Hammond


Known for her quick wit, outrageous presenting style and infectious laugh, Alison Hammond has been a much-loved fixture on British television for two decades. She joined This Morning in 2002 and has since secured some of the most watched - and loved - celebrity interviews ever. She's tap- danced with Renée Zellweger, rapped with Will Smith, jammed with Russell Crowe, and been serenaded by Hugh Jackman.

In 2021, she became one of This Morning's main hosts, alongside Dermot O'Leary, and appeared on a new BBC Saturday-night primetime entertainment show, I Can See Your Voice, alongside fellow judges Amanda Holden and Jimmy Carr, and host Paddy McGuinness.

From her rise to fame on Channel 4's Big Brother in 2002, to her appearances on I'm a Celebrity . . . Get Me Out of Here!, Strictly
Come Dancing and Celebrity Great British Bake Off, Alison's warmth, honesty and joy have made her one of the most popular presenters on TV today.

Moved by the murder of George Floyd and the rise of #BLM protests around the world, Alison used her platform on This Morning to speak openly about her experiences of racism and marginalisation of Black people in the UK. She then went on to present Alison Hammond: Back to School, a primetime documentary on ITV exploring important Black British figures who have been ignored by history curriculum in the UK.

About Emma Norry:

Emma Norry is an author who writes fiction and non-fiction for children. She is passionate about equal representation and diversity. Her first book, Son of the Circus, is part of a series that shows readers that Black and brown people have always been a part of British history. Son of the Circus, set in Victorian times, blended fact and fiction by using Pablo Fanque (the first Black circus owner) and his son Ted as inspiration. Emma has also written Amber Undercover - a fun action-adventure spy story for ages 10+. She has many short stories in anthologies: Happy Here, The Place for Me: Stories from the Windrush and The Very Merry Murder Club. Emma’s non-fiction includes biographies of Lionel Messi and Nelson Mandela. A two-book middle-grade fantasy series launches in 2023.