About this Event
Join us as we welcome Shani Akilah, in conversation with @WhatSarahReadNext, to celebrate the release of Shani's debut short story collection For Such A Time As This.'A glittering new voice in the literary firmament.'Bernardine Evaristo, author of Girl, Woman, Other, Winner of the Booker Prize"Gabby and Jonathan cross paths at the wedding of a mutual friend. They both wonder if this could be the start of something, but fate has other ideas.When Niah tries to call out her employer for their empty words about diversity and inclusion, she comes face to face with racism reaching right to the very top.Sharna is holding onto her own secret when she sets out for Jamaica to visit her grandfather, on a trip that throws fresh light onto the family history she has always taken for granted."A richly imagined collection of linked stories that brings to life the stories of young Black-British Londoners as they explore friendship and romance, community and independence, and navigate their way through the relationships that make them who they are.Shani Akilah is a Black-British writer from South London of Caribbean heritage (Guyana, Barbados and Jamaica). She is an avid reader and book blogger and was spotlighted as a ‘Key Black Influencer’ by DoubleDay Books. Shani is passionate about community and bringing people together and is the co-founder of Nyah Network, a book club for black women and is also the founder of contributor based platform, Bankra, that explored the navigated identities of black millennials. Shani loves travelling, and has spent significant time in Ghana as part of her studies. Shani has a Masters degree in African Studies from Oxford University with research exploring counter-diasporic return and issues of home and belonging amongst second-generation British-Ghanaians. FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS is her debut short-story collection published by Magpie, Oneworld 13th June 2024. Follow Shani on Twitter. AND on Instagram.About Sarah: Having quit a much longed-for career in International Development spanning 20 years, Sarah has followed her passion of reading and created an amazing popular online presence, through her instagram platform, @whatsarahreadnext and is now known as ‘Book Influencer’. With an acute eye for what the hottest books are, Sarah writes brilliant book reviews and has interviewed an array of notable authors on literary circuit; Douglas Stuart, Ruth Ozeki, Annie MacManus, Jessamine Chan, Saba Sams and Musa Okwonga. In addition to her interviewing skills, Sarah was a Guest Speaker at Fearne Cotton’s ‘Happy Place Festival’ and has also been interviewed about her life on Annie Mac’s “Changes” Podcast. Sarah is a regular writer for the Bookerprize and is a content collaborator with The Women’s Prize. Sarah is a Judge for The British Book Awards 2024, Debut Novels
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Waterstones, Trafalgar Square, London, United Kingdom
GBP 6.00 to GBP 18.00
