12 March 2019

The writer and broadcaster Margaret Busby’s landmark new anthology, New Daughters of Africa, published by Myriad, was launched at an event at SOAS on 7 March.

Group picture of The New Daughters of Africa contributors

Margaret Busby, who became Britain’s youngest and first black woman publisher when she co-founded Allison & Busby in the late 1960s - and published notable authors including Buchi Emecheta, Nuruddin Farah, Rosa Guy, C. L. R. James, Michael Moorcock and Jill Murphy – spoke at the event. She was joined by the Director of SOAS Baroness Valerie Amos.

Baroness Valerie Amos with Margaret Busby

Guests also included the legendary activist, writer and scholar Angela Davis and author of the critically acclaimed book Noughts and Crosses, Malorie Blackman, who also held the position of Children's Laureate from 2013 to 2015.

Angela Davis with Margaret Busby

New Daughters of Africa showcases the work of more than 200 women writers of African descent from across the globe and includes contributions from the internationally acclaimed authors Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Zadie Smith.

The new anthology coincides with the launch of The Margaret Busby New Daughters of Africa Award offering an award worth £20,000 for black, female students ordinarily resident in Africa to study at SOAS University of London.

Photo credit: Arnet Tekabe Addis