MCB releasing two new versions of Olusoga's Black and British

Macmillan Children's Books is releasing two new editions of Black and British, the book by historian and broadcaster Professor David Olusoga which was originally published by Macmillan’s adult publishing arm in 2016.

The first title will be Black and British: A Short, Essential History publishing in paperback on 1st October 2020. This edition is an introduction to 1800 years of black British history from Roman Africans who guarded Hadrian’s Wall right up to present day, abridged for children aged 12+. It will be illustrated throughout with maps, photos and portraits.

Fifty pence from every copy sold this year will be donated to The Black Curriculum, a social enterprise founded in 2019 to address the lack of black British history in the UK curriculum.

In September 2021 an illustrated version of Black and British for Key Stage 2 children, aged 8+, will be published. It will feature the major events in black British history and biographies of key figures.

Gaby Morgan, editorial director at Macmillan Children’s Books, said: “We were working on a large format, illustrated edition of Black and British for publication in 2021 when the Black Lives Matter protests began raising urgent conversations about education, what it means to be an effective ally and the need to make a real and immediate change in society. David asked if we could accelerate the process and bring an abridged version of the adult edition to market. This short and essential history guides the conversation and provides context for current events aimed at an audience of 12+."

Olusuga is a British-Nigerian historian, author, presenter and BAFTA winning film-maker. He is professor of public history at the University of Manchester, the author of five books and a columnist for the Observer, the Voice and BBC History Magazine, also writing for the Guardian and New Statesman. He presents the long-running BBC history series “A House Through Time” and wrote and presented the multi-award winning BBC series "Britain’s Forgotten Slave Owners".

Black and British: A Forgotten History was originally published in 2016 by Pan Macmillan and won the PEN Hessell-Tiltman Prize and the Longman-History Today Trustees Award.

Olusoga said: “Ever since Black and British: A Forgotten History was published in 2016, young people and their parents have been asking me to write a book for younger readers. This book is an introduction. It is a place to start learning about black British history and it will introduce you to some of the thousands of black people who made their homes in Britain in past centuries. It is the book I wish I had been given to read when I was at school.”