Scholastic UK acquires 'heart-stopping' Windrush story by Zephaniah

Scholastic UK is to publish Windrush Child by Benjamin Zephaniah as part of its Voices series. 

Elizabeth Scoggins, publisher of non-fiction, brands and licensing, acquired world rights from Emily Talbot at United Agents. Windrush Child will be published in October 2020. 

Voices is a middle-grade series of "powerful" narrative non-fiction that celebrates the lives of BAME protagonists from times in history such as the Second World War or the Roman period. Other contributing authors include Rai, Patrice Lawrence, E L Norry and Leila Rasheed. The series was developed by Scoggins alongside editor-at-large Tony Bradman.

Windrush Child is a "heart-stopping" adventure based on true events of the Windrush in 1948. 

Zephaniah said: "I am a Windrush Child. It was only by chance that I was born in England. Just a quick decision by my mother. I grew up listening to stories of people of my generation talking about what it was like to grow up in the ‘mother country’. It was good, but it was bad, and sometimes it was ugly. This is reflected in my contribution to the Voices series. I like my fiction to be true."

Scoggins added: "We have had such a positive response to the Voices series so far with its themes of authentic inclusivity and issues around young people’s experiences of coming to the UK. I couldn’t be more thrilled to be welcoming Benjamin Zephaniah to the list with his own Voices story introducing young readers to the experiences of the Windrush generation."