Voices of the Past
Journey back through time with three incredible authors as they explore the rich and complex narratives of Black Historical Fiction. Chaired by award-winning cultural historian, and founder of the Free Books Campaign, Sofia Akel, this thought-provoking conversation promises to be an illuminating dive into the imagination and dedication to crafting often untold stories.
The event will be followed by an opportunity to ask the authors your own questions and the chance to get your books signed. Continue your evening in the foyer of Brixton House for a specially curated selection of books available to purchase from local bookseller Round Table Books.
Pepsi DeMacque-Crockett has enjoyed a long and fulfilling career within the entertainment industry through the 80s and 90s, as part of the pop band WHAM! and later in the duo Pepsi and Shirlie. Her parents arrived in Britain from the island of Saint Lucia in the mid-1950s and settled in West London. After growing up in London surrounded by a vibrant Caribbean community, Pepsi herself now lives in St Lucia.
Varaidzo is a writer, editor, and artist. She was previously the Digital Editor at Wasafiri, and the Arts & Culture Editor at gal-dem. Her short story ‘Bus Stop’ was shortlisted for the Guardian 4th Write Prize 2018. She is a contributor to the bestselling anthology The Good Immigrant (Unbound, 2016) and the romance anthology Who’s Loving You (Trapeze, 2021). Her art project Black British Figures, which documents notable black British figures pre-Windrush, has been featured in Metro, Vice UK and BBC Two, and has been exhibited in Theatre Peckham. Her debut novel Manny And The Baby was published in April 2024.
Elle Machray grew up in Birmingham to Caribbean and Scottish parents. They are an Observer Top 10 Debut Novelist and featured on The List's Top 100 influential people of 2024. After graduating from the Harper Collins Author Academy in spring 2021, Elle's debut novel Remember, Remember was longlisted for the Mslexia Novel Prize, judged by Hilary Mantel. Remember, Remember was also shortlisted for Scotland's National Book Award. In the fleeting moments between writing and working, you can find Elle on social media talking about books, history and a never ending quest to relax.
Sofia Akel is an award-winning historian, creative consultant, writer, host and lecturer of Black British history. She founded the Free Books Campaign, a non-profit that gets books to those who can’t afford them for free. Her work has been featured in British Vogue, BBC 1Xtra, Channel 4 News, ITV News, Sky History and more. In addition to publishing sector-leading research on socio-political issues in the UK, she lends her talent to documentary, TV, audio and music videos: credits including Tribeca Film Festival 2023 Select and UKMVA nominated music video.
This event is in partnership with Dark Matter and Brixton House.