THIS WEEK


The Black Issue 2022 Q&A: Joseph Coelho


Coelho finds the magical touch by drawing on memories from childhood


Black British writer, playwright and performance poet Joseph Coelho’s children’s books explore themes of joy, self-love and acceptance and adventure—he discusses his latest, Our Tower, set in an urban high-rise


The majority of your children’s books have an enchanting and fantastical quality to them. Why are these elements important to you?


Those are the elements that got me hooked on fiction across books, films and TV when I was a kid. Things like Narnia. I found this idea that you could disappear into a magical world totally enchanting. It’s what interests me but also I wanted to put it in the context of the places I grew up or the families I recognised, because I always felt quite annoyed as a kid that I didn’t grow up in a big house with a massive wardrobe, therefore it felt like I didn’t have access to magic—as silly as that may sound now. So as an adult, I try to create stories in lots of different contexts, including working-class families where magic is possible and accessible.


Reporting Julia Mallory 18 20th May 2022


Speaking of adventure and magic, your latest book, Our Tower, follows three


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