The shop was hosting a book club with T S Eliot Prize-shortlisted poet Yomi Sode the day aſter our call. “We wouldn’t have been able to do that in the previous space,” Bain tells me. The club is funded by the Universit of Brighton, but in Afrori’s last premises this money would have gone to fund the space, as Bain had to pay an additional fee to use it for evening events. This money can now be used to pay the author. “It means we are able to cover expenses for Yomi to come from London and run a book club for us,” she explains. “It means we’re able to offer that event for free to the communit. These are all massive changes, because Black authors don’t get the same platforms and experiences that their white peers get.” Bain previously had to ask publishers to cover the hire fee for the author. “We were having publishers just saying ‘no’,” she explains.
Right at home
The space the shop relocated to matered to Bain, and the team has transformed it into something that feels ready to welcome a communit. “We had no autonomy over the space at all at our previous place,” she says. “We weren’t allowed to paint or do anything like that.” Bain has found that freedom in the new shop, and says “there’s definitely a sense of ownership and autonomy”—including a lick of paint on the walls and lively window displays. On one of the six-foot windows of the new premises, her daughter Olivia Bain, who works full-time in the shop, has painted the cover of Krystle Zara Appiah’s Rootless (The Borough Press). The title is the shop’s book of the month for May, and Bain describes its cover to me, saying that it features the silhouetes of a Black man and woman facing each other. “Our new venue is on the corner of Queen’s Road in Brighton, and eight million people walk down Queen’s Road every year,” she says. “Let’s just say that half of them notice us: that’s millions of people gaining an awareness of Black authors, just by the window alone.”
Top picks
UnMothered A J Akoto Arachne Press, 13th July, pb, £9.99, 9781913665807
All the Fighting Parts Hannah V Sawyerr Amulet Books, 26th October, hb, £13.90, 9781419762611
A Song of Me and You Mike Gayle Hodder & Stoughton, 6th July, hb, £16.99, 9781529344844
The Battle Drum Saara El-Arifi HarperVoyager, 25th May, hb, £16.99, 9780008450458
TheBookseller.com
Début illustrator Tomekah George’s first project is illustrating picture book Becoming Brave for Little Tiger. Written by Jennie Cashman Wilson for children aged four to seven, Becoming Brave explores the relationship between Cashman Wilson and her late husband, critically acclaimed jazz musician Abram Wilson. George spoke to Natasha Onwuemezi about the process of creating a book for the first time, and her illustration for this week’s copy of The Bookseller.
1 What was your experience of illustrating a book for the first time?
Becoming Brave is based on a true story, so I was concerned with getting the right tone and artwork to bring both characters to life in a way that felt authentic. As someone who tends to work on projects with short deadlines, I enjoyed building a world within the book, working on a more extended project and seeing ideas change and improve over time.
2 What was your process, and how did your ideas come to life?
I started by reading an outline of Jenny’s beautiful story and created a test spread based on a small section. Those early pages led to a lot of the visual language present throughout the pages of the picture book. As the book progressed, I listened to a lot of jazz music and created textures and motifs that reflected the sounds of the instruments.
3 How would you describe your art style, and how has it developed?
I enjoy an eclectic mixture of processes, such as printmaking, collage and bold colour. Over the years, I’ve kept my process quite experimental and fun, and that’s enabled me to carve an art style that I enjoy working in and can adapt to a range of materials and commercial projects.
4 What has your illustration career been like thus far?
I took a risk trying to pursue a career as an illustrator. I’m so grateful for the experiences and work from clients who have trusted and supported my work from around the world. I’ve been able to work on various projects, from animation to ceramics and now a picture book. Working as an illustrator is still a dream come true, and I have so many ideas and future projects I would love to see come to fruition.
5 How did you come to work with Little Tiger?
I’ve been very fortunate with timing, sharing my work online, and advice and support from other illustrators. A mixture of the three led to my fantastic designer and editor finding my illustrations on Twitter and commissioning me. I think publishing is a very rewarding but sometimes lengthy process. Working with Jenny and the Little Tiger team was a brilliant experience. I couldn’t have asked for a more supportive team, which is essential when work- ing with a new format while illustrating your first kids’ book.
6 Thank you for your illustration for this issue of The Bookseller
(above). Could you explain the concept behind it? The illustration shows a cityscape with different pens and books. It’s a nod to the new and diverse stories waiting to be found in the magazine and, I guess, publishing as a whole.
Becoming Brave, illustrated by Tomekah George, is written by Jennie Cashman Wilson and will be published by Little Tiger on 3rd August (£12.99,978 1838914646).
Q&A Q&A
To ekah George
Tomekah Geo
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