The joy of commissioning Children of the Benin Kingdom


Sonya McGilchrist, owner of Dinosaur Books Ltd, talks about why Children of the Benin Kingdom by Dinah Orji is helping to change perceptions of Black and African history. The publication of the book is part of the movement to decolonise history, and the broader curriculum, by featuring more diverse voices and helping to tell stories from a wider viewpoint.


R Pride


He goes on to explain: “I grew up being told that Africans never wrote books. But here was this astonishing treasure trove of extraordinary handwritten manuscripts... books about math, astronomy, philosophy. I felt incredible pride and vindication.”


I know exactly how he feels. I, too, grew up without anything in my education that even hinted at the amazing history of the African Kingdoms – without any acknowledgement of the historical


ECENTLY, I have been watching


African Civilisations, a landmark documentary


series about the many important civilisations that have flourished in prehistoric and historic times on the continent of Africa.


The series is presented by Henry Louis Gates Jnr, an esteemed American historian. In one episode he visits the site of the famous library at Timbuktu, which in Europe’s middle ages was one of the world’s most developed centres of learning. Henry admits that when he first visited the library, he cried.


achievements of Black people. It’s an unpleasant feeling to have. I hope that Black children at school today have a more rounded and accurate picture. I hope that they understand that Black people have a sophisticated cultural heritage to be proud of – a heritage as impressive as any of the ‘classical’ civilisations that we all know about. But I am not convinced that they do.


World Class


There is more awareness now than when I was growing up, but the rich and diverse history of Africa is still not taught or celebrated often enough – and this has a profound impact on how Black children in Britain see themselves. It’s vital for Black children to understand that the continent of their heritage produced, and produces, world class works of art, literature and science. It can be difficult to explain, but somehow that knowledge – and that public acknowledgement – is important for a child’s confidence about who they are, and what they can do.


Yes, Black children can see many more inspirational role models, in all walks of life, in the world around them – but history matters too, the stories we learn about our ancestors


Sonya McGilchrist (sonya@ dinosaurbooks.co.uk) is owner of Dinosaur Books Ltd. www.dinosaurbooks.co.uk


influence how we see ourselves; we learn from past mistakes and past success. History is a vital subject. So for me at Dinosaur Books it was a joy to commission Dinah Orji, who is of Nigerian heritage, to write a story set in the Kingdom of Benin. For me, it felt right to find an author of Nigerian heritage to tell the story, as at Dinosaur Books we believe that fiction such as this, where the cultural setting and location are such an important part of the story, deserves an author that is intimately connected with that culture.


Sublime art


The Kingdom of Benin is one of the most fascinating of the many impressive historical African civilisations. It was influenced in important ways by another West African kingdom, Ile Ife. Both cultures flourished in what is today Nigeria and there were extensive trade links between the two. After Ife began to decline, Benin continued to expand and grew into a sophisticated kingdom with a powerful ruler who commissioned commemorative works of art in copper and brass. The result was an artistic revolution. The king’s craftsmen produced sublime sculptures that are today recognised as treasures of global


Autumn-Winter 2020


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