The George Padmore Institute (GPI) is delighted to announce the publication of its first young adult (YA) book.

Roots and Roti is a novel-with-verse by award-winning writer Kat François.

Written for readers aged 11–13, this moving and often humorous book is inspired by the histories of the UK’s Black, Asian and Caribbean communities which are depicted in the unique archive collections held by the GPI. The novel tells the tale of a tall Black teen nicknamed Tiny and his struggles in twenty-first century London, echoing experiences still encountered by too many Black teens around the country.

This is the first novel by poet, playwright and educator Kat François, whose previous work included the play Raising Lazurus about Caribbean soldiers in the First World War. Being commissioned to write the novel after an open call by the GPI was an opportunity Kat grabbed. She said: ‘Combining my interests of Black British history, story writing and poetry into one novel has been an exciting and rewarding journey. The importance of our stories, voices and history being shared in a manner accessible to young people is unquantifiable.’

Sharmilla Beezmohun, editor and GPI trustee, said: ‘The GPI’s late co-founder, John La Rose, aimed to break what he called the “discontinuity of information” between generations of Britain’s diverse peoples through publishing books about their experiences. This great novel continues this ethos, with a finely crafted work which lovingly depicts family relationships as they are impacted by issues ranging from bullying and illness to hidden stories from the past.’

Book available at:

https://www.georgepadmoreinstitute.org/shop?*=Roots+and+Roti