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Race is a Story: Writing for Social Change with Uju Asika
Friday, Mar. 25
6-7:15 PM
online event; open to the public and all mentees & mentors
Race is a fiction but it’s also a fact of life. In her book Bringing Up Race, author and GWN mentor alumna Uju Asika invites people of all ethnicities into transformative conversations around identity, belonging and how we can rewrite narratives to create a more inclusive society.
For this Friday Night Salon, Uju will share some of her journey to self-celebration as a Black girl growing up in a foreign land. She will lead participants through writing prompts inspired by some of the themes in her book. She will also discuss elements of craft, including writing narrative nonfiction, how different writing styles can shape your voice, and how to keep your cool when you’re writing about hot button topics!
At Friday Night Salons, a special guest artist shares their personal and professional journey and guides us through a series of inspirational writing prompts.
Meet the Teaching Artist
Uju Asika
Uju Asika is a multi-award nominated blogger, screenwriter and creative consultant. She is the author of Bringing Up Race: How to Raise a Kind Child in a Prejudiced World, published by Yellow Kite (Hachette) in September 2020 and by Sourcebooks USA in May 2021. Featured in Good Housekeeping, Marie Claire, BBC Good Morning Sunday and BBC Woman’s Hour among numerous outlets. The book earned starred reviews in Publisher’s Weekly and BookPage and the Evening Standard named Bringing Up Race one of the Best Books of September 2020 calling it ‘timely and important’. A former journalist, Uju’s writing has appeared in publications such as The Guardian, salon.com, Time Out and the Daily Times Nigeria. She is the founder of the Top 10 UK Mum Blog and Top 10 London Lifestyle blog Babes About Town and a former screenwriter/script editor for some of Africa’s top TV dramas including the multi award-winning Tinsel. Born in Nigeria, Uju grew up in the UK and has lived and worked in London, New York and Lagos. She is based in north London with her husband Abiye and their teenage sons. Follow Uju at babesabouttown.com and @babesabouttown across social media.
MORE ABOUT UJU’S BOOK
“Uju Asika has written a necessary book for our times.”–Chika Unigwe, author of On Black Sisters’ Street
Bringing Up Race is an important book, for all families whatever their race or ethnicity. It’s for everyone who wants to instill a sense of open-minded inclusivity in their kids, and those who want to discuss difference instead of shying away from tough questions. Uju Asika draws on often shocking personal stories of prejudice along with opinions of experts, influencers, and fellow parents to give prescriptive advice in this invaluable guide.
Available now for purchase!
This event is open to:
all mentees, all mentors and the public
