A powerful read that stuck with me long after reading - one of the essential books in the modern British body of work on race, class and culture. She makes the challenges and battles feel very human and relatable, the stories brought to life really landed her points. I would say critical reading for anyone interested in equipping themselves on this topic.

Immensely readable and personable account of Black British identity- this is a painfully honest read which gives such an insight into Hirsch's experience. Compelling, this is a must read.

A truly eye-opening book. An investigative work on identity in modern Britain. Hirsch speaks intelligently and thoughtfully to the reader without being preachy, she strikes a beautiful balance between the political and the personal, making it hard not to be moved and outraged in equal measure.

This book needs to be read by everyone who claims they "don't see colour" or "race doesn't matter". Race needs to be seen, acknowledged and embraced, and this is the perfect book for those who don't see how they are part of the problem. I wish this book had been around the I was growing up. I wish I read this during my teenage years.

Drawing on her experience a journalist, Afua writes this memoir from a point of cultural criticism, connecting the personal with the political as she explores themes of race, place, and identity. This beautifully written book looks at how everyday racism plays out in British culture (contrary to what many Brits believe - racism isn't just an American problem). It hits you hard and it's painful reading (as it should be for a white woman), but it's o important to feel what this book has to say.

In the current climate of doing the work and self education, this powerful book should reach even more people, and so it should. Bringing a much needed perspective this should be on every persons list seeking to educate themselves on race issues.

I did enjoy the book and I could agree with some of the points, on the other hand, I was expecting something else.

It was interesting to read a mixed race perspective of how it is to be British, as a mixed race person myself, it resonated strongly with me, especially the feeling of belonging, and not having that.

A good insight into racism and growing up mixed race within Britain. Educational and insightful.

I loved this book! It was so fascinating and eye-opening.

This book held my interest from the outset - perhaps because like the author I too am Brit (ish) - although not mixed race (or perhaps, being of South African Dutch descent, perhaps I am - from way back?) Either way, being an immigrant, I identified with much of what she writes about the struggle for identity, "othering", and not belonging. Having visited the Slave Museum in Liverpool, my interest was piqued to learn more about slavery before I read this book, and the author's easy style, (despite the heavy subject matter) makes for a readable version of a lesson in modern history., filling in gaps that are not fully explored nowadays (were they ever?) - as we prefer to celebrate the abolition of slavery, but gloss over how we got there in the first place; she asks why do we separate out "Black History Month" when it is *all* part of history? The book is also about a love affair - with a man who meets her in the middle so to speak of her search for identity and her "home". I thoroughly enjoyed this book and have recommended it widely.

BRIT(ish): On Race, Identity and Belonging tackles a wide range of issues. It is part memoir, part historical exploration, part cultural and class analysis. Hirsch goes deeper than just exploring the root of her identity. She explores the idea of Britishness, the role of the British empire – arguably the most important event in British history – as the largest and most efficient carrier of slaves to the New World, and the reasons why people like her grandparents came to Britain.

“The trouble with the British, observed Salman Rushdie, is that they don’t know their history, because so much of it happened overseas.”

Britishness is an identity in crisis, argues Afua Hirsch. The country has changed from the people that come from its former colonies; it has the fastest growing mixed-race population in Europe. But it has not developed a language that could help indicate the nature of discourses surrounding identity in British public life. There are people who say that they don’t see race or colour. They are deliberately trying to distance themselves from racism and prejudice, thinking that by dismissing whiteness or blackness, they are are also dismissing race as system. But they are not; it is like sweeping the problem under the carpet.

“…… what is unique about Britain,” she writes , “is the convoluted lengths we are willing to go to avoid confronting the problem. We will not name it, we avoid discussing it and, increasingly, we say we can’t see it. We want to be post-racial, without having ever admitted how racial a society we have been.”

This book is at once deeply personal and incredibly public. It is a book written to make you think. Regardless the background and racial identity, it invites people, to think about their history and the world they live in and whether their own behaviour and the way they perceive things make some people to feel feel out of place in the country where they were born and live.

I first heard Afua talk about her book on a Brexit podcast way back at the beginning of 2017. I was immediately excited and then disappointed to hear the release date was so far away. It’s finally here and I can say it was worth the wait!

Brit(ish): On Race, Identity and Belonging examines what it means to be black and mixed race in Britain today. It tackles a wide range of issues from both Afua’s personal viewpoint and a broader perspective, including how to identify when your friends ‘don’t see you as black’, the question (Where are you from?), the age of racism without racists and so much more.

The beginning this book had me brimming with joy. It has everything I want from this type of social commentary. It is autobiographical, full of personal stories and rich illustrations of Afua’s life. It is sociological, diving straight into examinations of how different social forces and identities work with and against each other. It is poetic, bringing across the key points beautifully. It is angry, refusing to hold back in its analysis of racism and social injustice. Afua is unafraid, both to call out and dissect racism in all its forms and to recognise how her own privilege has influenced her path in life.

It is a timely and much needed encyclopedia of race and racism in Britain, covering a number of topics in fascinating detail. My brain is straining trying to remember them all! There are far too many to list but a few include: the objectification of black bodies, the immigration debate, race matching in adoption, Britain’s selective amnesia when it comes its violent past, how to choose a child’s name and in fact how to pronounce a child’s name! At its core is a central theme of searching for an identity and a sense of belonging when no-one in your hometown looks like you but you are still tied to the cultural markings of where you grew up. It is truly challenging, yet very accessible and enjoyable. It has inspired me to add more books about Britain’s relationship with race to my reading list.

As accessible as Brit(ish) is, one aspect of the writing style makes it less so. Crammed full of different topics, often covering three or four in a single chapter, the book regularly jumps between them without an obvious bridge. I often found myself thinking ‘Hang on, how did we get here?!’ When you go back and trace the gap there is always a link, but it is sometimes tenuous so you have to pay really close attention to piece it all together!

Afua does an excellent job of examining how class and gender interlink with race in shaping an individual’s life story. She fully acknowledges the privileges of being born into the ultimate white middle class neighbourhood and getting to study at Oxford, contrasting hers with the typical working class black experience. Similarly, there is a lengthy discussion on the multiple discrimination black women have to endure, which is very well written and so necessary.

However, as is the case with most contemporary liberal/left social commentaries I have read in recent years, I was disappointed to see that little or no space was devoted to the experiences of disabled and LGBT black people. I feel it was a real missed opportunity not to bring in the voices of black disabled people when discussing beauty ideals and eugenics. Afua writes about being ‘disabled and handicapped by blackness’, of having ‘beauty special needs’ and of seemingly non-disabled black children being placed in special needs classes because of their race. I don’t necessarily disagree with the metaphors used and I have often wondered myself whether it is right to conflate the barriers faced by black and disabled people. However, I can’t help but feel uncomfortable that she uses the language of being ‘disabled’ whilst making barely any reference to the experiences of actual black disabled people. There is a small section that refers to the police violence inflicted on disabled young men but even that doesn’t centre them and uses inappropriate language like ‘suffers from autism.’ I know that most of the discussions stem in some way from Afua’s personal experiences and that she is not disabled or LGBT herself, but neither is she a care leaver nor a hypersexualised black man, yet those stories do get told. I also know that the experiences of black disabled and black LGBT people don’t get a lot of media attention, so they may not have been seen as ‘current issues’ worth addressing in the book, but that won’t change unless writers like Afua make an effort to bring them to the forefront.

Frustrations aside, I’m so glad I read this book! It is a rich, (mostly) comprehensive and critical analysis of where we are with racism in Britain. It’s not an academic argument, but a passionate, personal and entertaining illustration of just how far we have to go before we eradicate racial prejudice in the UK. I think everyone who reads this book (especially white people) will learn something from it, no matter their background or interests and I would recommend it as an important text for all.

8/10

Briti (ish)

Afua Hirsch

Jonathan Cape

Publication date 01 February 2018

Source Netgalley

The author outlines her personal journey to find her own identity. She explains how she dealt with being different from the homogenized white community in which she grew up, a community that discouraged any discussion of her; Blackness, her racial culture, or the history of that culture within the British Isles. She speaks of how this neglect was mirrored in most of her education. The author explores her search for belonging, speaking of her travels through various African countries and how these journeys left her confused and uncertain where she belonged.

In addition, she narrates her library journeys into Black history and she uses this reading to brilliant effect in this book, backgrounding her personal narrative with an academic, journalistic, examination of Britain’s relationship with race, slavery, and its Black citizens. Using the work of Peter Fryer and other Black British writers, she examines the; past, present, and future of race relations within Britain. She argues that this country has suffered amnesia when it comes to its pivotal role within slavery. The author argues that as a society we show an ignorance concerning Black peoples’ role within British culture. In addition, she argues that we often misrepresent the current state of race relations in Britain today.

She then explores the differences within the black experience by comparing her own privileged upbringing, which had all the material advantages but was disconnected to her black roots and culture, with that of her partner who had none of her material privileges but was, and is, very grounded within his Black culture. She extends this narrative with an exploration of other mixed race individuals. This book mixes; personal narrative, with academic rigour, and a journalistic writing style to offer a compelling look at Britain today. It is a must read.

An important and urgent book that's hit our shelves at just the write time. I knew this was a book I was going to buy once I saw the author in the UK media, standing up for her beliefs and being ostracized for it. Afua is a writer with a passion and it was a pleasure to learn from her.

Afua Hirsch invites us into her experience of growing up in the UK and her search for identity as a British person with a Ghanian background. Using her story, Hirsch critiques how we see and treat different races in the UK. I found the book to be immensely challenging, moving and educating. As a white British man, there is so much to learn here. It was a throughly excellent and humbling read that I would recommend to anyone living in the UK.

There are many topics that Hirsch explores as she follows her journey of grappling for identity. Hirsch grew up in Wimbledon as one of the only black people in a middle class area. She moves from London to university in Cambridge to Senegal to Ghana trying to belong and find where she belongs (insightfully, she confirms that her time in Ghana was an exercise in coming to terms with her Britishness). Hirsch contrasts her experience with that of her now husband who grew up in Tottenham: "The defining issue of my life had been feeling isolated in a world where everyone else around me was white. The defining issue of Sam's life had been working out how to escape conditions of poverty which trapped people, in his world, who were almost entirely black."

The primary thrust of the text is that Britain likes to see itself as a 'post-racial', 'multicultural' society but this is simply not true. We are refusing to acknowledge the impact of colonialism on "the fabric of everyday British life, everywhere." Hirsch writes that "[m]any choose the easy option, declaring that they 'do not see race' at all, an opt-out which obscures their understanding of the diverse heritage, identity and inequalities so closely linked in our society to ethnicity and race."

As someone who has lived in more northern parts of the UK, if there was one criticism of the book it would be that it is predominately London-centric. This is natural - both Hirsch and her partner Sam grew up in different parts of London. However, I would love to learn more about experiences elsewhere in the UK.

At the end of the book Hirsch states that she hopes that this book is the beginning of an overdue conversation about race, identity and belonging in the UK. I hope it is too. Everything in this book feels urgent. Once your eyes are open you cannot go back. Over the last few days I have been wrestling with my experiences living in Sheffield and growing up in Nottinghamshire. This is such an important topic - it is well written and well researched. Thank you to Afua Hirsch for sharing parts of your life and your experience of life in the UK. Thank you for your vulnerability. Thank you for challenging me, provoking thought and giving me a resounding wake up call.

I was very kindly given a free digital copy of this book via the publisher and Netgalley.

I have recently read another book on the same subject, so it was interesting to compare this author's research and opinions.

Yes, some parts seem very confrontational and uncomfortable to me, a British white person, but that is one of its strengths. You want a book to make you feel and think, to extend your knowledge and broaden your horizons. I didn't agree with everything written, but I can at least try and understand why the author feels this way or that.

Definitely the sort of book you should take the time out to read and I'll definitely be buying a copy that I can pass on to friends and family. These are important discussions that we should all be having.

I enjoyed most of this book: I found it informative and fascinating when general and interesting and even poignant when occasionally personal (Afua Hirsch's discussion of her own name was particularly great). The subject was not precisely new and fresh for me, but my knowledge of race/racism/anti-racist discourse is, for many reasons, influenced largely by American approaches and sources. I found it interesting to see the similarities, some largely unknown to me (more information about riots in the UK, police brutality, beauty / fetishisation / commodification of Black cool) - but also the differences and their analysis. I knew very, very little about Ghana prior to reading this book, and now I certainly feel less ignorant (or at least my ignorance has a more concrete shape). It did what it promised to do, and was never boring (though transitions and some asides felt very journalistic - which is not bad in itself, but I wouldn't have minded shorter essays with more narrow themes instead of fairly general broad topics. I thought the part about body and sex was a very mixed bag, for instance - occasionally great, occasionally almost prurient if not clickbaity; the opening made me roll my eyes - felt like very by-the-numbers newspaper article).

One of my favourite parts concerned whiteness and the way in which Britishness (Englishness) perceives itself as a threatened identity (for reasons altogether separate from migration) and reacts by exclusion and harkening back to (in)glorious imperial past - while so ignorant of what that past was actually like (thanks to heritage industry). As Hirsch argues, a more stable and conscious national identity can lend itself to openness, to building community based on shared values and positive features, on feeling a part of society rather than on excluding others to feel better and forget one's insecurity.

All the same, I wish the analysis had at times gone a little deeper, and with a little less repetition / occasional contradiction or misstep (I sort of think she misstates what the American brown paper bag test was (purported to be), and I disagree with her suggestion that it took the Brexit vote for *European* migrants in the UK to feel that they're facing discrimination - right after mentioning Eastern Europeans killed in the UK for speaking their first language; these extreme examples didn't suddenly sprout fully-formed out of nowhere. Hirsch is much more at home and convincing talking Black British experience than trying to extrapolate or compare with American racism or Eastern European migrant life).

“The problem is, there is still race, and there is still racism. Denying it does not solve the problem, it creates two further problems. First, it assumes that seeing race is something bad, that perhaps to admit to seeing race is to embark on the slippery slope towards racism. Given that most of the prejudice and othering I’ve experienced in my life has come courtesy of polite, smiling people who claimed not to see race, I know that this is not true.”

In her debut book, Brit(ish): On Race, Identity and Belonging, Afua Hirsch explores our national state of denial; this collective amnesia that celebrates abolition, yet forgets our formative role in the slave trade. That waxes nostalgic about the Empire yet forgets that it has led to the destruction of peoples, cultures, and identities across the globe. That now leads us to believe that we can be “colour blind” without ever having done any of the messy, complicated, painful work of acknowledging and dismantling the structural racism that continues today.

Hirsch’s book covers an incredible breadth of ways in which this amnesia and ingrained racism manifests itself in modern society. Whether it’s in perceptions of beauty, access to education, poverty; or at the core of this work: identity.

Hirsch also provides us with a unique perspective, as she comes from a mixed heritage. Her mother is black and Ghanaian, while her father is white and the son of a Jewish German refugee. As such, this is not simply a book about being black in Britain, but something much more complex about being of mixed heritage and searching for an identity in a Britain that assumes you are not "from here" and a Ghana that sees you as a light-skinned, Western tourist. I also found it particularly interesting when Hirsch took the experiences of her Jewish ancestors and put them in the context of Brexit and perceptions of who does and doesn't qualify as a "Good Immigrant".


“The last recorded image from a human zoo – a hugely popular form of entertainment for white audiences from London to Stuttgart to North America and France – was taken in 1958. It shows a little black girl in the ‘Congolese Village’ at a human zoo in Brussels, no more than four or five years old, being fed by a member of the crowd who reaches an outstretched hand into the enclosure, dozens of others watching in amusement.”

This is a book that I have been waiting a long time for. Most of what I’ve read about race has been written by American authors; this does not negate the importance of their work, but I’ve yet to find their British counterparts that aren’t dry history books. At times I was shocked (especially by the above quote), others I was outraged, and others moved. I’m immensely grateful to Hirsch for taking what must be very personal and painful experiences and putting them against a backdrop of the British history that we do not get taught. I was particularly glad when she tackled Brexit and another of our national obsessions, immigration:


“The frustration and fear affecting these people was clearly justified – they faced uncertainty in key areas of their and their family’s future. But it was equally obvious to me that the root causes of these problems had relatively little to do with immigration. The family unable to access social housing in Hertfordshire were experiencing the repercussions of successive government decisions not to build or replenish anywhere near enough social housing stock to meet demand.”

The only thing that prevented me from giving this a five-star rating was that I felt some of the chapters were too long and a couple a bit convoluted. The chapter about class was eventually spot-on, but it took a long time moving through both the music industry and police brutality before she finally tied those things to how race intersects with class.

Overall, this is a fantastic book, and a critical contribution to the little accessible literature we have on race in Britain. Many people will take one look at this and think this is not the book for them. I’d argue that that very thought means it is.

Afua Hirsch, daughter of an Englishman of German-Jewish descent and a Ghanaian mother, grew up in Wimbledon in rather affluent and educated surroundings. Her skin colour did not really matter when she was a kid, but growing up, she became more and more aware of the fact that she does not really belong: she isn’t white as the others and she isn’t black either. Being “mixed” did not double her identity but create a gap. For years she has been searching for her identity, for a place of belonging. “Brit(ish)” is the result of this process and a sharp analysis of what “black” and “white” actually mean in Britain.

I found Afua Hirsch’s book quite informative and interesting. She creates an easily readable mixture of a personal report, her feelings and experiences, combined with journalistic facts and figures which underline and support her theories. Thus the book gives you a deep insight in this highly complex and definitely neglected topic.

Afua Hirsch addresses several aspects which reflect the concept of “otherness” pretty well, amongst them origins, bodies and places. The simple question “where are you from” becomes highly difficult if you feel like being British but are perceived as being different and foreign. It becomes even more complicated when you go to another country, in Afua Hirsch’s case Senegal, where you are identified as absolutely British. The sense of not belonging to either group makes it especially hard to build an identity. Added to this a cultural attributions society makes to certain groups, e.g. the black being uneducated and criminals – which might run counter to one’s own perception. Afua Hirsch describes it as

“a permanent and constant consciousness of feeling at odds with my surroundings, of being defined by skin, hair, an unpronounceable name, and the vague fact of a murky background from a place that was synonymous with barbarity and wretchedness, I was that awkward, highly noticeable outsider (...), everywhere.”

The examples she provides of what happened to black people in Britain are stunning, we as Europeans like to believe that we are less prejudiced, more open-minded and “colourblind”, particularly in comparison to the USA, but reality tells a different story. In Britain, the concept of class adds to the racial differences and complicates the situation even more.

What I personally found most interesting was the contrast between the American blacks and the British. How they identify themselves, how they bond and develop a kind of group identity or sense of belonging overseas whereas the British never became a common group since they did not share an experience like segregation in the US.

Even though the book is neither journalistically neutral nor a pure personal report, it is absolutely worth reading to get an impression of the topic. I would absolutely agree that there is a white spot on black British history which needs to be filled.

Afua Hirsch has in opinion written the most important book I ever read on the race divide in Britain, that should be read not just by those that are already singing in the choir but by everyone. If you know me, you may well get this book for your next birthday.

She explores in great detail "The Question" (as in: where are you from), origins of racism, how non-white bodies are seen, heritage, class and what it means to not be white in British society today. It is detailed and personal, but objective at the same time and it is oh so accessible, but that does not mean this is an easy book to read. Accessible in a way that she wants you to understand and explains everything in detail, but Afua Hirsch does also ask you to look in the mirror. I had many moments of confronting my own colour blindness, stupid and thoughtless things I have said to Black or Asian people.

Like her, I hope that this book is a start of a conversation. Reading it will certainly give you food for thought and also plenty of arguments for dealing with people who keep telling you "we are overrun with immigrants." or "in Britain we see no colour, there is a black chap at my workplace and he is a nice guy".