natives race and class in the ruins of empire review

I wanted to love this book, and I still think incredibly highly of Akala, if anything - I think my feelings towards the book are more reflective of a failure on the part of the editors/publishers - as some of this should undoubtedly been their role. Maybe that's okay as it was a memoir, and having to couch every statement would have taken away from the message, but to me parts of the argument that was trying to be built in the book felt undermined by this lack of intellectual rigour, instead - completely understandably - guided by his impassioned personal stance.

There are parts of the book that are interesting - where I learnt new bits of history, or the odd interesting perspective on certain societal norms, but there are also parts which I found really frustrating - where Akala extrapolated his own personal experiences to make broader sweeping statements. Whilst it is undoubtedly a good book, I have to say I was somewhat disappointed.

Natives is the searing modern polemic and Sunday Times bestseller from the BAFTA and MOBO award-winning musician and political commentator, Akala.I have seen Akala speak in interviews and in panel shows, and I rate him very highly, so I was drawn to this book.

In this unique book he takes his own experiences and widens them out to look at the social, historical and political factors that have left us where we are today.Ĭovering everything from the police, education and identity to politics, sexual objectification and the far right, Nativesspeaks directly to British denial and squeamishness when it comes to confronting issues of race and class that are at the heart of the legacy of Britain’s racialised empire. ‘I recommend Natives to everyone’ Candice Carty-Williamsįrom the first time he was stopped and searched as a child, to the day he realised his mum was white, to his first encounters with racist teachers – race and class have shaped Akala’s life and outlook. It’s personal, historical, political, and it speaks to where we are now’ Benjamin Zephaniah ‘T his is the book I’ve been waiting for – for years.

*RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK* SHORTLISTED FOR THE JAMES TAIT BLACK PRIZE | THE JHALAK PRIZE | THE BREAD AND ROSES AWARD & LONGLISTED FOR THE ORWELL PRIZE FOR POLITICAL WRITING

Natives race and class in the ruins of empire review