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Posted on December 10th 2019
Taking up spaces in power: Penguin Books and Stormzy descend on HASN
On Monday our sixth formers were lucky enough to attend a major event “Taking Up Spaces in Power,” hosted by us in collaboration with Penguin books. In 2018 Penguin set up #Merky Books in collaboration with Stormzy, which aims to find and publish the best writers of a new generation and to publish the stories that are not bring heard. This event, exclusive to HASN, involved a panel debate held by the following authors streamed live on social media.
The following authors told their own inspirational stories:
Chelsea Kwakye and Ore Ogunbiyi are both graduates from Cambridge university. Their book – Taking Up Space – talks about their experiences of taking space as women of colour in a predominantly white institution.
They wrote Taking up Space as a guide and a manifesto for change. Today Chelsea is studying to be a lawyer, and Ore is working as a Special Assistant and Speechwriter to the Vice President of Nigeria.
Derek Owusu is a writer, poet and podcaster. His book The Reminds Me explores questions of identity, belonging, addiction, sexuality, violence, family and religion.
Eniola Aluko is a footballer with 102 caps for England and 33 goals to her name. her book They Don’t Teach this is a memoir of her incredible experiences on and off the pitch, including being the first female pundit on Match of the Day.
Halfway through the students were shocked by a special guest arriving: ex HASN student Stormzy himself! Stormzy delivered the powerful message that there is nothing more powerful than being well educated and well read. In a particularly touching moment Stormzy saw Sue who worked in the canteen when Stormzy was a South Norwood student and he said “It’s Sue. She saved many a kid you know.”
We can’t wait to see our brilliant sixth formers “Taking up spaces in power.”
for more images click here
https://www.thebookseller.com/news/stormzy-takes-merky-authors-former-school-1132856
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