In a special feature to mark Black History Month, writer and performer Natalie Twum-Barima records an exclusive poem for 100 Voices for 100 Years. It’s a moving tribute to the families of Windrush and we’re thrilled that Natalie is going to be one of the writers that will be featured in the beautiful book we’re making (see below for more details).

She says of her involvement in the project:

As a female writer and poet, I was honoured when Miranda asked me to write a piece for the ‘100 voices for 100 years’ book. As Ros Ball recently mentioned in her Unbound post, women are still under represented in print and producing this book ensures that an array of female voices do not go unheard and that readers have insight into the various experiences and talents that exist. 

Being a black British woman comes with its own hurdles to overcome, however celebrating Black History Month reminds us of the brave contributions that many have made and are still making to benefit us today. This month reminds us that with the right mindset, support system and commitment it is possible to overcome challenges and make great impact.  

In terms of my writing style, I like to be versatile and ultimately aim to deliver a message that will either address questions that the audience may have been asking themselves or leave them with food for thought. 

In light of it being black history month, here’s an example of a piece I wrote about the Windrush movement:

Natalie Twum-Barima has been a spoken word artist for 6 years and is a resident poet at Well Versed Ink’s monthly events in Box Park, Croydon. She is also a trained actress and has written and starred in such pieces as her own one-woman show. Natalie also sings at her church. You can find her on Instagram: natalietb1

The 100 Voices book is currently crowdfunding on Unbound. We’d love you to check it out: https://unbound.com/books/100-voices/