Welcome to the NWJS Black History Online Book Club
This idea of developing an Online Book Club to explore and review books about Black History, our Shared History and Caribbean History, was launched in Black History Month 2020 by the North Wales Jamaica Society with a great Zoom session discussing the wide range of Black History books there are in both non fiction and historical fiction, as well as children's books and out of print publications.
We are now pulling together ideas to engage with authors and guests in our various online activities to enable people to find out about resources that are interesting, informative and enjoyable. We will also be encouraging new writers and new ways of writing with ebooks and interactive websites.
Reading for starters: 'Slave Wales: The Welsh and Atlantic Slavery, 1660-1850' by Prof Chris Evans Check HERE
We expect everyone who registers with the BH Book Club to be one of our Review Team to read this, as it will often be referred to and gives us a common base. To find out more please use Contact Us
Amazon shares this summary of Chris Evans book:
'Between the mid-fifteenth and the mid-nineteenth centuries, nearly twelve million Africans were enslaved and transported across the Atlantic to colonies in North and South America and the West Indies.
With Slave Wales, Chris Evans traces the role that Wales and the Welsh played in this infamous trade. Evans reveals that many of these slaves were purchased with commodities like copper and brass that originated in Wales. He also shows that some of the wealth that slaves generated in the West Indies made its way back to Wales, often to fund the construction of furnaces and mills.
With appearances by Henry Morgan, Thomas Williams, Anthony Bacon, and Thomas Picton, this penetrating investigation will be required reading for historians on both sides of the Atlantic.'
This book will give ideas for research into Wales shared history relating to the slave trade and Chris Evans was supportive of the 'Sheep to Sugar' project support NLHF and managed by Learning Links International www.welshplains.cymru
This book is essential reading!
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So join us and bring your coffee on the THIRD WEDNESDAY morning 9.30 each week.
Several years ago the Learning Links International Team ran a very successful pilot Black History Month Book Club in Colwyn Bay at the Centre for Cultural Engagement, with support from Colwyn Bay Library. Now we are following this up with an online version, but as the BH Book Club co-ordinating team are based in North Wales, the books listed are our choices relevant to us, but we are happy to take on other suggestions.
The thread of Black History being followed in this Book Club is about our shared history, with a focus on Wales shared history with countries and peoples around the world.
Covid is bringing many challenges, but also gives many opportunities, we are taking the opportunity to try out our new Zoom skills to link people who are interested in reading more about Black History and those writing about Black History, both as non-fiction and historical fiction, as well as poetry.
