Queenie is a compelling exploration of Black motherhood – I’m glad I gave it a second chance

By Olumayokun Ogunde, PhD Candidate in English, City, University of London

Like a lot of 20-something-year-old Black women, when the novel Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams debuted in 2019, I was quick to get my hands on it. After devouring it in a day, I was left with the frustration and dissatisfaction that many readers shared.

It’s difficult to spend time with a character who seems both familiar and foreign. Queenie is self-destructive and lost, and watching her pine after a white ex-boyfriend who doesn’t care about her and discard the friendships that seemed to be keeping…

Read complete article

~	Your essential guide to climate finance

~	How Europe dropped the ball on its own defence and was left fawning over Donald Trump – podcast

~	Grattan on Friday: how two once hot-button issues this week barely sparked media and political interest

~	Gaza: Evidence points to Israel’s continued use of starvation to inflict genocide against Palestinians

~	Russia/Azerbaijan: Authorities must investigate alleged abuses against detainees amid tit for tat policing operations

~	Türkiye: Amicus Brief in Coal Plant Expansion Case

~	EU Should Act Against El Salvador’s Dismantling of Democracy

~	Too much vitamin B6 can be toxic. 3 symptoms to watch out for

~	Eco labels in South Africa don’t do the job: how to help customers make informed choices

~	How many serious incidents are happening in Australian childcare centres? We don’t really know