Happy Here

This short story collection by young black writers is the result of a joint project between Book Trust, the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education, and the publishers Knights Of. There are ten writers and ten illustrators represented, some have been published before and some have not. The title of the collection does not so much establish happiness as a common theme as perhaps alert the reader to themes that might be expected from black writers that are deliberately not explored here, like racial discrimination and protest. As Sharna Jackson puts it in her foreword, thinking about stories in her own reading as a child: ‘Where were the stories about how funny and fascinating “normal” life could be?… Where was the love, where was the joy?’ And, ‘There is way more to being Black than just the colour of our skin and the struggles that come with it.’ The collection is a varied one. There is a detective story that takes place on a cruise ship. A school sci-fi resurrects the choose-your-own-adventure format. Another features black super-heroes based on Caribbean culture; and Anansi turns up in a fantasy comedy about an agency which offers real life experiences to fairy tale characters. There are stories and poems, too, dealing with more everyday themes of friendship, separated families and young love. It’s an enjoyable read. However, I am not sure about the use of an illustrator for each story. The opportunity is welcome but it is so restricted in space and format that there is little possibility of the illustrator developing a real contribution to their story, and the mixture of styles throughout the book seems awkward.