The Girl From Niue: poems from the Black in White poetry competition 2024

Black in White shares poems and opens minds about racism in the workplace and in childhood. It was established in 2020 when, stirred by George Floyd’s killing, Charlotte Shyllon wrote a book of poems called Black in White about some of her experiences of racism. Black in White now runs an annual poetry competition open to all people of colour and allies to elicit their stories, and so far has published four anthologies that include all the winning and highly commended poems. The girl from Niue is the fifth book in the series, featuring poems from the 2024 competition, and is named after the winning poem in the workplace category.

Reading this anthology has been a moving experience, especially in the contemporary socio-political climate. Sincere thanks also to the authors for sharing your hearts and creativity with the world. In doing so, you have inspired me to redouble my personal commitment to tackling health inequalities, particularly at the intersections with ’race’, gender, and socio-economic status.

Dr Dawn Edge, Professor of Mental Health & Inclusivity and Academic Lead for ’Race’, Religion & Belief, The University of Manchester