To celebrate our 5th anniversary, Dar Aminah Book Club Presents:

A special Author Event with Suhaiymah Manzoor-Khan, Waithera Sebatindira and Lola Olufemi, to discuss their book 'A FLY Girl’s Guide To University: Being a Woman of Colour at Cambridge and Other Institutions of Elitism and Power'.

A FLY Girl’s Guide to University is a collection of memoirs, essays, poetry and prose from four women of colour who studied at the University of Cambridge. It is a multifaceted calling out of the wrongness underpinning their shared experience at Cambridge, and the experiences of others in similar institutions throughout the UK. But they describe it best: ‘The purpose of our book is simple: we believe that our lives, our experiences, and our voices matter, especially in a place of power, pervasive whiteness and exclusivity. Our voices not only deserve to be heard but mus tbe because the ‘Cambridge experience’ of a middle-class, white, cisgendered, able-bodied man is not the only one. Ours cannot be silenced.

- Lola Olufemi is a black feminist organiser and writer from London. She is the co-author of A FLY Girl’s Guide to University: Being a Woman of Colour at Cambridge and Other Institutions of Power and Elitism (Verve Poetry Press, 2019) and has recently completed a book about feminism for young people set to be published by Pluto Press in 2020.

- Suhaiymah Manzoor-Khan is an educator, writer and spoken-word poet. She is the founder and author of the critical and educative blog, www.thebrownhijabi.com, and co-author of A FLY Girl’s Guide to University: Being a Woman of Colour at Cambridge and Other Institutions of Power and Elitism (Verve Poetry Press, 2019).

- Waithera Sebatindira is a co-author of A FLY Girl's Guide to University. She was the first woman of colour to be elected as Women's Officer on the Cambridge University Students' Union.

Over the years, Luton has been subject to negative coverage due to sensationalist media stories. Therefore, the aim of this event is to raise aspirations and challenge the status-quo. The event will also provide a platform to enable people to take charge of their own narrative by deeply exploring the issue of structural inequalities in the current sociopolitical climate, alongside helping to inspire an ‘artivist’ movement to help promote intercultural understanding through the arts.

The event will be led as a panel discussion, chaired by Imrana Mahmood, followed by a Q&A session with the audience.

The event is supported by Luton Culture. Sign up to the newsletter for event updates: https://www.lutonculture.com/signup-to-our-newsletter/newsletter-signup/

FAQs

Are there ID or minimum age requirements to enter the event?

Open to all, aged 14 years plus.

What are my transport/parking options for getting to and from the event?

The Hat Factory Arts Centre is a one minute walk from Luton Train Station and from Bute Street Car Park.

What is the arrival time?

Doors will open at 7.20pm for a prompt start at 7.30pm.

What can I bring into the event?

You can bring a copy of the book with you or purchase the book at the event.

Will there be any refreshments?

Light refreshments will be available.

How can I contact the organiser with any questions?

Contact Creative Producer, Imrana Mahmood via imrana.m.im@googlemail.com.

What's the refund policy?

Unfortunately, we are unable to refund tickets once purchased.

We look forward to seeing you there!