Why you’ll want to be there
Kelechi Okafor’s stories have a habit of turning into headlines. Her collection Edge of Here imagined empathy-chips, burning plantations and DNA-memory replays that reviewers called “Black Mirror with soul” . Her new novel Awakened goes further, she turns that prophetic lens on a London just a heartbeat ahead of ours.
Journalist Pels Badmus is chasing a string of disappearances that pull her from the Thames-side streets to the spirit-rich kingdoms of Benin, while a humanoid AI campaigns for Mayor and smart-home tech eavesdrops on every prayer. It’s part thriller, part cosmic initiation: a “page-turning fable about a Black woman coming into her power” where ancient mysticism and cutting-edge code collide
Our hosts..
Shelf Interest Book Club...
is a London-based book club celebrating and centring Black authors and their stories. Rooted in community, we connect our members with powerful reads, meaningful conversations, and the authors behind them. Through books and playful, engaging activities, we create welcoming spaces that foster connection and reflection. Our reviews are thoughtful and nuanced, shaped by the rich perspectives within our community.
Doors, welcome drink, explore the intallations from 6:30pm
Reading begins 7:30pm
Q&A from 8pm
Closing thoughts and interaction with installations until 9:30pm
