Discovering Literature: new resources by Discovering Literature – British Library

Explore more Discovering Literature articles

discovering_literature — 2025-07-25 10:14:13 UTC

Explore 130 of our best loved articles, perfect for teachers of Years 10–13.

Tanika Gupta & The Empress in context

discovering_literature — 2025-07-25 10:21:21 UTC

This collection features an article on historical context in Tanika Gupta's The Empress, plus primary sources, video clips and teaching resources.

Andrea Levy & Small Island in context

discovering_literature — 2025-08-26 10:45:26 UTC

This collection features articles on Small Island, plus a film and primary sources.

James Berry in context: 'On an afternoon train from Purley to Victoria, 1955' and Windrush Songs

discovering_literature — 2025-08-28 15:39:24 UTC

This collection features articles on 'On an Afternoon Train from Purley to Victoria, 1955' and Windrush Songs, plus audio recordings and primary sources.

Chinonyerem Odimba's Princess & the Hustler in context

discovering_literature — 2025-08-28 15:40:33 UTC

This collection features articles and films connected to Princess & the Hustler, plus primary sources.

The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavas Vassa, the African: in context

discovering_literature — 2025-08-28 15:43:56 UTC

This collection features a film, article and primary sources.

An introduction to Forgotten 遗忘 by Daniel York Loh

discovering_literature — 2025-08-28 16:26:21 UTC

Daniel York Loh’s play Forgotten 遗忘 is inspired by the little-known story of the 140,000 Chinese labourers who worked for Britain and the Allies during World War One. Dr Anne Witchard explores how Forgotten 遗忘 dramatises the experiences of those in the Chinese Labour Corps and illuminates China’s role in the war.

New Earth Theatre – raising the visibility and profile of British East and South East Asian* theatre

discovering_literature — 2025-08-28 16:26:39 UTC

For over 25 years, New Earth Theatre has created work informed by the artists and communities of East and South East Asian heritage living and working in the UK. Kumiko Mendl provides a history of the company and introduces key productions.

Malorie Blackman on her life, career and Noughts & Crosses

discovering_literature — 2025-09-02 08:57:00 UTC

This collection features short films with Malorie Blackman.

South Asian writing in Britain: a timeline

discovering_literature — 2025-09-02 10:01:35 UTC

Explore a snapshot of the vast wealth of literature written and published in Britain and Ireland by writers of South Asian heritage and learn more about the history of South Asian writing in Britain.

Barber Shop Chronicles: Inua Ellams’ research trip across Sub-Saharan Africa

discovering_literature — 2025-09-03 15:28:26 UTC

In December 2013, Inua Ellams left London to travel through Sub-Saharan Africa for six weeks to research his play, Barber Shop Chronicles. The play is set in five African cities – Johannesburg, Harare, Kampala, Lagos, Accra – and in London. This is the first of six journey-logs, accompanied by photographs Ellams took on the trip.

Film: Interview with Hanif Kureishi

discovering_literature — 2025-09-03 17:09:44 UTC

Hanif Kureishi explores suburbia, pop culture, race and the fluidity of identity in relation to some of his most famous literary works. Shot at his house in south London and at the British Library, the film offers rare glimpses into Kureishi’s archive.

Zadie Smith on The Buddha of Suburbia

discovering_literature — 2025-09-03 17:10:00 UTC

When Zadie Smith encountered The Buddha of Suburbia as a teenager, she found in its description of multiracial South London suburbs an image of her own experience. Here she remembers her first reading of the novel and describes how, on rereading it as an adult, she continues to appreciate Hanif Kureishi's sense of mischief and his depictions of race and class.

Lit in Colour Teacher Conference 2025: South Asian writing in Britain workshop

discovering_literature — 2026-04-16 15:20:32 UTC

As part of the Lit in Colour Teacher Conference 2025, in this session Noha Choudhury from the British Library introduced the South Asian writing in Britain timeline and explored works by an array of writers from South Asian and British heritages, spanning from the 19th-21st century. This included examples of non-fiction and fiction including letters, magazines, novels, poetry and plays, and ideas for how to embed these texts into your classroom.

Writing Lives: Non-fiction texts by people of colour from the 18th and 19th centuries

discovering_literature — 2026-07-02 15:45:13 UTC

Writing Lives is a teaching resource that brings together texts by men and women of African, Caribbean and Asian heritage who lived in the 18th and 19th centuries. It has been designed with UK GCSE English Language teachers in mind, but you’ll also find inspiration for students aged 12-18 (Key Stage 3 and A-level) and beyond.

Teachers’ guide: approaches to representations of race, racism and racist language in literary texts

discovering_literature — 2026-07-30 10:13:21 UTC

Authored by Bennie Kara, published by Lit in Colour and the British Library. This resource is aimed at teachers who wish to develop their practice on teaching about the representation of race, the presentation of racism and approaches to exploring racist language in English Literature texts.