'A searing, triumphant story. A testament to the tenacity of the human spirit as well as a beautiful ode to an iconic figure' IRENOSEN OKOJIE Letters to Gil is Malik Al Nasir's profound coming of age memoir - the story of surviving physical and racial abuse and discovering a new sense of self-worth under the wing of the great artist, poet and civil rights activist Gil Scott-Heron. Born in Liverpool, Malik was taken into care at the age of nine after his seafaring father became paralysed. He would spend his adolescence in a system that proved violent, neglectful, exploitative, traumatising and mired in abuse. Aged eighteen, he emerged semi-literate, penniless with no connections or sense of where he was going - until a chance meeting with Gil Scott-Heron. Letters to Gil will tell the story of Malik's empowerment and awakening while mentored by Gil, from his introduction to the legacy of Black history to the development of his voice through poetry and music. Written with lyricism and power, it is a frank and moving memoir, highlighting how institutional racism can debilitate and disadvantage a child, as well as how mentoring, creativity, self-expression and solidarity helped him to uncover his potential. Gold title * A POWERFUL MEMOIR OF NEGLECT AND ABUSE WITHIN THE CARE SYSTEM, RACISM IN BRITAIN AND THE REDEMPTIVE POWER OF LITERATURE.

Very much for fans of My Name is Why by Lemn Sissay. * WELL CONNECTED. Malik has performed often with Benjamin Zephaniah and The Last Poets (a poetry group formed during the civil rights movement), as well as being connected with big British historians and voices like David Olusoga, and the members of Gil's band and other musicians. * A BOOK FOR FANS OF THE ICONIC GIL SCOTT-HERON. Competition: My Name is Why;That Reminds me;The Louder I Will Sing;A Search for Belonging;Bageye at the Wheel;Familiar Stranger;Educated;Bookworm;The Last Holiday;Now and Then. by;Lemn Sissay;Derek Owusu;Lee Lawrence;Michael Fuller;Colin Grant;Stuart Hall;Tara Westover;Lucy Mangan;Gil Scott-Heron;Gil Scott Heron.