Nosy Crow is delighted to announce the acquisition of a timely and important picture book from author Patrice Lawrence called Granny Came to England on the Empire Windrush. The book will be published in hardback and paperback in May 2022, to tie in with events for National Windrush Day in June 2022.
Nosy Crow acquired world rights in all languages from Caroline Sheldon, children’s literary agent. Lawrence contributed to Make More Noise!, Nosy Crow’s short story collection celebrating 100 years of women’s suffrage in the UK, and Sheldon mentioned that the Empire Windrush and the Windrush generations were subjects that Lawrence was interested in exploring.
Louise Bolongaro, Head of Picture Books at Nosy Crow, comments: “I have long been a fan of Patrice’s powerful writing. Her words, and the feelings they evoke, stay with you, and I have always hoped that, maybe one day, she might write a picture book for Nosy Crow. Her vibrant and vital tale of Ava and her beloved Granny who arrived on Windrush, is more than I could have possibly hoped for.
Granny builds a life for herself in England, determined to stay despite overwhelming homesickness, and it’s this deeply personal story that vividly evokes a crucial moment in history. Granny tells Ava of the moment she arrived on the Windrush in 1948 and Patrice’s meticulous research shines through at every moment. The heat of Trinidad radiates off the page and we shiver in the bleakness of an English winter and the smog-laden skies of 1950s London. And, as with all the best historical narratives, this is a story that informs and educates in many, many ways. Patrice has expertly woven in non-fiction elements, with reference to Rosa Parks and Winifred Atwell, so that Ava can really understand the scope and scale of her heritage. The result is a story with great heart and soul and we couldn’t be more honoured or privileged to publish it on the Nosy Crow list.”
Patrice Lawrence comments: “I am proud to write the book that I wish I’d owned as a child, especially when I was made to feel I didn’t belong in England. The struggles and achievements of the Windrush generation must never be forgotten.”
Caroline Sheldon, children’s literary agent, comments: “This is a truly wonderful story of a journey that packs an enormous emotional punch and has a knock-out end that moved me to tears. I cannot wait to hold the physical book in my hands.”
