Coming to England

Product Information

Oh yes, it's a book I would have loved to have read. But there was no other book like Coming to England around at that time. I love the way BookTrust gives books to all children and parents. That is so important. Before a child can read the words, a picture is telling the story and connections are being made - for life. Children are connecting all the time and they are seeing things for the first time, and that's why it's such a responsibility to get things right. No, it was always an autobiographical story. In fact, when I wrote it at first it was twice as long and had to be edited to be so much shorter. So I didn't conceive it as a picture book until now. There are plenty of adjective rich descriptions of family, festivals and food in the Caribbean; children can marvel at discovering pigeon peas, cassava, dasheen and saltfish.

In a way, it was the same when I was writing my novel Coming to England for older children, which doesn't have even one racist word in the book. But if I was writing it for adults, then I'd use stronger words to give the real feeling of what it was like. You can't even tell 10 or 11 year olds what it was truly like. I wouldn't want to burden them with it. It's got to be inspirational, beautiful and perfect. If you tell a story, it's got to be the best. Because remember, whatever they get first will stay with them forever. We spoke to her about how she did it and why it's so important to get stories for children right... Coming to England is an autobiographical account of Benjamin’s experiences of moving from Trinidad to England as a young child in 1960. Illustrations are provided by Michael Frith, which bring the scenes, settings and cultural contrasts into focus for the reader. The book vividly describes Benjamin’s family life in Trinidad where she brings the beautiful scenery and the rich culture to life. We then follow Benjamin as she and her siblings’ journey across the sea to England, where she presents an unsettling account of her experiences. The book discusses the racism she encountered from classmates, teachers, shopkeepers, and wider society, and starkly portrays the impact this had on her as a child, while discussing how she was able to overcome and thrive from adversity. Benjamin considers the impacts of colonialism, national identity, and racism in post-war society all from the eyes of a young child. Coming to England was first published in 1996, and since then has been adapted by the BBC for television, was added to the national curriculum list of educational titles in 2003, and in 2020 has been re-adapted into a picture book for younger children. Coming to England has been used frequently by teachers to introduce the topic of racism in Britain to younger children. The book sensitively, yet very truthfully explores and examines the theme from the eyes of a child, and is therefore excellent to use in the classroom as it brings to light an important issue that some children might otherwise be unaware of. Teenage rebels": Cane Warriors author Alex Wheatle on writing about young people living through incredible eventsStories of Joy and Hope: share your story to win a school visit from our Writer in Residence Smriti Halls There is the fun and spectacle at the carnival and there are some great illustrations of this, as there are throughout the book. Between that and church life, children will be able to see the British (and other countries) influences. Written through the eyes of Floella Benjamin as a child, this autobiography tells the story of her family's move from their West Indian home in Trinidad to the "Mother Country", England. Her story reflects that of many West Indians in the 1950s/ 60s - known as the 'Windrush Generation', who moved for a better life, encouraged to help Britain rebuild itself after the second world war. Sadly, local people failed to welcome them, inflicting racially-incited cruelty, such that West Indians created their own separate communities. It was important to have someone who has gone through some aspect of what I was writing. When you have that personal experience, it's great to get an opportunity to share it with society through a book and make a difference. A vibrant, evocative memoir from a familiar face as I was growing up, beautifully illustrated throughout with Michael Frith's watercolours. This is a short book, so you can rattle through the chapters; half concerned with Floella's upbringing and family of five siblings in Trinidad, and the other with her arrival and need for 'survival' in England, which was very different to her ideal of 'falling into the arms of someone you had been taught to love'.

It's perfect for bookcases everywhere and in classrooms. Teachers and children's group leaders could easily find creative ways of using this book, there's so much scope to be inspired from it to teach children of Trinidad through the memoir, the carnival, the food. There's also a lot of discussion about different topics that come through in the book too. It is as relevant then as it is for today's generation. Coming To England is Timeless! Coming to England – An Inspiring True Story Celebrating the Windrush Generation by Floella Benjamin and illustrated by Diane Ewen is published by Macmillan Children's Books on 8 October.It was a great collaboration and I'd love to write another book with Diane! When I look at illustrations I've got to get a warm feeling, and that's what Diane's do.

You look at it holistically. I had to think very carefully about what I wanted very young children to know and grasp. Some of them know about moving to a new place, so they can understand the concept of moving. Some of them know about parents leaving, even if it's for a couple of weeks, so they know the emotional feeling that gives you. Children should be of all cultures in stories because that's the society we live in, and this is especially true of picture books. With non-illustrated books for older children you can imagine what you like. But in a picture book you must spell it out. Floella Benjamin is a much-loved writer, actress and presenter, who was made a Baroness in the House of Lords in 2010 and is an ambassador for the welfare and education of children. This moving and insightful memoir documents her childhood, from her birth in Trinidad in 1949 to her move to Britain in 1960 as part of the Windrush generation, and explores how these experiences have shaped her life.Some of Coming to England is really upsetting, particularly the racism you experienced. How did you decide what to leave out in the picture book, and what to keep in to tell the same, but slightly different, story? Don't forget, childhood lasts a lifetime. Each child is born with one hundred billion brain cells and they are starting to be connected when the child is 18 months. Picture books formulate their ideas and those connections with what they are seeing and hearing - and that affects the make-up of who they will be as adults. When you first wrote Coming to England did you think of writing a picture book, as this was the age of children to whom you devoted the early part of your career? Owl or Pussycat? How Michael Morpurgo and Polly Dunbar find their inspiration in childhood memories