Diane Abbott, A Woman Like Me

We are thrilled to be joined by Britain’s first ever Black female MP, Diane Abbott, who will be telling her astonishing story of groundbreaking achievement and the political and social challenges she has faced in Parliament.

Ever since the day she first walked through the House of Commons as the only state-educated Black woman MP, she has been a fearless and vocal champion for the causes that have made Britain what it is today. Get ready for a discussion full of Diane’s trademark frankness and humour.

Bonds Cafe will be open from 6pm for drinks and snacks.

Friday 6th June, 7.00pm

Venue: Essex Business School, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, CO4 3SQ

Tickets: £12 / £10 concessions (Students, Under 27s, Unwaged and University of Essex Alumni)

Box Office: essexbookfestival.org.uk or Mercury Theatre 01206 573948

A Woman Like My by Diane Abbott

A powerful and moving memoir by the woman who made history as Britain’s first black female MP, telling the story of our nation through her eyes.

From challenging expectations as a bright and restless child of the Windrush generation to making history as the first elected Black female MP in the UK, Diane Abbott has seen it all.

A Woman Like Me takes readers through Diane’s incredible journey, painting a vivid picture of growing up in 1960s North London with her working-class Jamaican parents, before entering the hallowed halls of Cambridge University to study history. Ever since the day she first walked through the House of Commons as the first Black woman MP, she has been a fearless and vocal champion for the causes that have made Britain what it is today, whether it’s increasing access to education for Black children and speaking out against the Iraq war or advocating tirelessly for refugees and immigrants.

A unique figure in British public life, Diane has often had nothing but the courage of her convictions to carry her through incredibly hostile environments, from torrential abuse in the mainstream media and on social media, to being shunned by the political establishment, including by her own party. Written with frankness and wry humour, A Woman Like Me is an inspirational account that celebrates how one woman succeeded against massive odds and built an extraordinary legacy.

Order a copy of A Woman Like My by Diane Abbott from the Essex Book Festival bookshop at bookshop.org

Diane Abbott

Photo of Diane Abbott credit Tony Attille

Diane Abbott was born in London in 1953, to parents who were part of the Windrush generation. She has been the Member of Parliament for Hackney and Stoke Newington for more than 35 years. The first Black woman elected to Parliament, she is also the longest-serving Black MP in the House of Commons. She is the founder of several initiatives, including London Schools and the Black Child and Black Women Mean Business. For 12 years, she appeared as a regular contributor on the BBC’s political digest show This Week. A Woman Like Me is her first book.