It’s February half-term and a group of teenage black girls are gathered in an office in Brixton. They are a lively bunch, all under the age of 20 years old and they are about to be asked a question: ‘What does black girlhood mean to you?’ From there begins a series of workshops over four days where they learn about writing essays as well as the publishing process.
Fast forward a few weeks and it’s now the Easter break. The girls are back to workshop their words, having their punctuation checked and edited by a professional literary editor. Amongst the banter and chatter, each of them leaves with an essay: a personal perspective on what it’s like to be a black girl in 21st Century Britain.
As simple as it sounds, this is how Girlhood Unfiltered was made. The eye-catching, illustrated book is collection of essays and letters written by the girls of Milk Honey Bees, a South London based