
How 'Keisha The Sket' Accidentally Decolonised Literature
When Jade LB agreed to reveal her identity for the time and write about Keisha The Sket, the book she wrote as a teenager that went viral before ‘viral’ was a thing, I was beyond excited, but wondered if anyone else would be. Keisha held an iconic spot in my teenage memory, from chapters being sent phone to phone by infrared (yes, that was a thing!) to stories of people using up all the paper in the school printers to print copies that they’d staple together and sell on the playground.
I needn’t have been concerned because when the article dropped, it felt like we broke Black British Twitter. The joy and excitement felt contagious, from sceptics wondering if Jade really was the author, through to WhatsApp groups exploding with endless notifications as the conversation continued. Beyond anything, it was a reminder of our purpose at Black Ballad, from highlighting serious and important stories, to documenting the culture, to just being a part of Black British joy – and also solidified my personal Book Agenda.
"I Was A Thing Of Beauty!" – The Wedding, Weave & Wakeup Call
Trying to pick one article to highlight how important our regional (i.e. Black People Exist Outside Of London!) approach to editorial was hard. There were too many, so I just had to go by the most read!
Irish-Zimbabwean writer and singer Pearl Natasha’s witty and real account of turning up to a wedding with her natural hair encapsulated so much about what it can mean being a Black woman in the UK, and, personally, it was a closing chapter for the Black Women In Britain we began in 2020 hiring regional editors to commission stories from the communities they know so intimately.
Despite the regional editors being a short term project, everything they commissioned has gone on to shape our approach going forward. Since then, we’ve worked on multimedia projects across the UK, hosted events up and down the country, and it’s also been great to see the Editors go on to bigger and better things like editor roles at national magazines, writing cover features with some of our faves and so much more.
Image by Ayshe Zaifoglu

The Pressure Of Being Black, Queer And Partially Out
“I found [writing the article] very cathartic, I think I was interrogating the isolation and loneliness that I was experiencing. Researching and interviewing for this article showed me that this was a shared experience for many black queer people,” says the writer of The Pressure Of Being Black, Queer And Partially Out.
When I commissioned the article, I knew it would also be really important for those of us who might not relate directly to the experience of the writer, but would be spending time with relatives and loved ones who do, speaking directly to our socially conscious and community-focused audience.
“My career as a writer and editor is far more established and I’m far more secure and open about my identity since writing this piece!” the author continues. “I think independent outlets like Black Ballad who believed in my ideas in those early days really helped to grow my portfolio and confidence as a writer. It’s a true achievement to still be operating at such a high standard after ten years, especially given the current landscape of independent media.”
This Isn't The Brand I Started: Why I'm Saying Goodbye To Afrocenchix After 15 Years
We were gearing up for the Christmas break, I’d scheduled the last of the articles that we were going to publish for 2023, and I was about to turn my Out Of Office autoresponder on when I got a message from Tobi saying to crack back open my laptop because we were about to get an exclusive.
Black Ballad’s relationship with Afrocenchix goes way back, back to when we had exclusive member discounts with Black businesses, and when we produced a three part documentary covering the history of the natural hair care scene in the UK. So as Rachael Twumasi-Corson approached a new chapter in her life and wanted to set the record straight, writing her story for Black Ballad felt like a no-brainer.
“It was quite raw and felt very vulnerable,” Rachael says about the writing process. “I didn’t know how it would be received but I’ve always operated from a place of radical transparency and felt the need to get the truth out.”
As a publication that has championed Black-owned business and entrepreneurship, we felt it was important to show all sides of the journey – not just the shiny headlines and triumphs.
“I love Black Ballad! I’m a massive fan of Tobi and Jendella’s writing styles and I feel the publication is so important,” Rachael says. “Black Ballad helps me to feel less alone when those around me don’t get why I'm affected by things in the news. It’s like a vaccine against microagressions and gaslighting. You read the articles and think, ‘I’m not crazy, Black women really are being treated the way I think we are’, and it’s hard to express just how much that matters.”