Zita Holbourne

Celebrating the centenary of the birth of the trailblazing African American author, Encounters with James Baldwin is a wide-ranging volume of short essays, reflections, interviews and poetry. This moving collection demonstrates the significant legacy of the writer and activist who spoke truth to power during the era of the fight for Black civil liberties in the US, and after.In this literary anthology, over 30 contributors reveal the influence of Baldwin's thought, speech and writing to their personal journeys and their awareness of the need for social justice.Authors included: Victor Adebowale; Toyin Agbetu; Rosanna Amaka; Michelle Yaa Asantewa; Lindsay Barrett; Eugen Bacon; Gabriella Beckles-Ray; Alan Bell; Selina Brown; Michael Campbell; Fred D’Aguiar; Thomas Glave; Sonia Grant; Zita Holbourne; Rashida Ismaili-AbuBakr; Paterson Joseph; Peter Kalu; Roy McFarlane; Ronnie McGrath; Michael McMillan; Tony Medina; Bill V Mullen; Nducu wa Ngugi; Lola Oh; Ewuare X. Osayande; Nii Ayikwei Parkes; Anton Phillips; Ray Shell; SuAndi; Tade Thompson; Patrick Vernon; Tony Warner.

Zita Holbourne is a woman who refuses to stand still in the face of injustice. A poet, artist, and lifelong activist, she has woven creativity and resistance into a single, unbreakable thread. As National Vice President of the PCSU, she has shaped the fight for workers’ rights across the UK. As joint National Chair of Artists’ Union England, she champions equality in the creative industries with the same fire she brings to every campaign. Zita is a force of nature—her art a protest, her poetry a call to action, her activism a testament to what courage looks like in practice. This is the story of a woman who has never stopped fighting for freedom, equality, and justice—and who inspires others to rise with her.