Alongside some other brilliant authors, it’s so great to see Courttia Newland’s, A River Called Time, on the shortlist for The Arthur C. Clarke Award. Check out the full shortlist below:

Click here to get your copy of A River Called Time.

Welcoming writer, Funmi Adebanjo to the OWN IT! family. Funmi mostly writes comedy and drama across TV and feature film scripts, although her writing also spans into shorts, poetry, prose, and even a little animation.

Funmi Adebanjo recognises the vast power that widely accepted narratives have – to build cultures and shape identities – and that these narratives are heavily driven by media and entertainment. As someone who’s often felt underrepresented, Funmi’s passion has always been to combine this awareness with her deep interest in understanding others and her love of storytelling.

Funmi tells stories that lean toward positive and aspirational because she believes that using our best efforts to promote the most productive narratives into this world is one of the key ways to contribute to the success, self-esteem, and positive identities of the next generations.

Funmi mostly writes comedy and drama across TV and feature film scripts, although her writing also spans into shorts, poetry, prose, and even a little animation. No matter what she writes, Funmi focuses on being the change she wants to see, and this approach allows her to subtly weave educational and aspirational elements. For example, rather than discussing certain issues, the narrative will act to carefully navigate normalising solutions.

Funmi recently found success with a story in an untapped space, with a feature film commission on a festival-based rom-com script themed in the multifaceted nature of modern Black-Britishness, celebrating food, family and culture. One of her passion projects is a university-based comedy drama, and her pilot script was placed in the top 2% of BBC Comedy Writersroom.

#BooksAreMyBag

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Mrs Death tells her intoxicating story in this life-affirming fire-starter of a novel

Mrs Death has had enough. She is exhausted by her job and now seeks someone to unburden her conscience to.

She meets Wolf, a troubled young writer, who – enthralled by her stories – begins to write Mrs Death’s memoirs. As the two reflect on the losses they have experienced (or facilitated), their friendship flourishes. All the while, despite her world-weariness, Death must continue to hold humans’ fates in her hands, appearing in our lives when we least expect her . . .

From the best-selling author of I Wish I Knew This Earlier, Take Note is the follow-up book of Toni’s best-selling debut. This time Toni will be sharing life lessons to help you fulfil your fullest potential. Topics covered in this book include: ways to improve self-belief and self-esteem, manage friendships, and making the most out of a career.

COMING NOVEMBER 2022 – PRE-ORDER HERE

Tice Cin is an interdisciplinary artist from north London. She has an MA in English: Issues in Modern Culture from UCL. Tice has acted and performed at venues such as Battersea Arts Centre, The Roundhouse and Barbican’s Pit Theatre, and has been commissioned by organisations like Cartier, St. Paul’s Cathedral and Edinburgh International Book Festival. She was named one of Complex Magazine’s best music journalists of 2021, and has written for places such as DJ Mag and Mixmag.

A DJ and music producer, she is preparing to release an accompanying album for Keeping the House with a host of talented features including those from the creative house she is part of, Fwrdmtn, such as Kareem Parkins-Brown and Latekid. Keeping the House has been named one of Guardian’s Best Books of 2021, and has been featured in The Scotsman, The New York Times and the Washington Post.  She is a recent recipient of a Society of Authors Prize, and was shortlisted for Book of the Year at the British Book Awards. A filmmaker, she is currently writing and co-directing three short films.