Men's Mental Health Month
November brings many things; colder weather, the start of Christmas preparations, and Movember!
At Jacaranda we always want to prioritise books for men in this month. Reading is so much more than an intake of information, or exploring a story. It's a chance to pause and take time for yourself.
This Men's Mental Health Month we have a selection of books by brilliant writers that centre Black Men's stories. These books explore the multifaceted experience of masculinity and the difficulties that men experience with the hope that things can get better.
Browse the full collection here, or see the list below to learn more:
Stick To My Roots: An Autobiography by Tippa Irie
The autobiography of Tippa Irie, Stick To My Roots tells the reggae musician's incredible story - from his trailblazing beginnings in Saxon Sound International to the Grammy Award-nominated "Hey Mama" with the Black Eyed Peas.
Titled after his 2010 hit single, the book will cover 40 years of Tippa's prestigious career: from the first sign of talent as a child in South London and family members encouraging him to enter local talent competitions, to making his first record and becoming the powerhouse and Reggae-scene legend he is now.
It's a story full of dreams, music and hope, but also the deep traumas and tribulations that Tippa experienced throughout his life.
Ugly Dogs Don't Cry by DD Armstrong
A modern retelling of Steinbeck's classic Of Mice and Men, this landmark work from DD Armstrong is a poignant look at intimacy, friendship, and masculinity.
Best friends Kyle and Sideeq are beginning their first year of college in West London. Sideeq, a talented aspiring artist, spends his time perfecting his artwork and hanging out with his friends while having to learn how to process the harrowing events of his past. Kyle's ambitions are to become a rapper and a successful businessman. Though the deep bond of friendship formed between Kyle and Sideeq puts them on a path to achieve their dreams, college soon brings with it serious teenage social politics and a bully that terrorizes their friend group.
Little Big Man by Stanley J. Browne
Stanley J. Browne is an actor, and he has been an actor all his life. Born to a Jamaican mother in a London suburb, he began rehearsing for the role of survivor from an early age. From birth he knew nothing but a home filled with love and the vibrancy of a Caribbean culture, but this changes when his mother is diagnosed with schizophrenia.
In this powerful and harrowing memoir, Stanley J. Browne offers living proof that our circumstances don't define us. Set against a backdrop of 1970s poverty, racism and hardship, Little Big Man is a heart-wrenching story of generational trauma, and one man's determination to heal the wounds of the past.
The Street Hawker's Apprentice by Kabir Kareem-Bello
When Temilola wakes up abandoned in a marketplace with no recollection of who he is, a young street hawker begrudgingly takes him under his wing and teaches him how to survive on the streets. Bound by fate and a dark secret, he and his mentor, Vipaar, must evade brutal street leaders and government gangs to survive in this Dickensian tale.
MANDEM by Iggy London
Told from the perspective of some of the finest contemporary Black writers and thinkers, MANDEM is an ode to the moments in our pasts that shape us, and gratitude at being able to appreciate these lessons in the present.
In a beautiful blend of prose and lyricism, each essay sees its author tap into their most vulnerable place - themes in this essay collection range from the importance of male role-models, and the unique relationship between mother and son; to the sexual pressure placed on young heterosexual men, while also asking the question: "what does contemporary Black queerness actually look like?"