External links
 | This article needs additional or more specific categories .(May 2025) |
Selina Brown | |
|---|---|
| Alma mater | Goldsmiths, University of London |
| Occupations | Author and literary events producer |
| Known for | Founder and CEO of the Black British Book Festival |
| Website | selinabrown |
Selina Brown is a British author and literary events producer of Jamaican heritage. She has written three children's picture books, two about a girl named Nena and a third titled My Rice is Best. She is the founder and CEO of the Black British Book Festival, started in 2021, which has become the largest Black literature festival in Europe.
Selina Brown was raised by her British mother and Jamaican grandmother. [1] Brown attended Cumberland Community School in Plaistow and completed her A-Levels at Newham Sixth Form College in 2008. Brown graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Sociology from Goldsmiths, University of London, and then a Master of Science (MSc) from the University of East London. [2] As a teenager, she became active in public service: at the age of 16, she was elected Youth Mayor (Youth MP) of Nottingham. [3]
Brown's early career included marketing and communications roles at media organisations. [4]
As an author, she self-published two children's picture books during the COVID-19 pandemic. [4] These feature a young girl named Nena who learns to enjoy fruits and vegetables. [5] In 2024, she secured a two-book publishing deal with Penguin Random House Children's UK. [6] Her debut picture book for this contract My Rice is Best explores cultural pride and friendship through the humorous rivalry between two children over their favorite rice dishes. [7]
In 2021, Brown launched the Black British Book Festival. [8] [9] The festival was conceived to celebrate emerging Black British authors and to address the lack of representation in the literary industry. [10] The festival grew rapidly; by 2023, it partnered with London's Southbank Centre and drew thousands of attendees, and media have described it as the largest Black literature festival in Europe. [11] [12] She was recognized for this work as Leader of the Year at The Bookseller FutureBook Awards in 2024 [13] and the London Book Fair Trailblazer Award in 2025. [14]
Brown also hosts a weekly podcast for writers. "Write and Win Podcast with Selina Brown". [15] [16]
In October 2025, following a decline in the publication of Black literature in the UK since 2022, Brown announced a new publishing collaboration with Pan Macmillan, focusing on writers who have not been traditionally published. [17]
| | This article needs additional or more specific categories .(May 2025) |