On Love

Inspired by the upcoming Valentine’s Day, we’ve decided to celebrate love in all its forms. From the colour red, a symbol of passion, to lust, unrequited love and self-love, these authors have painted love in many different hues.

Red ed by Kwame Dawes
Out on bookshelves on Valentine’s day Red promises to display the best of Black British talent writing today. Featuring Nii PArkes, Bernadine Evaristo and Grace Nichols amongst others: All the stories within this collection all use the colour red as a starting point, focusing on all that red symbolises and its links to memory within the writing. Look out for our review of Red coming soon on CatchaVibe. Buy Red on Amazon

Erotique Noire/ Black Erotica ed. Miriam DeCosta-Willis
This collection of short stories, poems and other miscellaneous writings are simply great writing about intimacy in all its varied guises. Sexuality is presented with honesty, humour, and sometimes tinged with sadness. The Haikus of Abdul Al Salaam stand out for their strikingly simply sensuality. This collection is  a great talking point for any couple. Buy Erotique Noire on Amazon

Gemma Weekes – Love Me
We’ve already reviewed this brilliant debut novel…but just to recap; it’s really good. The rush of being stupidly in love with someone seemingly perfect and unattainable is captured in all its clumsy and painful glory. The object of your affections, however near or far they may be, can be set aside on Valentine’s day whilst you lose yourself in Ms Weekes’ novel. Buy Love Me on Amazon

Toni Morrison – The Bluest Eye
My personal pick for this anthology is The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison  it has something to say about love and respect for oneself in a cold world. I cannot think of anything better to remind myself of – especially on Valentine’s day. Buy The Bluest Eye on Amazon

One Response to “On Love”

• Great selection!!
  Although I would have chosen “Love” by Toni Morrisson. To me this story is an intruiging insight on why we love who we love. Why would several women love the same man?…When I put this book down, I was 23 and very much in Love. Then I understood that one doesn’t really want to love someone else, but would rather love oneself through (a better) someone else. So I start loving myself first. This only book changed my defintion of love for ever. It now means peace, harmony and joy. LOVE

  La Colombe says
  February 4, 2010 at 11:54 am