Born in Camberwell in 1994, Liv Little founded the magazine gal-dem in 2015 while still a politics and sociology student at the University of Bristol. Providing a platform for stories about female and non-binary people of colour, it made a significant impact on the media landscape, before closing this year under financial pressure. Since then, Little has published her first novel, Rosewater (Dialogue), about gay love and economic adversity in her beloved south London. She will be in conversation with Munroe Bergdorf at the Forwards festival in Bristol, 1 September.
1. Album
The Age of Pleasure by Janelle Monáe
I’ve had this amazing, celebratory album on repeat since the day it came out; it’s challenged people’s assumptions about Janelle Monáe. There’s one track, Float, where they sing “No, I’m not the same”, and the album really is different from their previous work. It’s sexy, cheeky, soulful; every song blends seamlessly into the next. It’s an all-round celebration of black queerness. We all go through stages of evolution, and I love the lyrics about being young and black and wild, not the same person you were yesterday. It’s the music you need when the sun is out and you’re feeling yourself.
2. Film
Polite Society (dir Nida Manzoor)
If you haven’t heard of this film, it’s from the writer of Channel 4’s We Are Lady Parts, and people need to shout about it. The heroine is this British Asian teenager called Ria who’s desperate to become a stuntwoman. Everyone underestimates her, and no one believes her when she starts to suspect that her sister is in a bad relationship. So she and her two weird friends from school end up leading the charge to save her sister. It’s heartwarming and visually stunning – the stunts and the costumes are a-mazing, like nothing I’ve ever seen in British film. I was the only one in the cinema when I watched it, so I was able to whoop and scream as much as I liked.
3. TV
Champion (BBC iPlayer)
I suppose I’m drawn to Candice Carty-Williams’s books because they’re about love and family dynamics in Caribbean south London. This is her first TV show, and it’s just deliciously written. It’s about a brother and sister, Bosco and Vita Champion, both musicians. Bosco has just come out of jail and wants to kick his rap career back off. Vita is talented too, but she’s stuck in her brother’s shadow, so she goes out on her own to get a record deal. I’m still watching it and I’m desperate to know what happens between the siblings, they’re such amazing performers. But the best thing of all is the soundtrack: one of my favourite singers, Ray BLK, wrote all Vita’s songs, and every song slaps. It’s a beautiful show – I’m so glad it exists.
4. Podcast
This is a very queer black British podcast hosted by Nana and Ro, who are two best friends. They talk about everything from the logistics of queer parenthood to the most chaotic moments on the queer version of The Ultimatum, and they chat shit about their own experiences and relationships as well. It really feels like listening in on two friends dissecting the world around them, airing their views and sharing their lives. It’s not super serious; in fact it’s messy and loud and fun, and it’s usually on in the background of my house because my other half loves it.
5. Book
Bellies by Nicola Dinan
I haven’t finished reading this yet, but you know when a book is destined to become one of your faves. It’s a subversive love story that travels across different moments in time and space, and as I read it I can’t help thinking: “Wow, I wish I could write like that.” Reflecting the nuances and realities of real love is what I was trying to achieve in my own novel, and I admire her ability to capture a single moment and make it so electric and alive. She’s a very, very talented writer; people have compared her to Sally Rooney (then again, people compare everyone to Sally Rooney).
6. Restaurant
Bottega Caruso, Margate
I’m almost hesitant about recommending this tiny restaurant in Margate – it’s already so hard to get a table there! I think it’s the perfect family-run restaurant; everything is done with so much intent, integrity and heart. It’s run by this amazing woman, Simona, and her husband, Harry. She’s from Campania, and every summer they go back to Italy and personally import most of their ingredients. They make their own pasta, grow their own tomatoes and oregano, and you can buy their delicious sauces by the jar. There are very few tables, but when it’s warm they put a few extra seats outside, and they’ll always try to squeeze you in.
