‘This fascinating and simply fantastic book is a comprehensive record of Margaret Busby’s exceptional life story . . . A true trailblazer, we all walk in the deep imprints of her footsteps’ Bernardine Evaristo

This rare self-portrait from pioneering publisher, writer and cultural activist Margaret Busby underscores her powerful legacy and celebrates some of the people and places that have shaped her exceptional life

Margaret Busby has been at the heart of cultural life in the UK for over 50 years. From becoming Britain’s youngest and first Black woman publisher when she founded publishing house Allison & Busby, to editing the ground-breaking international anthologies Daughters of Africa and New Daughters of Africa, her many achievements are testament to her dedication to championing the lives and stories of others, particularly those throughout the world who have been marginalised by the mainstream.

With little attention previously given to her own skills as a writer, Part of the Story is a unique opportunity to enjoy her own remarkable literary output. It brings together her writings on people, places, politics and publishing, and provides a rich insight into the many elements that have contributed to shaping her life, from her childhood in Ghana to the Black writers, intellectuals, artists and activists she has worked with, befriended, supported and championed for over half a century.

‘Margaret has been a cheerleader, instigator, organiser, defender and celebrator of black arts for the past 50 years . . . She helped change the landscape of both UK publishing and arts coverage and so many Black British artists owe her a debt. I know I do’ Zadie Smith

This fascinating and simply fantastic book is a comprehensive record of Margaret Busby’s exceptional life story, unparalleled career and deep knowledge of black culture and literature, with many personal connections to the people who shaped it. It is an astonishing revelation to read of the myriad ways she has been at the centre of our culture through the ages - generously opening doors and changing the game through her work as a publisher and editor and providing ongoing cultural and literary context and advocacy through her writings in the media. A true trailblazer, we all walk in the deep imprints of her footsteps -- Bernardine Evaristo
A very special work of non-fiction from one of publishing's most iconic figures, Margaret Busby . . . From politics and publishing to her own childhood in Ghana and the circle of writers who surround her, this is an absolute 2026 highlight * Elle *
Margaret has been a cheerleader, instigator, organiser, defender and celebrator of black arts for the past 50 years, shouting about us from the rooftops, even back when few people cared to listen . . . We can because she did is a cliché but in Margaret's case it is both true and no exaggeration. She helped change the landscape of both UK publishing and arts coverage and so many Black British artists owe her a debt. I know I do -- Zadie Smith
In Part of The Story Margaret Busby quotes Victor Hugo on Ngugi Wa Thiong’o “There is nothing like a dream to create the future” but the quote could equally apply to Busby herself. She had the dream that created the future. She is one in a million, a pivotal figure in the literary world, a champion of the unheard, a fighter for literary excellence -- Lemn Sissay OBE
Busby has shaped British cultural life for more than 50 years, from becoming the country’s first Black woman publisher to editing landmark anthologies that brought African and voices of the diaspora to the fore. Here she collects her own writings with reflections on politics, publishing and people, while recounting the experiences — childhood in Ghana, decades championing Black artists — that defined her life * Financial Times *
As a collection, Part of the Story is witness testimony, a vibrant historical document and a collection of writings about a life of substance . . . Busby was writing long before 'equity and inclusion' was the hard fought for norm, before the culture wars of today. She writes of a time when black voices were well out in the cold, when black writers had to fight for every word published . . . It is because of a handful of people like Margaret Busby that today's contemporary British cannon is diverse at all. Read this book for many things: politics, publishing history, people, places and a time -- Monique Roffey
This inspiring collection beautifully showcases Margaret Busby's pioneering work as a champion of literature -- Michèle Roberts
Margaret Busby wears her fame as a trail-blazer and 'daughter of Africa' lightly in this entertaining and erudite collection of writing. It is a testament to her wide-ranging talents, as well as to her status as a pioneer in the (still) white-dominated fields of publishing and journalism -- Lindsey Hilsum
For over fifty years, Margaret Busby has made others visible—as Britain's youngest and first Black woman publisher, as editor of the landmark Daughters of Africa anthologies, as quiet architect of our collective memory. Now, at last, her own remarkable voice takes centre stage in this essential collection -- Sarah Ladipo Manyika
A deeply personal and fascinating curation of cultural writings that take us step by step through key moments of political intervention and the formation of a diasporic and international body of global writing -- Susheila Nasta

Margaret Busby (Nana Akua Ackon), CBE, Hon. FRSL, is a publisher, editor, writer, broadcaster, activist and mentor. The recipient of numerous awards and honorary doctorates, she has judged prestigious literary prizes, including the Booker, and served on the boards of such organizations as the Royal Literary Fund, Wasafiri magazine, Tomorrow’s Warriors, the Africa Centre in London and the Caine Prize. In 2023 she was appointed President of English PEN.

As editorial director of Allison & Busby for twenty years, from the late 1960s, Margaret published an international list of more than three hundred notable authors – among them, Buchi Emecheta, Sam Greenlee, Roy Heath, Chester Himes, Jill Murphy and Val Wilmer – and found new audiences for the likes of C. L. R. James and George Lamming. She is the editor of Jane Cortez’s collected poems, Firespitter, as well as two groundbreaking anthologies, Daughters of Africa (1992) and its sequel, New Daughters of Africa (2019), which seeded the Margaret Busby New Daughters of Africa Award to fund young women from Africa to study for a master’s degree in the UK.