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These Heavy Black Bones

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*Listed as one of TIME's 18 Black leaders working to end the racial wealth gap*

In Kenya the pool was green and surrounded by concrete so hot it burnt the soles of her small feet. She didn’t know any different. A decade later she would be double British Champion and the first Black women ever to swim for Great Britain. But this story is not about making history.

As her body and mind are sharpened through gruelling training, press scrutiny, and the harshness of adolescence, Rebecca questions who she is swimming for, and what the onward journey to the Olympics will cost her.

A compulsive and unforgettable study of intensity, These Heavy Black Bones meditates on Blackness, identity, and the ecstasy of peak physical performance. In stunning prose, Rebecca charts her careers’s ascent, her singular love of the water, and lays bare the pressures within her swimming world.


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An <em>anti-racist</em> social enterprise bookstore specialising in BIPOC books.
About Amplify Bookstore

An anti-racist social enterprise bookstore specialising in BIPOC books.

Only about 11% of books published are by BIPOC authors — so unless you specifically seek out books by BIPOC authors, you aren't likely to find very many of them organically. At Amplify, BIPOC authors are highlighted and celebrated. Here, they don't have to fight to be seen, and you don't have to fight to find them.

We hope that in our shop, you can discover a new favourite read, find stories that speak uniquely to you, learn about a culture outside your own (or more about your own histories), and gain a better understanding of the systems that connect us all.

Learn more about us

I’ve discovered so many new-to-me authors and the owners are so generous in their recommendations. Don’t follow the trends, set them! - let Amplify broaden your reading and sharpen your mind.

- Danielle B

If you're looking to expand your book collection to hear voices, perspectives and stories that aren't on blast from mainstream outlets then make your way here as quickly as you can.

- Samantha S

Within are thoughtfully curated books, and I was amazed to see a great diversity of authors. The atmosphere is cosy, calm and relaxed – just the perfect way to start my Sunday!

- Michelle W

I loved how inclusive this space was, there were dyslexia friendly books and a space for books about queer love, a bit of something for everyone.

- Sherine A

Looking for something super specific?

Have a scroll through our tag directory to help direct your search and bring you to curated collections, as grouped by subgenres, identity markers, and more!

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