Akala: Why we need more black, working class period drama :

Akala: Why we need more black, working class period drama


BBC News
By Kirsty Grant
The UK loves its costume dramas.
But according to artist, writer and social commentator Akala, they're all missing something.
"Most of the period drama we get is usually focused on elites. Kings and queens and 'great men' - so to speak," he tells Radio 1 Newsbeat.
"I want people to be be able to imagine and historicise a black experience, specifically a black working class experience, and hopefully relate to that."
Although Bridgerton was mostly praised for its racially diverse cast, it was still focused on elites.
Akala's first novel, The Dark Lady, aimed at teens and young adults, follows the story of Henry - a 15-year-old pickpocket, living in a notorious slum in Elizabethan England, around the time of Shakespeare.

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