(Re)Imagining Black Britishness

Identity Politics, Belonging, and Celebration in A Portable Paradise and Assembly

Abstract

Multicultural identities are integral to defining notions of ‘new Britishness,’ yet are rarely acknowledged in the  British cultural narrative. This article demonstrates how Roger Robinson’s  A Portable Paradise (2019) and Natasha Brown’s Assembly (2021) represent Black Britishness by employing counter- hegemonic images. Rather than solely a festive act, celebration is connected to identity politics by highlighting the lived experiences of marginalised  subjects. Whereas Robinson offers a poetic account of collective displacement, Brown provides a Woolfian  exploration of belonging. In turn, this article underscores the cultural response towards recent socio-political discussions around race in Britain, deconstructing what is deemed celebratory in society.