Punching the Air

Ibi Zoboi was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and holds an MFA in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Her novel AMERICAN STREET was a National Book Award finalist and a New York Times Notable Book. She is also the editor of the anthology BLACK ENOUGH. Raised in New York City, she lives in New Jersey with her husband and three children. www.ibizoboi.net.Dr Yusef Salaam was just fifteen years old when he and four other boys were wrongly convicted in the ‘Central Park jogger’ case. After the young men spent between seven and thirteen years behind bars, their sentences were overturned and they were fully exonerated. Their story has been documented in the award-winning film THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE and the acclaimed Netflix series WHEN THEY SEE US. Yusef is now a poet, activist and inspirational speaker who lives in Atlanta, Georgia. He is the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from President Barack Obama, among other honours. www.yusefspeaks.com.

‘Zoboi and Salaam have created nothing short of a masterwork of humanity, with lyrical arms big enough to cradle the oppressed, and metaphoric teeth sharp enough to chomp on the bitter bones of racism. This is more than a story. This is a necessary exploration of anger, and a radical reflection of love, which ultimately makes for an honest depiction of what it means to be young and Black in America.’ – Jason Reynolds, award-winning, bestselling author of Long Way Down