Margaret Busby facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Margaret Busby
CBE, Hon. FRSL
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Busby in February 2019
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Margaret Yvonne Busby
1944 (age 80–81) |
| Other names | Nana Akua Ackon |
| Alma mater | Bedford College, London University |
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Notable work
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Daughters of Africa (1992) New Daughters of Africa (2019) |
| Relatives | Moira Stuart (cousin) Phyllis Christian (cousin) Clara Marguerite Christian (aunt) Essi Matilda Forster (aunt) Kathryn Busby (niece) |
Margaret Yvonne Busby, also known as Nana Akua Ackon, is a writer, editor, and publisher from Ghana. She lives in the UK. In the 1960s, she became Britain's youngest publisher. She was also the first Black woman to own a book publishing company in the UK. She started the company Allison and Busby with Clive Allison.
Margaret Busby is famous for editing two important books: Daughters of Africa (1992) and New Daughters of Africa (2019). These books collect writings by women of African descent. She has received many awards for her work. In 2020, she was named one of the "100 Great Black Britons". In 2023, she became the president of English PEN, an organization that supports writers.
Contents
Early Life and Education Journey
Margaret Yvonne Busby was born in 1944 in Accra, which was then called the Gold Coast (now Ghana). Her parents were Dr. George Busby and Mrs. Sarah Busby. Her family had connections to the Caribbean, especially Trinidad, Barbados, and Dominica. Her father, Dr. Busby, was a doctor who studied in Britain. He moved to the Gold Coast in 1929. Margaret's grandfather, George James Christian, was a delegate at the first Pan-African Conference in London in 1900.
When Margaret was five, her parents sent her and her siblings to school in England. She attended boarding schools and finished her O-levels at 14. She then returned to Ghana and completed her A-levels at 16. After a year at a college in Cambridge, she began studying English at Bedford College, London University, at age 17. She edited her college's literary magazine and wrote her own poetry. She earned her degree at 20.
Pioneering Publishing Career
While still at university, Margaret Busby met Clive Allison. They decided to start a publishing company together. After graduating, Busby worked briefly at another publishing house. She then helped set up Allison and Busby (A & B). Their first books were published in 1967. This made her the youngest publisher in Britain at the time. She was also the first African woman to own a book publishing company in the UK.
Margaret Busby was the Editorial Director for Allison & Busby for 20 years. She helped publish many important authors. Some of these included Sam Greenlee, C. L. R. James, Buchi Emecheta, Chester Himes, and George Lamming. The first book A & B published was ... Who Sat by the Door in 1969.
After leaving Allison & Busby, she worked as an editorial director at Earthscan. She then became a freelance editor, writer, and critic in the early 1990s.
Writing, Editing, and Broadcasting Work
Margaret Busby has written for many newspapers and journals. These include The Guardian, The Observer, and The Independent. She often wrote book reviews or articles about artists and activists.
A collection of her writings, called Part of the Story: Writings from Half a Century, is planned for publication in 2026.
Daughters of Africa Anthologies
Margaret Busby put together Daughters of Africa: An International Anthology of Words and Writings by Women of African Descent from the Ancient Egyptian to the Present. This book was published in 1992. It was a very important collection, featuring over 200 women writers. Many people called it a "landmark" book. It showed the important role of women in African literature.
In 2019, Busby edited a follow-up book called New Daughters of Africa: An International Anthology of Writing by Women of African Descent. This book also included more than 200 writers from across the African diaspora. Reviewers said it was essential because it gave a voice to African women writers.
To support new talent, the "Margaret Busby New Daughters of Africa Award" was created. It helps African women students with their tuition fees and living costs at SOAS, University of London. The first student to receive this award was Idza Luhumyo from Kenya. She later won the 2022 Caine Prize for African Writing.
Other Book Contributions
Margaret Busby has contributed to many other books. She wrote for collections like Colours of a New Day: Writing for South Africa (1990) and Slay in Your Lane: The Black Girl Bible (2018).
In 2014, she co-authored Carnival: A Photographic and Testimonial History of the Notting Hill Carnival. She has also written introductions for books by authors like Bessie Head and Raymond Antrobus. She co-edited C.L.R. James's 80th Birthday Lectures (1984) and No Colour Bar: Black British Art in Action 1960–1990 (2018).
Busby was also part of the 2019 exhibition Get Up, Stand Up Now: Generations of Black Creative Pioneers at Somerset House. She wrote an essay for the exhibition's catalogue.
Broadcasting and Dramatisations
Since the late 1960s, Margaret Busby has worked regularly in radio and television. She presented shows like London Line and Break For Women. She also appeared on many other programs, including Woman's Hour.
She has adapted and dramatized books for BBC Radio. These include works by C. L. R. James, Jean Rhys, and Wole Soyinka. Her play based on C. L. R. James's novel Minty Alley was broadcast in 1998. It won an award for its focus on race in media. In 2003, her five-part radio series Yaa Asantewaa was broadcast on BBC Radio 4.
Busby has also written for the stage. Her plays include Sankofa (1999) and Yaa Asantewaa – Warrior Queen (2001–02). She also wrote An African Cargo (2007), which was about the Zong massacre. This play was part of events marking 200 years since the Slave Trade Act 1807.
In 2014, she wrote a tribute event for Maya Angelou called Maya Angelou: A Celebration. It featured many famous artists. In June 2021, Busby was a guest on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs.
Advocacy for Diversity in Publishing
Margaret Busby has always worked to make the publishing industry more diverse. In 1984, she wrote that it was not enough to just publish books about "ethnic minorities." She believed the system needed to encourage their involvement at all levels. In the 1980s, she helped start Greater Access to Publishing (GAP). This group worked to increase Black representation in British publishing.
Busby was a patron of Independent Black Publishers (IBP). This group aimed to help Black publishers work together and have a bigger impact on the book trade. She said it was important to celebrate the achievements of Black creatives. This helps ensure their contributions are not forgotten.
She has participated in many literary festivals and conferences around the world. She has also interviewed famous writers like Toni Morrison, Maya Angelou, and Wole Soyinka.
In 2020, Margaret Busby was chosen to chair the judges for the Booker Prize. She has also judged many other literary awards. These include the Caine Prize for African Writing and the Orange Prize.
She has served on the boards of many cultural organizations. These include English PEN, the Royal Literary Fund, and The Africa Centre. She is currently a trustee for Tomorrow's Warriors, a jazz education group. She is also a patron of Friends of the Huntley Archives, which preserves the legacy of publishers Jessica Huntley and Eric Huntley.
In August 2022, Busby gave the main speech at the Berlin African Book Festival. In March 2024, she gave the keynote address at the Johannesburg Festival of Women Writers in South Africa.
Influence and Recognition
Margaret Busby is seen as a pioneer in the history of Black publishers in the UK. Many people who followed her path in making the book industry more diverse see her as a "pathfinder." These include Bibi Bakare-Yusuf and Valerie Brandes.
In 2019, author Zadie Smith said that Busby has been a "cheerleader, instigator, organiser, defender and celebrator of black arts for the past 50 years." She added that many Black British artists owe her a lot. Afua Hirsch said that Busby has been very supportive in helping a generation of Black women find their voice through writing.
In 2020, Margaret Busby was voted one of the "100 Great Black Britons." In May 2021, she received the London Book Fair Lifetime Achievement Award. Bernardine Evaristo presented the award to her.
Busby was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2021 for her services to publishing. She has also received several honorary degrees from universities like the Open University and SOAS. In April 2023, she became the president of English PEN.
Awards and Achievements
- 1970: Society of Young Publishers Award.
- 1977: Featured in Mayotte Magnus's "Women" exhibition at London's National Portrait Gallery.
- 1993: Pandora Award from Women in Publishing.
- 1999: Race in the Media Award for her radio play Minty Alley.
- 1999: Given the traditional title Nana Akua Ackon in Ghana.
- 2004: Open University Honorary Doctorate for Services to the Arts and Sciences.
- 2006: Appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her work in Literature and Publishing.
- 2015: Henry Swanzy Award for Distinguished Service to Caribbean Letters.
- 2017: Elected Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
- 2017: Awarded the Benson Medal by the Royal Society of Literature for her lifelong achievements.
- 2019: Received the first Africa Writes Lifetime Achievement Award.
- 2019: Honorary doctorate from SOAS, University of London.
- 2020: Voted one of "100 Great Black Britons".
- 2021: London Book Fair Lifetime Achievement Award.
- 2021: Appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).
- 2022: Honorary degree from the University of Exeter.
- 2023: Honorary Doctor of Letters from Oxford Brookes University.
- 2023: GUBA Awards – "Woman of Spirit Award".
See also
- Jessica Huntley
- John La Rose
