Kandace Chimbiri is a children’s author who is passionate about spreading awareness of Black history. Her non-fiction writing is based on true-life stories and events from Black history.
Born in Greenwich, London and raised in nearby Lewisham with her sister, Kandace’s Barbados born parents instilled in her a sense of pride and a lifelong love of books and reading. Her parents were part of the large-scale migration of Caribbean people to Britain after World War II, now generally referred to as the Windrush generation. In 1980 the family returned to Barbados, where Kandace attended secondary school before returning to London.
As an adult, Kandace was strongly impacted by the gaping void in children’s literature: there were few books about Black history, and what existed reflected just a slice of the richness and complexity of Black history. She began writing and self-publishing children’s books: her first title was an activity book called Step Back in Time to Ancient Kush (2009). This was followed by The Story of Early Ancient Egypt (2011), Secrets of the Afro Comb: 6,000 Years of Art and Culture (2013) and The Story of the Windrush (republished by Scholastic UK in 2020).
Kandace’s mission to bring Black history to the forefront of cultural conversation has led to her work with museums: she’s worked on children’s trails, workshops, outreach projects, tours on Black history, and various public engagement events and speeches. She also runs Black history-themed art workshops for children.
Kandace Chimbiri’s books include:
- The Story of Britain’s Black Nurses
- The Place for Me: Stories About the Windrush Generation
- The Story of the Windrush
- The Story of Afro Hair, 5,000 Years of History, Fashion and Styles
- The Story of Britain’s Black Airmen
- The Gingerbread Man
- The Steel Donkey: A Tale from Barbados
- Secrets of the Afro Comb, 6,000 Years of Art and Culture
- The Story of Early Ancient Egypt
- Step back in time to ancient Kush: activity book
All of Kandace Chimbiri’s books are available from Amazon or from your local bookstore.
