The origins of Narrative Expansions

Jess Crilly (JC): Narrative Expansions originated with an invitation from Facet Publishing to write something about decolonising libraries and, reflecting on my positionality, I decided not to write something myself but to co-edit a volume, and with someone whom I knew would bring different experiences and perspectives to the work. I had been working with collections and discovery (at University of the Arts London before retiring in September 2020) and concerned for a while to really understand what was meant by decolonisation, and how this was, could or should be interpreted in libraries, so that anything we did was theoretically grounded and we were not jumping on a bandwagon or using a buzzword (Crilly, 2019).

Regina Everitt (RE): When Jess asked me to be part of this project, I accepted without hesitation, though I had reservations about the term ‘decolonisation’. As an African American with 400 years of history in the United States – admittedly many of them violent and painful – the term ‘decolonisation’ did not immediately resonate with me. The issue for me was simply racism to reinforce the notion of White superiority. I grew up learning that if you are White you are alright, if you are Brown stick around, and if you are Black step back. So, I wanted the movement to be called what it is and not be dressed up in what I felt was a term to attract popular support – a fad! However, working on this project and learning more about the experiences of those who grew up in Africa and the Caribbean before and after their independence from Europe, ‘decolonisation of the mind’ certainly resonated. I had read parts of Fanon's Black Skin, White Masks during my early undergraduate studies, but did not fully appreciate its impact, as my world was confined to the New York–South Carolina corridor in the north-east of the United States. Although I grew up in a predominantly Black community, colourism and the aspiration towards the media's interpretation of ‘Whiteness’ (e.g. skin tone, speech, possessions) were pervasive.

Voice

RE: Like the range of authors in this book, Jess and I have differing approaches to writing, which has been a strength for this project. Jess takes a more theoretical approach, which will resonate with those who best consume information from ‘academic-style’ writing.