Reni Eddo-Lodge

Reni Eddo-Lodge FRSL (born 25 September 1989) is a British journalist and author, whose writing primarily focuses on feminism and exposing structural racism. She has written for a range of publications, including The New York Times, The Guardian, The Independent, The Daily Telegraph, The Voice, BuzzFeed, Vice, i-D and Dazed & Confused,[1] and is a contributor to the 2019 anthology New Daughters of Africa, edited by Margaret Busby.[2][3]

Reni Eddo-Lodge

FRSL
Eddo-Lodge in 2014
Eddo-Lodge in 2014
Born (1989-09-25) 25 September 1989
London, England
Occupation
  • Columnist
  • author
Alma materUniversity of Central Lancashire
Subject
Notable worksWhy I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race (2017)
Website
renieddolodge.co.uk

In June 2020, following the George Floyd protests, her book Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race (published in 2017) rose 155 places to top the UK non-fiction paperback chart, at the same time as Bernardine Evaristo's 2019 novel Girl, Woman, Other topped the paperback fiction chart, the first time books by black British women headed both charts.[4][5] On 16 June 2020 she became the first black British woman to be No. 1 overall in the British book charts.[6]

Early life and education

Eddo-Lodge was born and raised in London, England, by a Nigerian mother.[7] She attended St Anne's Catholic High School in Enfield.

She studied English literature at University of Central Lancashire, graduating in 2011. While at university, she became involved in feminist activism and the 2010 student protest movement.[8] She was president of the University of Central Lancashire students' union until 2012,[9][10] and was an elected member of the National Executive Council of the National Union of Students from 2012 to 2013.[11]

Career

As a freelance journalist, Eddo-Lodge has written for a number of publications, including The New York Times, The Guardian, The Independent, The Daily Telegraph, The Voice, BuzzFeed, Vice, i-D and Dazed & Confused.[1]

In December 2013, Eddo-Lodge appeared on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour to discuss the year in feminism alongside activist Caroline Criado Perez.[12] During a discussion on intersectionality, Criado Perez seemed to imply that Eddo-Lodge was involved in online abuse of other feminists.[11] Although Criado Perez apologised for the way her comments could have been interpreted, former Conservative MP Louise Mensch accused Eddo-Lodge of "bullying".[13]

Eddo-Lodge has also appeared on BBC Radio 3’s Night Waves, discussing feminist issues. In April 2014, she was a judge in the BBC Woman's Hour Power List 2014.[14] In July 2020, Lodge partnered with Emma Watson and the WOW Foundation to spearhead a project reimagining the London Underground Map, renaming the 270 stops to spotlight women and non-binary people who have shaped the city's history. The initiative will consult writers, museums, and librarians and is set to be published by Haymarket Books on International Women's Day 2022.[15][16]

Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race

In 2017, Eddo-Lodge completed her debut book, Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race; released by Bloomsbury Publishing, the polemic was made available in bookshops and online in June 2017.[17] Initial reviews were positive, with 2015 Booker Prize-winner Marlon James writing that it was "essential" and "begging to be written".[17] Others such as Trevor Phillips in The Sunday Times took issue with the book, with Phillips claiming that it probed "delicately knotted issues with all the subtlety of a blunderbuss".[18] The book won the Jhalak Prize in March 2018.[19]

Eddo-Lodge teamed up with podcast producer Renay Richardson to create About Race with Reni Eddo-Lodge, which premiered in March 2018 and has been named one of the best podcasts of 2018 by British GQ and Wired.[20] Seen as a complement to the book, the podcast examined Britain's modern relationship with race.[21]

In January 2018, Eddo-Lodge was chosen as one of seven prominent British women to be photographed for British Vogue, to mark the centenary of British women winning the right to vote.[22] In the 2020 and 2021 editions of the Powerlist, Eddo-Lodge was listed in the Top 100 of the most influential people in the UK of African/African-Caribbean descent.[23]

Impact during the Black Lives Matter protests

In June 2020, Eddo-Lodge's book Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race rose 155 places in the official Bookseller chart.[24] The upsurge in sales took place in the wake of the murder of George Floyd and subsequent global Black Lives Matter protests.[25] This meant that she became the first black British woman to top the non-fiction book-selling charts at number 1; the fiction chart was simultaneously topped by the novelist Bernardine Evaristo.[26] Eddo-Lodge stated that she was "dismayed by ... the tragic circumstances in which this achievement came about".[27] On 16 June 2020, Eddo-Lodge became the first black British woman to be No. 1 overall in the British book charts.[6]

Awards and recognition
YearAward or recognition
2010Highly commended, Channel 4 News Young Blogger of the Year[28]
2014The Guardian Top 30 Young People in Digital Media[29]
2014The Root 30 Viral Voices Under 30[30]
2014Elle Inspire 100[31]
2015MHP 30 to Watch Award[32]
2018Jhalak Prize for Book of the Year by a Writer of Colour[19]
2018The polemic Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race topped a public poll of 20 books shortlisted by the UK Booksellers Association on the most influential book written by a woman[33][25]
2018Bread and Roses Award for Radical Publishing for Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race (joint winner)[34]
2021Elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature (FRSL)[35]

Criticism

In an interview published by The Spectator in October 2020 entitled "Kemi Badenoch: The problem with critical race theory", Badenoch, the Equalities Minister, accused authors such as Eddo-Lodge and Robin DiAngelo, whose book sales surged in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd, of using critical race theory to segregate society.[36]

More than 100 leading black writers, including Bernardine Evaristo, Malorie Blackman and Benjamin Zephaniah have condemned the comments of Badenoch, not just for the content of her remarks, but also accusing Badenoch of endangering the personal safety of anti-racist writers by singling them out.[37] Eddo-Lodge demanded a correction and apology from The Spectator, who refused but offered her a column to reply; her complaint is currently lodged with IPSO.[37] The Independent also ran the same story and have since printed a correction at the request of Eddo-Lodge.[37] Neither had been in touch with Eddo-Lodge before printing the articles.[37]

References
  1. "Reni Eddo-Lodge". Felicity Bryan Associates. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  2. "New Daughters of Africa". Myriad Editions.
  3. Uwadiae, Etinosa (22 March 2019). "5 Diverse Anthologies To Add To Your Reading List In 2019". bookriot.com.
  4. Flood, Alison (10 June 2020). "Black British authors top UK book charts in wake of BLM protests". The Guardian.
  5. Chilton, Louis (11 June 2020). "'I can't help but be dismayed': Reni Eddo-Lodge becomes first black author to top paperback non-fiction charts". The Independent. Retrieved 14 June 2010.
  6. Flood, Alison (16 June 2020). "Reni Eddo-Lodge becomes first black British author to top UK book charts". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  7. John, Tara (15 November 2017). "Reni Eddo-Lodge on the Underplayed Realities of Racism In the U.K." Time. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  8. Walker, Danna; Rossi, Lisa (28 July 2014). "Twitter Glitter: 5 Who Shine and How They Do It". American Journalism Review. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  9. "Where are they now? Presidents Edition". ULCANSU. University of Central Lancashire Students' Union. 26 February 2016. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  10. UCLan SU. "Post". Facebook. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  11. Brinkhurst Cuff, Charlie (27 May 2017). "Author Reni Eddo-Lodge on white feminism, activism and her new book". gal-dem. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  12. "Caroline Criado-Perez, Laura Bates, Allegra McEvedy's perfect hangover food". BBC Radio 4 - Woman's Hour. BBC. 31 December 2013. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  13. Hudson, Rykesha (6 January 2014). "Ex-Tory MP Attacks Black Feminist On Twitter". The Voice. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  14. "Woman's Hour Power List 2014 – the panel". BBC Radio 4.
  15. Flood, Alison (21 July 2020). "Reni Eddo-Lodge and Emma Watson to redraw London tube map with women's names". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  16. Haymarket Books - City of Women (London). Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  17. Eddo-Lodge, Reni (2017). Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race. Bloomsbury Publishing. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  18. Phillips, Trevor (18 June 2017). "Books: Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge". The Sunday Times. Thetimes.co.uk. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
  19. Flood, Alison (19 March 2018). "Reni Eddo-Lodge wins Jhalak prize for British writers of colour", The Guardian.
  20. "Reni Eddo-Lodge", Forbes.
  21. About Race with Reni Eddo-Lodge website.
  22. Wiseman, Eva (20 January 2018). "Meet The New Suffragettes". Vogue. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  23. Mills, Kelly-Ann (25 October 2019). "Raheem Sterling joins Meghan and Stormzy in top 100 most influential black Brits". Mirror. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  24. "Eddo-Lodge breaks book record amid BLM protests". BBC News. 10 June 2020. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
  25. "Ac Book Week: Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race wins poll", Booksellers Association, 27 April 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  26. Flood, Alison (10 June 2020). "Black British authors top UK book charts in wake of BLM protests". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
  27. Morris, Natalie (11 June 2020). "Reni Eddo-Lodge becomes first Black woman to top non-fiction chart – but is 'dismayed' at reason why". Metro.
  28. "Channel 4 News announces its Young Blogger of the Year". Channel 4 News. Channel 4. 25 October 2010. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  29. Hern, Alex; Matt Andrews; Jack Shepherd (16 March 2014). "The top 30 young people in digital media: Nos 30-11". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  30. Moore, Terron (8 August 2014). "30 Viral Voices Under 30". The Root. Gizmodo Media Group. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  31. "ELLE Inspire 100". Elle. Hearst Communications. 31 October 2014. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  32. "MHP reveal 30 to Watch winners for 2015". Engine. Engine Group. 21 May 2015. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  33. Flood, Alison (27 April 2018), "Reni Eddo-Lodge polemic tops poll of most influential books by women", The Guardian. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  34. "About". Reni Eddo-Lodge.
  35. Bayley, Sian (6 July 2021). "RSL launches three-year school reading project as new fellows announced". The Bookseller. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
  36. Nelson, Fraser. "Kemi Badenoch: The Problem with Critical Race Theory". www.spectator.co.uk. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  37. Cain, Sian (30 October 2020). "Writers protest after minister suggests anti-racism books support segregation". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
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