When Chelsea Kwakye (BA Human, Social and Political Sciences 2015-18) was at Homerton, the experience of being a black woman at Cambridge was a frequent topic of discussion with her friend, Ore Ogunbiyi (Jesus College, HSPS).
When, after they received their Finals results, Chelsea’s sister suggested that the pair should write a handbook to university life, they were clear where the emphasis would lie.
“We wanted to focus on the experience of Black women and non-binary people, not just at Oxbridge but in higher education more broadly,” Chelsea explains.
As Vice-President of the University’s African-Caribbean Society, as well as Homerton BME officer, Chelsea had immersed herself in black life at Cambridge, and was familiar with the challenges faced by some students in a predominantly and historically white environment.
“The Stormzy scholarships had just been launched when we were approached by Merky Books (Stormzy’s imprint at Penguin Random House) so there was a lot of synergy.”
Taking Up Space was written via long distance collaboration, while Chelsea completed her Graduate Diploma in Law in London, and Ore was in New York, studying journalism at Columbia.
“We were able to really support each other, and we spoke almost every day, sharing photos of our time at Cambridge to jog our memories.”
The book was published in 2019, leading to several months of “really intense” press engagement, interviews and launches. Chelsea has since been involved in multiple events exploring the black experience at Cambridge, including as part of Homerton’s recent Inclusion Week, and during the visit of His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales.
“We were very happy that Cambridge was so receptive to the book, and saw it as opening a conversation. And both our Colleges now have black Heads of House, which is really exciting!”
Chelsea will qualify as a solicitor in September, and currently works for a London law firm. Meanwhile, a television adaption of Taking Up Space is currently in development.
“It’s a fictionalised version, not a documentary. So someone will be playing me!”
