NTBC: Cuts Both Ways Session 6

Wednesday 26th March 2025

11-19

NTBC meet Candice Brathwaite for our ‘Meet the Author’ finale. Her book Cuts Both Ways is our second hero read and a sharp and authentic love story – “love is never just black and white.” Its star-crossed lovers and the ripple effects of violence offer pertinent parallels to William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, encouraging discussion about contemporary vs classic romance novels and themes of love, family, grief, loss, class, race and identity.

Candice Brathwaite is an author, journalist and TV presenter with a huge online following, which she has grown since 2015 when she started utilising the internet to tell her own motherhood story. Keen to show that young Black families weren’t just surviving but thriving, her straight-talking, original content struck a chord with fans and brands alike. A self-confessed beauty and fashion obsessive, Candice has a style segment on Lorraine on ITV, is a Contributing Editor to Grazia, and works with many more brands, organisations and media outlets. Through her writing and public presence, Candice continues to contribute to important dialogues, challenging norms and promoting positive change in the realm of diversity and representation. Her debut book I Am Not Your Baby Mother – about being a black British mum – was published in 2020 by Quercus, and made the Sunday Times Bestseller list. Cuts Both Ways is her first fiction book and her first YA, and it’s a novel which tackles the complexities of growing up Black and British.