Notes and Documents: Identity, Social Justice, and Fantasy in Beatrice and Croc Harry: AssociationThe Ottawa Black Book Club Conversation with Lawrence Hill

Abstract

"When Lawrence Hill’s Beatrice and Croc Harry - his first book for young readers in which he ventures into fantasy, drawing from the oral African storytelling patterns and ethics - was published in January 2022, it appeared as a perfect subject for the monthly book meetings of The Ottawa Black Book Club. Excited by the richness of the book, the Nigerian Canadian writer Olunosen Louisa Ibhaze quickly set in motion the process of hosting Hill as a special guest writer at the club’s monthly meetings. ... Hill’s popularity with members of The Ottawa Black Book Club was driven in part by his rich oeuvre, which includes his acclaimed novel The Book of Negroes, published in 2007, at a point in his career when he felt he needed to intervene in black history. But more specifically, members of the book club were keen to hear from him about his exploration of identity, race, friendship, social justice, and colourism, amongst many other poignant themes in Beatrice and Croc Harry."