Writing from THE BROOME CUPBOARD
Karen Broome Thomas the writer
Karen writes about life in Britain from the perspective of a first-generation black British born female.
She writes about the highs, the lows, the successes, the failures and life as a Gen X woman.
She writes to debunk the stereotypes.
She writes to laugh, to cry, to heal.
She writes to give a voice to her generation of the first large wave of
black children of Caribbean descent born in Britain during the sixties and
seventies.
She writes to celebrate her parents, grandparents and all the black Caribbean
pioneers who moved to England in the 1950s, 60s and 70s..
She writes so that these voices and times are
not forgotten.
She writes to educate and inspire both black and non people of colour,
minorities, the young and old.
She writes to inspire, empower and encourage all women and girls
But especially for kids of the seventies, now grown up big
people.
She writes to promote black excellence.
She writes to show we are more alike than we are different.
'So where are you from?’
‘England.’
‘No, where are you really from?’
‘South London.’
‘Oh? So you were born in the UK?’
‘Yup, I was born in London in the late 1960s. Yes, I’m British. No, my parents didn’t come to England on the Empire Windrush, they flew here on an aeroplane. No, I’m not Jamaican, my parents are from Barbados. There are loads of Islands that make up the Caribbean and the people are all beautiful..
Yes, I’ve been to Barbados many times. Yes, it’s beautiful there. No, I’ve never stayed at the hotel where all the celebrities go, that’s way out of my price range.’
‘Have you always been a writer?’
'As a child I read and wrote loads. I wanted to be a journalist until an unhelpful careers advisor put me off saying I’d only write stories about cats stuck up trees. After I got my 2:1 Degree in Business Studies I worked my butt off chasing a career in marketing for a long time. But I jumped off the corporate merry go round a few years ago in search of a more meaningful authentic life.
Now I focus on doing things I love like baking, yoga, building a home, being more spiritual, travelling, learning history I wasn’t taught in school and spending time with my family and friends.
And I write.
Behind the author
Reading and writing have always been a hobby for Karen . It wasn't something she thought about doing for a job with until recent world events sparked something in her. She realised she had something valuable to share with the world and so turned to writing full-time.
Since then she has written prolifically about being black and British and is constantly exploring new ways to present positive themes, genres and ideas. It’s incredibly deep work, but Karen is at my happiest when she sits down at my desk to put the opening words to a new book or story on paper to document diversity and multicultural Britain.
Karen is often reading four or five books at the same time.
Current projects
I'm extremely proud and excited to share my work soon. My projects may have been long in development, but these are stories that really need to be told.
LOOKING BACK
Windrush
Looking back, the story of my Bajan dad growing up in Barbados and his sucessful working life in England.
SKINNIN' TEET'
Memoir
Looking back on my life as a first generation black british woman and my fight to be seen as an individual and have a career in the corporate world.
RETRO BAKES
Naughty but nice
Fun and easy retro baking. Re-live your '70s childhod with me.
Contact