This International Women’s Month, spend an evening with Nicola Rollock, Lady Phyll and Nova Reid as these pioneering women share their tales of activism, tears and survival as they strive to improve racial justice.  

The evening will be hosted by the versatile and highly respected Brenda Emmanus OBE, in the intimate setting of Camden’s House of KOKO. With a chance to pose your own questions, this event promises to be an expansive exploration of the speakers’ work and what it means to truly impact change in today’s world as Black women.

The evening will be followed by an in-person book signing with Nicola, Nova and Lady Phyll. Books will be on sale on the evening, supplied by Roundtable Books. 

Nicola Rollock is Professor of Social Policy and Race at King’s College London and Distinguished Fellow at the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge. She is Founder and Director of NIANRO Consulting which advises senior executives and organisations and carries out innovative, impactful research on social justice. Nicola was recently appointed to the London Policing Board, chaired by the Mayor of London, following Baroness Louise Casey's review of culture and standards in the Metropolitan Police.

Nicola is widely known for her research which examines, for the first time in the UK, the career experiences of Black female Professors and the exhibition that led on from this, Phenomenal Women, which was displayed at London's Southbank Centre. Her new book The Racial Code: Tales of Resistance and Survival was longlisted for the 2023 Bread & Roses Award for radical political writing.

Phyll Opoku-Gyimah is the nucleus of the award-winning celebration and protest that is UK Black Pride. She is widely known as Lady Phyll – partly due to her decision to reject an MBE in the New Year’s Honours' list to protest Britain’s role in formulating anti-LGBTQI+ penal codes across its empire.  

Lady Phyll is a community builder and organiser, an Albert Kennedy Trust patron, and a public speaker focusing on race, gender, sexuality and class. With an honorary doctorate recognising her exceptional contributions, Lady Phyll's over two decades of dedication to human rights advocacy have left an indelible mark. 

Nova Reid is a producer, TED speaker and author.  Often described as a force to be reckoned with, Nova is curious about human behaviour and uses her professional background in mental health to encourage meaningful change from the inside out. Nova’s curiosity has led her to work internationally with FTSE100 companies, advise on prominent human rights inquiries and produce pioneering events. 

Through her impactful advocacy, writing and storytelling, she has become renowned as an agent of change, selected as one of Black Magic Network’s Top 100 Black British Women and receiving a Precious Award for Social Impact.  Nova’s sought-after online academy - Becoming Anti-Racist with Nova Reid -  and best selling debut book, The Good Ally, have consistently been described as life-changing.

Brenda Emmanus OBE has had a consistent and varied career encompassing arts, culture and entertainment broadcasting and journalism. She has reported on the nation’s arts and cultural scene for BBC London and Network news, and presented a broad range of documentaries including Who Ever Heard of a Black Artist? - an exploration of the history of black British artists. 

She has a keen personal interest in the self-development and popular psychology space. Throughout her career she has constantly mentored young people aspiring to a career in the media or business and is a committed Diversity and Inclusion champion.