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Zita: A Life of Activism
Not yet published
Expected 28 Dec 26Zita Holbourne’s autobiography follows her transformation into a fearless justice advocate, blending poetry, art, and activism for workers’ rights.
Zita Holbourne doesn’t just speak truth to power—she fights for it.
In this powerful and inspiring autobiography, poet, artist, and activist Zita shares her journey from creative rebel to one of the UK’s most fearless voices for justice. Whether leading national campaigns for workers’ rights or challenging inequality in the arts, she has fought for a fairer society.
Blending vivid storytelling with the passion that fuels her poetry and art, Zita reveals the moments that shaped her, the battles that defined her, and the unshakable belief that change is always possible.
Bold, urgent, and deeply moving, this is the story of a woman who turned her voice into a weapon—and a movement.
Perfect for readers of inspiring memoirs and stories of courage, this is more than a life story—it’s a call to stand up, speak out, and make a difference.
Table of Contents
10 chapters
Zita Holbourne doesn’t just speak truth to power—she fights for it.
In this powerful and inspiring autobiography, poet, artist, and activist Zita shares her journey from creative rebel to one of the UK’s most fearless voices for justice. Whether leading national campaigns for workers’ rights or challenging inequality in the arts, she has fought for a fairer society.
Blending vivid storytelling with the passion that fuels her poetry and art, Zita reveals the moments that shaped her, the battles that defined her, and the unshakable belief that change is always possible.
Bold, urgent, and deeply moving, this is the story of a woman who turned her voice into a weapon—and a movement.
Perfect for readers of inspiring memoirs and stories of courage, this is more than a life story—it’s a call to stand up, speak out, and make a difference.
Table of Contents
10 chapters
224 pages, Paperback
Expected publication December 28, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I feel like nothing I can say will do this book justice. Wow. What a book. What a woman. Zita is phenomenal.
Growing up, I was always taught to stand up for what I believe in, and I feel I have always tried to use my voice where possible to help others. I detest racism and inequality, and it makes me so sad when I hear of yet another incident. I feel that, in this day and age, we should have progressed so much further.
But then, am I really surprised? As I sat reading this book, a family member imitated the accent of a foreign male on the TV. I heard my 14-year-old pull them up on it, saying, "You can't do that. It's wrong," and I felt even prouder of them than I normally would. I think that's because reading this book made me realise that we need to challenge every little act of racism, not just the big ones.
That said, I finished Zita's book feeling that my knowledge barely scratched the surface. I recognise that I have white privilege, and I'm going to make a conscious effort to keep my eyes even wider open.
The things Zita talks about are so horrifying that it seems almost impossible that they happened in my lifetime. Zita's writing feels so natural and accessible that, even when I didn't understand some of the acronyms or legal terms, I could still follow and understand what she was saying.
I love that every chapter ends with a poem written by Zita. My favourite has to be Yesterday. I also really enjoyed looking at the photographs and artwork she has created.
Biographies aren't my favourite genre, but this feels like so much more than a biography. It feels less about her life story and more about the many incidents of racism and injustice that have taken place over the years.
Zita comes across as such a strong, powerful force of nature that I would love to be her friend!
Growing up, I was always taught to stand up for what I believe in, and I feel I have always tried to use my voice where possible to help others. I detest racism and inequality, and it makes me so sad when I hear of yet another incident. I feel that, in this day and age, we should have progressed so much further.
But then, am I really surprised? As I sat reading this book, a family member imitated the accent of a foreign male on the TV. I heard my 14-year-old pull them up on it, saying, "You can't do that. It's wrong," and I felt even prouder of them than I normally would. I think that's because reading this book made me realise that we need to challenge every little act of racism, not just the big ones.
That said, I finished Zita's book feeling that my knowledge barely scratched the surface. I recognise that I have white privilege, and I'm going to make a conscious effort to keep my eyes even wider open.
The things Zita talks about are so horrifying that it seems almost impossible that they happened in my lifetime. Zita's writing feels so natural and accessible that, even when I didn't understand some of the acronyms or legal terms, I could still follow and understand what she was saying.
I love that every chapter ends with a poem written by Zita. My favourite has to be Yesterday. I also really enjoyed looking at the photographs and artwork she has created.
Biographies aren't my favourite genre, but this feels like so much more than a biography. It feels less about her life story and more about the many incidents of racism and injustice that have taken place over the years.
Zita comes across as such a strong, powerful force of nature that I would love to be her friend!
October 21, 2026
I’d like to thank Zita Holbourne & Aurora Metro for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I feel like the only correct way of starting off my review for this book is by saying what a bloody inspirational and amazing woman Zita is.
This book follows Zita’s life journey from childhood to present day, beginning with touching on some of the things she’s been through that ignited the fire and passion behind standing up for others. It then moves onto how she initially fell into supporting and standing up for others, and finishes by delving into her activism and campaign work.
I was honestly completely amazed at how Zita seemed to have one hit after another in her younger years, but only used this to fuel that amazing fire within herself that she uses to campaign and support others. Honestly speaking, the sheer amount that this woman has accomplished within her lifetime so far is incomprehensible to me; where she has managed to fit everything in is just baffling.
I think one of my biggest takeaways from reading
this is, if you think you know the extent of what BIPOC individuals go through, think again. I thought that I had a pretty decent awareness but this book has shown to me that I will never understand the true extent of everything that so many people will go through and hearing some of the stories within this book made me feel upset and anger to and extent that I don’t think I could even put into words.
My second takeaway is that every voice matters! You are one individual, but so is everybody else around you, and when you bring all these individuals together, you create something that cannot be ignored.
The one thing I’d change about this book is that I’d have really loved for the images to be in colour. I think sometimes a black and white photo can set the feeling that things occurred much longer ago than they actually were. For Zita’s art, I think colour choices are so important in art work so I’d have love to see Zita’s full intention with her pieces in the book.
Finally, I think it’s so important to hear about experiences and stories from minority individuals, and to actively provide a space where such individuals can not only be heard, but can be support & shouted from the rooftops!
I feel like the only correct way of starting off my review for this book is by saying what a bloody inspirational and amazing woman Zita is.
This book follows Zita’s life journey from childhood to present day, beginning with touching on some of the things she’s been through that ignited the fire and passion behind standing up for others. It then moves onto how she initially fell into supporting and standing up for others, and finishes by delving into her activism and campaign work.
I was honestly completely amazed at how Zita seemed to have one hit after another in her younger years, but only used this to fuel that amazing fire within herself that she uses to campaign and support others. Honestly speaking, the sheer amount that this woman has accomplished within her lifetime so far is incomprehensible to me; where she has managed to fit everything in is just baffling.
I think one of my biggest takeaways from reading
this is, if you think you know the extent of what BIPOC individuals go through, think again. I thought that I had a pretty decent awareness but this book has shown to me that I will never understand the true extent of everything that so many people will go through and hearing some of the stories within this book made me feel upset and anger to and extent that I don’t think I could even put into words.
My second takeaway is that every voice matters! You are one individual, but so is everybody else around you, and when you bring all these individuals together, you create something that cannot be ignored.
The one thing I’d change about this book is that I’d have really loved for the images to be in colour. I think sometimes a black and white photo can set the feeling that things occurred much longer ago than they actually were. For Zita’s art, I think colour choices are so important in art work so I’d have love to see Zita’s full intention with her pieces in the book.
Finally, I think it’s so important to hear about experiences and stories from minority individuals, and to actively provide a space where such individuals can not only be heard, but can be support & shouted from the rooftops!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Zita offers a fascinating, insightful and humbling account of her life.
I like that Zita give us such an open and honest account and in a holistic way where we see her childhood experiences and the path for her life moving forward. Her mum, a huge influence but also the creatives around her. She's forged a way using her art, including her poetry, to convey the messages we all need to hear.
It's easy to live in a bubble and pretend that living in a multicultural city means that we're all safe and all inclusive. But, Zita experiences of London (and beyond) tells us the honest version of society. I think to some degree it's a blessing and a curse (living in a city). You benefit from diversity, and life is enriched by sharing race and culture. However, it can feed the ignorance with it being easy to assume that racism isn't there if you can't see it. I remember being a child and people mentioning the horrors of racism such as Enoch, riots and fires in Bradford and later the wind rush scandle. It's hard to understand when you're not the same race and I think Zita's book is a great window into seeing society and it's systems and how unfair they are.
I think this also helped show the importance of activism and how true activists are trying to educate and instigate positive change. The media skews things and we too often hear/see a negative view of activists. This then distracts from the messages that need to be heard and perpetuates hate.
I like that Zita give us such an open and honest account and in a holistic way where we see her childhood experiences and the path for her life moving forward. Her mum, a huge influence but also the creatives around her. She's forged a way using her art, including her poetry, to convey the messages we all need to hear.
It's easy to live in a bubble and pretend that living in a multicultural city means that we're all safe and all inclusive. But, Zita experiences of London (and beyond) tells us the honest version of society. I think to some degree it's a blessing and a curse (living in a city). You benefit from diversity, and life is enriched by sharing race and culture. However, it can feed the ignorance with it being easy to assume that racism isn't there if you can't see it. I remember being a child and people mentioning the horrors of racism such as Enoch, riots and fires in Bradford and later the wind rush scandle. It's hard to understand when you're not the same race and I think Zita's book is a great window into seeing society and it's systems and how unfair they are.
I think this also helped show the importance of activism and how true activists are trying to educate and instigate positive change. The media skews things and we too often hear/see a negative view of activists. This then distracts from the messages that need to be heard and perpetuates hate.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Wow! What a story! Zita Holbourne has served others not only her adult life, but even starting as a child. She helped them as a voice, educator, coordinator, and advisor. She helped them by crossing borders to give or buy goods to feed, clothe, and shelter those who needed her help. She helped them by standing up to the people of whom they were afraid. For some, she was a thorn in their sides. For others, a hero. She has led a full life, serving others as her mother taught her. I liked that since she’s also an artist, in between her life’s story, she included poems and artwork. She is talented! If you like to read about activists and what they have done and faced, this is a good book to read! It’s an account of a full life well-lived.
Zita: A Life of Activism: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Zita: A Life of Activism: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I don't read a great deal of life stories, memoirs or autobiographies, but Zita's story stood out to me as one I definitely wanted to read and having finished it just yesterday, I'm glad I did.
It's an utterly inspirational, insightful and deeply personal look at a life well lived.
It's honest, quite humbling and a real eye opener. Quite harrowing at times, it deals with some very difficult subjects, such as racism. But these stories should and must be told in order for us to learn from them.
4 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 's from me.
It's an utterly inspirational, insightful and deeply personal look at a life well lived.
It's honest, quite humbling and a real eye opener. Quite harrowing at times, it deals with some very difficult subjects, such as racism. But these stories should and must be told in order for us to learn from them.
4 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 's from me.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Zita: A Life of Activism is a look at how one activist can make a difference. Included in the book is the author’s artwork which I love. Holbourne is engaging and her story is a quick read.
“Thank you, Supernova Books, for providing this book for review consideration via Love Books Tours. All opinions are my own.”
“Thank you, Supernova Books, for providing this book for review consideration via Love Books Tours. All opinions are my own.”
Review of advance copy received from Author
An incredibly inspiring read. Zita's memoir is told in two parts really. Beginning with a recollection of her childhood and the moments that shaped her whole life. She details the shocking and horrid times when her and her family received abuse, comments and unfair treatment towards them.
But Zita is strong. Rather than getting down she fought back. Not just for her but everyone. The second part of the autobiography is all about her activism. She made a stand and spoke up. Her story is powerful, full of courage and equally interesting and informative.
After each chapter is a beautiful, moving piece of poetry. Overall just a wonderful story.
But Zita is strong. Rather than getting down she fought back. Not just for her but everyone. The second part of the autobiography is all about her activism. She made a stand and spoke up. Her story is powerful, full of courage and equally interesting and informative.
After each chapter is a beautiful, moving piece of poetry. Overall just a wonderful story.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews