Let Me Tell You This

by Nadine Aisha Jassat

The electrifying debut collection from a powerful new voice in UK poetry. Shortlisted for the Edwin Morgan Poetry Award 2018.

Let Me Tell You This is a vital exploration of racism, gender and the sustaining and restorative bonds between women, told with Jassat’s searing precision and lyricism. Her poems seep into the reader, and deliver a punch to the chest.

"A punchy, powerful debut." - Jackie Kay (Trumpet)

"An important collection of poems, incisive, delicate and precise, as it interrogates the trauma of systemic and every day racism. Jassat is unflinching as she delivers lyrical gut punches that stay with you for days." - Nikesh Shukla (The One Who Wrote Destiny)

Genres: Poetry, Feminism, Nonfiction, Race

144 pages, Paperback

First published March 5, 2019

About the author

Nadine Aisha Jassat is the author of poetry collection Let Me Tell You This, described by Nikita Gill (The Girl and The Goddess) as 'beautifully written, immense and full of passion'. She is the author of two middle-grade mystery novels in verse: The Stories Grandma Forgot (And How I Found Them) described by Sophie Anderson (The House With Chicken Legs) as ‘one of those books that truly makes the world a better place,' and The Hidden Story of Estie Noor, described by Maisie Chan (Danny Chung Does Not Do Maths) as a ‘warm hug of a book', where 'finding the power of telling your own story is central to this joyful tale of kindness and community.’

Nadine has taught and performed internationally and across media, including BBC Scotland’s The Big Scottish Book Club and Author’s Live. She has been published widely, and features in popular anthologies such as Picador’s It’s Not About the Burqa (Shortlisted for Foyles Non-Fiction Book of the Year), Polygon’s The People’s City, and Bloodaxe's Staying Human. Her work has drawn significant acclaim, with her writing for adults shortlisted for the Edwin Morgan Poetry Award, a Herald Scottish Culture Award for Outstanding Literature, and winning a Scottish Book Trust New Writers Award; and her writing for children longlisted for a UKLA Book Award, shortlisted for an Alexandra Palace Book Award, and more.

Nadine lives in Scotland, and grew up in the North of England with a Yorkshire mum and Zimbabwean Dad. She is of mixed heritage; a heritage which can only be told in stories.

Reviews

[Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic collection. I devoured these poems. Early on there is a line: 'The space around him is empty'. It stopped me dead in my tracks, how powerful this line was, and these kind of lines kept coming. I read the poems aloud and found one, 'Bite', to totally stand out from the rest, flow-wise, and it so works for what the piece is about. Raw emotion is throughout this book and I won't forget it in a hurry. Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant.

[Sara Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of poetry is very raw and cuts straight to the core. The poems are very honest and hard hitting. The punches comes thick and fast. The collection is compelling to read and hard to put down. A lot of the poems deal with racism and how hard is it when people judge you as different just because you have a different colour skin or mixed race parents. The poems in this collection tell of what it is like to be a woman of colour in the UK. I think it is safe to say we all know what goes on and what is said and done but this set of poems puts those actions into black and white. These poems focus on family, family ties and heritage, which is important in any culture. Conversations As Girls hits the nail firmly on the head. The daily questions that are asked just because you are perceived as different from everybody else. The poem Scot-Mid contains the line 'You are a bad woman!' A child with panic in his eyes automatically assumes that being coloured, being different means you are bad. Isn't that exactly what the media wants us all to believe? Let's tar everyone with the same brush. The section entitled Voice focuses on sexual violence. The poem Let Me Tell You focuses on survival and how if you take one day at a time you can overcome fear and terror. There is a line in this poem, which is really, really striking - 'I confess, I never felt less sane than when his hand was clawing through my brain'. Those words are really piercing and really resonate with me. There is another line in the poem 'Every man seemed to wear his face'. This is so true. I found this poem profound and really emotive. It made me feel rage and passion and empathy. So well written. I did feel tearful because the words were so honest and truthful. I felt exhausted after reading these poems because they drained me emotionally in so many different ways. A really strong collection that deserves to be celebrated and read by the masses. Personally I found this collection profound. The best new collection of poetry I have read in some time.

[Miles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vivacious, sharp tongued, and unapologetic, Let Me Tell You This is a phenomenal collection that I fell completely in love with. Identity is a major theme in here as Jassat is mixed race, and in these poems she discloses all the things that have been said to her and her brothers by white classmates, adults, and even strangers passing her on the street. She unflinchingly presents the ignorance she's experienced and the struggle she's internally faced, such as calling out 'casual' racism said in her presence. She also discusses sexual violence and abuse, and these poems were especially raw and extremely powerful. It's personable, it discusses important topics, and the language is beautiful--I think everyone should read this collection.

[Daphne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm deeply moved by and in awe of this brilliant poetry collection about family, identity, racism, gender-based violence, survival, and so much more. Without a doubt the best poetry collection I've read this year.

[Malcolm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Family stories, public life, official and not-so-official records, and the multiply localised variations of being migrant and not migrant provide the basis for this gorgeous richly layered, sharp collection of verse. It’s all deceptively light, on the importance and multiplicity of heritage and the importance, value, and risks of speaking out, and doing it anyway. Quite, quite splendid.

[Jack Mckeever · Rating 4 out of 5]

This debut collection by Nadine Aisha Jassat, published by the excellent Scottish independent 404 Ink,is a superbly direct portrayal of identity from a British person of colour. Pulling no punches right from the very beginning ('Life In The UK' is uncompromising and universal in its depiction of racial abuse), 'Let Me Tell You This' takes frustration and the search for settlement and entwines them with themes of womanhood, time, family and nationality for a startlingly universal read.

Much of it works as a much-needed educational endeavour; another reason why the collection's directness seems so necessary. Her beautiful approach to integration in 'The Old Codgers' and the demonstrable realisation of adulthood of 'Inbetween Tales' both reflect and react to her lived experience. Always coming from a deeply personal place, whether she's angrily sucker-punching the rib cage of rape culture, or using her relationship with her parents as a signifier of her association with Britishness, she can be distinctly creative and truthful in equal measure.

As a depiction of one person of colour's experience of living in the UK, 'Let Me Tell You This' is a deft, profound and hugely accessible starting point. It would make an almost perfect accompaniment to Nikesh Shukla's 'The Good Immigrant' on the GCSE syllabus.

[Pauliina (The Bookaholic Dreamer) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Impactful poetry collection about race, feminism, and life in Scotland as a woman of colour. It took some time to get used to the author's style, but once I did, the poems seemed to have layers upon layers of depth in them.

[Siobhan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Glad to finally read this - it's powerful, accessible poetry that really draws you in.

[Lis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edinburgh-based poet Nadine Aisha Jassat is so good with words that anything I try to say about her debut poetry collection feels insufficient. I’d like to gift a copy of this to every woman I know, for several reasons:

(i) As women, the personal is political. For women of colour, or on other axes of oppression, even more so. Jassat’s personal poems are so beautifully done that I found myself sobbing at somebody else’s heritage while her political ones – informed by her work with charities focused on violence against women, her research and her personal experience – are so depressingly universal. Let me recommend “Chorus”, inspired by University of Exeter research into how female animals have adapted subtler appearance so as to avoid harassment from males – its clever wordplay will make you laugh bitterly;

(ii) Poetry is good for the soul, particularly compared to the aimless before-bed social media scroll. Divided into three sections – ‘Hands’, ‘Words’ and ‘Voice’ – Let Me Tell You This is perfectly constructed to fuel three nights of pre-bedtime reading;

(iii) The gorgeous cover art and gold-leaf detail make it the most beautiful book I’ve ever owned. Support indie publishing and buy direct from 404 Ink, please.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this collection was absolutely incredible. I was trying to pace myself through it, but I couldn't help but furiously devour every page, absorb every poem. I'm sure i'll come back to it over and over again.
As a non-native speaker, I find that reading poetry in English can sometimes be hit and miss, but here the carefully selected, delicate language does not impinge at all on the fast-punch delivery of the content; these poems are visceral and immediate, and indeed immediacy of communication is very important considering the topics they touch: race, violence, discrimination, family, heritage, identity, feminism.
I think these issues should have more representation in the media — I found reading these poems was at once eye-opening and comforting. Eye-opening, in the way it showed me struggles and issues that, in my privilege, I have never experienced. Comforting, in the way it will be comforting for any survivor to see someone come out the other end whole, accomplished, and unapologetic.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let Me Tell You This by Nadine Aisha Jassat which is publishing in March 2019 by 404 Ink is a brilliant poetry collection. The writing is vibrant and powerful. The collection talks about race, family, abuse, gender and the feeling of being “inbetween” and not fitting in. I love that many poems sing with the power of women’s friendships and bonds. Despite the serious and heartbreaking topics, there is a lot of warmth in this book and I’ve been rereading some passages.

[Ayah-Sofia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful collection of poems! The stories were powerful and reached out to me as a Scottish woman with mixed heritage. Every word had its own bite and flavour, and I'll soon be in need of a re-read

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant debut from this passionate and powerful poet.

[Rachel Nye · Rating 5 out of 5]

A powerful collection skilfully delivered. I saw myself in these poems and the lives of others, a truly enriching experience.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bold as brass, punchy, sharp poetry. I tore through this debut collection and recommend everyone else does the same

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Often very personal, sometimes very powerful, even uncomfortable. An impressive collection of poems. Enjoyed every word of it, right to the end of the short glossary at the back.

[Florence · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written. I cried, I raged, I was comforted and enchanted. I felt.
Can’t wait to read more from Nadine.

[Lisa Bentley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been reading more and more poetry over the past year and I have found that I am enjoying it more than ever before.

Let Me Tell You This is the deeply personal collection about the struggle with feeling displaced due to cultural heritage being at odds with British roots. Jassat highlights the ignorance of others and also the privilege f believing that people can say and do anything without consequence and repercussion. It is a study in white privilege.

Jassat bookmarks this by looking at her role as a woman in society and the look at sexism in society. It is her honest study which makes this book a very powerful collection of poems.

Let Me Tell You This by Nadine Aisha Jassat is available now.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection really packed a punch. Of course, with every poetry collection there are some poems that resonate better than others with the reader. But this one really called out A LOT of things: racism, social injustice and (sexual) assault among others. I really liked the bluntness and openness of the poems, giving away personal experiences of the author or her family. I marked many poems as ones I want to return to some day, as I think this kind of collection will sadly, unfortunately, regrettably not grow old in the immediate future. I really encourage everyone to read this as Nadine Aisha Jassat is a powerful and important voice!

[Anna Gurevitch · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fabulous book of poems particularly insightful, warming whilst holding it's own. Coming from a multi-cultural family myself and also having been raised in Yorkshire and Scotland there was a lot I could personally relate to. On a personal level it spoke volumes and was a much needed and appreciated read. On a practical and educational level this poetry book collection serves to illuminate in sometimes strong, punchy ways and sometimes delightful, tickling ways. A brilliant, poetic insight into the lives of women from multi-cultural families.

[lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is absolutely stunning. I had the pleasure of working with Nadine at a creative writing day in Manchester last November and was in awe of her talent and passion for writing, both of which shine through immensely in this collection 💛🖋

[cosyinbookland · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the pleasure of watching Nadinenresd her poetry live and I bought her book straight away! What an amazing, inspriring and down to earth woman!

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant, bold and beautiful collection of poems that I look forward to returning to.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent, evocative, sharp collection from one of 30 Inspiring Young Women Under 30 in Scotland, Nadine Aisha Jassat.

[Nicole Moon · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5 stars

A really powerful and unapologetic collection of poetry about racism, identity, and fighting for a better world.

[Mishka Hajee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stumbled onto this book by chance at a bookstore and I'm so glad I did!

[Nadia Maloney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honest, thought provoking and deeply touching! Nadine's writing is relatable and an important insight into the lives of People of colour living in Britain.

[remedi · Rating 5 out of 5]

to be reviewed

[Jakub · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful poetry collection.

[Mary Wong · Rating 4 out of 5]

i love the use of space in this poem - makes me curious how they would sound when dramatised, would be absolutely poignant especially when there is just silence to denote unbridgeable gaps.