Hidden Histories is a new six-episode podcast series shining a on the lives of black women revered as untouchable heroes or unjustly forgotten.
The Audible Original series is hosted by bestselling author of The Good Ally, TED speaker and producer Nova Reid.
From London to Leeds to Jamaica, Nova uses powerful storytelling, personal insights, and new research, to look into the lives of pioneers, journalists, and rule-breakers.
These are remarkable figures from the 18th to 20th centuries who made vital contributions to civil rights, yet have been mythologised, unknown, or erased from history.
From the legendary warrior Queen Nanny of the Maroons, who led Jamaica’s resistance against British colonial forces, to Cubah Cornwallis, the healer who treated a future king of England, and ground-breaking journalist Barbara Blake-Hannah, Nova uncovers their extraordinary legacies.
She also explores the revolutionary activism of Olive Morris and the impact of Trinidad and Tobago born Dame Jocelyn Barrow, whose work shaped modern British politics.
The cultural influence of poet Louise “Miss Lou” Bennett-Coverley, who gave voice to Jamaican identity, is also highlighted, along with the pioneering work of Gertude Paul, a Yorkshire based headteacher from St Kitts who fought for racial equality in education.
Nova Reid said of the series: “When I started writing The Good Ally, I was captivated by recurring themes of resistance from Black women, particularly from Jamaica, that I never learned about throughout my entire schooling.
So, I was intrigued to find out more about them and why their stories were untold. Born in Britain, of Jamaican heritage with lineage lost to slavery in West Africa – my relationship with Britain is complicated – the interruption of slavery means that so much of mine and our shared history has been, often deliberately, erased.
“Through Hidden Histories with Nova Reid, it has been an honour to unearth not just these women’s legacies, but their humanity and share more, not only about how they survived, but thrived, so that I can be here today, telling you, their stories.”
Hidden Histories with Nova Reid is available now Available exclusively on Audible.
