Have you? If not, we suggest a deep dive into the back catalogue of this Peabody Award-winning masterpiece (to describe it simply as a podcast is to do it a disservice). The George in question is the multi-talented spoken-word artist Mr George Mpanga aka George The Poet, whose socially conscious work has made him one of the UK’s foremost political thinkers. Here, he muses on inner-city life and black culture in all its breadth – the latest series covers everything from Jay-Z’s biography to Mpanga’s relationship with his ancestral home of Uganda – through a blend of music, fiction, poetry and more.

Assembly by Ms Natasha Brown has been described as “explosive”, “virtuosic” and “powerful”. Not bad for a literary debut. This 100-page novella, which has echoes of Get Out and Mrs Dalloway, traces a day in the life of an unnamed black British woman, recently graduated and working at a big bank, as she prepares to attend a posh garden party. A devastating diagnosis brings the narrator’s achievements and ambitions into sharp perspective, while former financier Brown deftly weaves in sharp observations on capitalism, race and the British class system.

Last year’s Black Lives Matter protests seemed to give birth to a new canon of “anti-racist” literature as many sought to educate themselves on the subject. Among the most powerful responses to that unforgettable summer is What White People Can Do Next by Ms Emma Dabiri, a collection of essays in which she deconstructs the notion of allyship and advocates instead for “coalition”. Dabiri is primarily an academic and historian, so expect thorough research and probing analysis as she unpacks her arguments and debunks myths. For all its intellectual gravitas, it’s an accessible and compact read – with plenty of actionable takeaways.

Most readers will have become acquainted with Ms Bernardine Evaristo when her brilliant 2019 novel, Girl, Woman, Other, won the Booker Prize – the first book by a Black woman to be honoured with the award in its 50-year history. As it happens, Evaristo had already spent more than 25 years honing her craft, with seven lesser-known novels under her belt before she achieved widespread acclaim and overdue recognition. It makes sense, then, that her first non-fiction work, Manifesto, is in part an ode to perseverance and a guide to harnessing self-belief. But it’s also an intimate memoir that traces her journey from aspiring author to one of British literature’s most respected voices.

Sir Steve McQueen’s filmography may be short, but boy does it pack a punch: unflinching, critically adored indie projects Hunger and Shame, Academy Award-winning historical epic 12 Years A Slave and last year’s seminal Small Axe anthology, which depicted five stories of West Indian immigrants in the UK. This year, he continues his quest to bring forgotten moments in black British history to light with Uprising, a stirring, exquisitely produced docuseries that examines three events in 1981 that shaped race relations. The Brixton riots, the New Cross house fire and the Black People’s Day of Action protest are each granted an hour-long episode, with first-hand accounts and archive footage that capture the heightened tensions.

Few cases have weighed as heavily on the national psyche as the 1993 murder of black teenager Mr Stephen Lawrence. Almost 30 years later, ITV offers a deeply moving retelling of the fight for justice that followed and the institutional racism that stifled its progress. The three-part mini-series is based on a book by former detective Mr Clive Driscoll, sensitively portrayed by Mr Steve Coogan, who reopened the case in 2006 and eventually uncovered two of Lawrence’s killers. Ms Sharlene Whyte plays Lawrence’s mother, Doreen, whose tireless campaigning for police reform has made her one of the most respected figures in Britain.

Art curator and writer Ms Aindrea Emelife has partnered with auction house Christie’s to present a special Black History Month exhibition in London. From 1 to 21 October, works by pioneering black British artists from the 1980s will sit alongside the new vanguard. Featured pieces include an Old Masters-inspired painting by Ms Sahara Longe, a video installation starring FKA Twigs and a photography series by Ms Sonia Boyce, who next year represents Britain at the Venice Biennale. A selection of pieces will be available to purchase privately from Christie’s, should anything leave a lasting impression.

Soho Theatre in London hosts the latest work by 22-year-old playwrighting prodigy Ms Jasmine Lee-Jones. In 2019, her provocatively titled Seven Methods Of Killing Kylie Jenner grappled with weighty themes such as misogynoir, colourism and cultural appropriation with an impressively light touch, winning her rave reviews and a Most Promising Playwright award. Now with her new one-woman show, she introduces us to Jaz, a black, queer drama student who uncovers a forgotten work from the 17th century and embarks on a life-altering journey.

Mr Charlie Phillips was just 12 years old when he made the journey to England from Jamaica in the 1950s, settling into Notting Hill’s burgeoning West Indian community. Not long afterwards, he acquired a camera and began documenting the day-to-day lives of his west London neighbours – the parties, the funerals, the protests, the early days of the now world-famous carnival. It’s only in later life that the self-taught photographer’s work has been recognised as a visual history of the Windrush generation, captured with the intimate gaze of an insider. His archives, plus a short film delving into the stories behind his most striking images, can be seen at the Royal Festival Hall until 17 October.

Catch the final few performances of Ms Winsome Pinnock’s hard-hitting play (delayed by the pandemic, but made all the more urgent by the BLM protests), which is brought to life by Olivier Award-winning director Ms Miranda Cromwell. Rockets And Blue Lights takes its name from a gloomy landscape painting by Mr JMW Turner, although it’s his more challenging companion piece, “The Slave Ship”, that inspires the narrative. In present-day London, actor Lou appears in a film about the Victorian painter but finds herself bristling against the script. Meanwhile, in 1840, an imagined trip by Turner alongside a black sailor inspires him creatively, but forces him to face up to his role in the slave trade.