To find out more about Coming to England click here. The book is now on the National Schools Reading List and is loved by children and adults alike. It tells of my battle to feel as if I belonged, how I fought adversity and learnt to survive. I left with great expectations only to find rejection and heartache when I arrived. It tells the story of me as a little girl living in the Caribbean and my journey as a ten year old to England.
‘Coming to England’ which I wrote in 1994. Floella is the first Caribbean person to receive the order, but she is sure she won't be the last.I have written over twenty books both for children and adults. In 2022, it was one of Her Majesty the Queen’s last wishes to appoint Floella the prestigious Order of Merit, which is held by only twenty-four people. What Are You Doing Here? is her first adult autobiography, after previously writing her classic memoir Coming to England and acclaimed Sea of Tears. She was also appointed Chancellor of the University of Exeter until 2016. The book was adapted into an award-winning film for BBC Education. Floella has written thirty books, including Coming to England, which is used as a resource in schools in social and cross-curricular areas. Barrie Award by Action for Children's Arts, for her lasting contribution to children's lives through her art. In 2012 she was presented with the prestigious J. She was appointed a Baroness in the House of Lords in 2010. Her broadcasting work has been recognized with a Special Lifetime Achievement BAFTA and OBE. She is best known as a presenter of the iconic BBC children's television programmes Play School and Play Away, and she continues to make children's programmes. She is an actress, presenter, writer, producer, working peer and an active advocate for the welfare and education of children. Read moreīaroness Floella Benjamin, OBE, was born in Trinidad in 1949 and came to England in 1960. She soon realized that the only way to survive was to work twice as hard and be twice as good as anyone else. But, as her new life began, she was shocked and distressed by the rejection she experienced. Reunited with her mother, Floella was too overwhelmed at first to care about the cold weather and the noise and dirt from the traffic. They had left the island paradise of Trinidad to make a new home in London – part of a whole generation of West Indians who were encouraged to move to Britain and help rebuild the country after the Second World War. It is beautifully illustrated by Michael Frith.įloella Benjamin was just a young girl when she, her sister and two brothers arrived in England in 1960 to join their parents, whom they had not seen for fifteen months. Includes a foreword by the author and some additional historical information. Dame Floella Benjamin's classic childhood memoir, Coming to England, is an inspirational story and a powerful reminder that courage and determination can overcome adversity.
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