On 16 September 2021, #Merky Books is publishing its first children’s book celebrating over 50 iconic British figures chosen by Stormzy and the #Merky Books team. Only 7% of children’s books published in the UK between 2017-2019* featured characters of colour so Superheroes is set to break the mould on representation, with over 50 characters from underrepresented communities selected to inspire, encourage and empower children. It follows the release of Stormzy’s single Superheroes last year, which was a tribute to real life superheroes.
Superheroes involved in the project include athlete Dina Asher-Smith, comedian Mo Gilligan, writer Candice Carty-Williams, baker Liam Charles, model Jourdan Dunn, scientist Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon, writer-director Reggie Yates, former footballer Ian Wright and many more from across the fields of art, activism, sport, film, TV, music, science, food, fashion and literature.
Each superhero has their inspirational story and superpower told by Sophia Thakur, an award-winning performance poet, author and songwriter. The book is illustrated by 21-year-old Denzell Dankwah who is studying a BA in Illustration at the University of Gloucestershire and reached out to the #Merky Books team on Instagram with his comic book illustrations.
