Soon Come

Centred in a Jamaican restaurant in London, Judith, Mikey and Frankie help each other attempt to plant roots in a country that has been anything but kind to them.

Disruptor Mikey uses art and politics to respond to the injustices he sees. Judith conforms, seeking financial security in an ordinary life as a nurse in order to take care of her family back home. Frankie takes life less seriously - he's been judged all his life, but what he lacks in luck, he makes up for in community. Despite their differences, the group's shared tenacity fosters a unique sense of identity, courage and belonging as they are each drawn back to the restaurant over a number of years.

Inspired by the true stories of three older British-Jamaican citizens, Soon Come shines a light on the everyday lives of London's Caribbean diaspora, revealing the hopes, dreams and uncrushable spirit of the generation.

A transporting and lyrical work that beautifully tells the often erased stories of Black Britain's past and near-present. Heartfelt and deeply affecting, it's impossible not to fall for these nuanced, fully realised characters that will stick with you long after you've left the page. A triumph! -- Yomi Adegoke, author of THE LIST and SLAY IN YOUR LANE
Combined my favourite things, art and Caribbean food, with beautiful, nuanced characters that I could have spent a lifetime with. When I finished, I wanted more. -- Nathan Bryon, screenwriter of RYE LANE
I was blown away by the richness of the characters and their world. The journey that the story prepares the reader for drips with nostalgia and hope. A captivating work of art by one of Britain's most imaginative minds. -- Kelechi Okafor, author of EDGE OF HERE
The reader is in safe hands with this writer . . . It's as if she has opened an old family photo album and diligently detailed the backstories behind each portrait . . . She is a humanist storyteller, an authoritative author. -- Hugh Quarshie

Kuba Shand-Baptiste is an award-winning journalist whose work is interested in identity, human connection and social justice. Soon Come, her debut novel, is a love-letter to British-Jamaican culture. The three main characters yearn for a sense of home yet have been wronged by society they joined. Her writing examines motives with nuance and offers neglected perspectives. She draws on experiences growing up in North West London as a British-Caribbean person. Kuba's work - including essays, features and poetry - has been featured in numerous publications, earning widespread acclaim. She is an engaging public speaker who has participated in panel discussions, lectures and radio shows as well as podcasts.

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