Our Books &
Anthologies
Community voices. Real stories. Bedfordshire on the page. Published works by Naz Knight and three landmark community anthologies.
The Collateral Beauty Series
“A Love Story to Luton — because beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”
Four books rooted in Caribbean heritage, Black British identity and the lived experience of growing up in Luton. A novel, a poetry collection, a play and a book of fairytales — each one an invitation to see yourself in the story.
An autobiographical novel exploring identity, place and belonging. Rooted in Luton and shaped by Caribbean heritage — a powerful meditation on what it means to find beauty in unexpected places and unlikely lives.
A collection of poetry and prose that moves between emotion and expression, between the spoken and the written word. Drawing on Caribbean Englishes, lived experience and the healing power of language as art.
A play about healing from grief and trauma and finding new ways to live. Honest, tender and theatrically alive — this work explores what happens after loss, and how we rebuild ourselves in the aftermath.
A book of fairytales inspired by Caribbean folk stories and by growing up in Luton as a Black British woman with roots in Antigua and Barbuda and St Kitts and Nevis. Magic, memory and the stories we inherit.
Community Anthologies
As part of our National Year of Reading pledge, Nine Red Presents CIC is publishing three community anthologies — gathering poems and lived experiences from across Bedfordshire. Every contributor retains full copyright. Free to submit.
Butterflies in
Shades of Grey
“A collection of original poems and short prose by women whose lives have been shaped by surviving, resisting and transforming difficulty.”
This anthology gathers honest, tender and powerful reflections on what it means to keep going. Work exploring joy, friendship, love, bodies, spirituality, parenting, work, art or ordinary days is equally welcome — as long as it comes from lived experience and emotional honesty.
The Other 33:
Cultural Voices
“An anthology celebrating the many cultures, languages, lineages and crossings that make up contemporary Bedfordshire and beyond.”
We particularly welcome work from writers with Caribbean, African, South Asian, Eastern European, Middle Eastern and other diasporic heritages, as well as mixed-heritage and multi-identity experiences. Pieces can be in English, in other languages, or move fluidly between languages.
Bedfordshire
Young Voices
“Capturing how it feels to grow up here and now — honest, surprising, real.”
This anthology gives space to young voices speaking in their own words about school, home, friendships, online life, fears, joys and futures. Slang, dialect and online language are welcome — we want work that sounds like you. Linked to BedfordSHARE and the Poetry Together intergenerational campaign.
Ready to Add Your Voice?
There is no cost to submit. Contributors retain full copyright. Selected writers can purchase copies at a discounted rate to resell, gift or use in community work.
Nine Red Presents CIC is a Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service-winning Community Interest Company based in Luton, Bedfordshire. For over two decades, we have used interdisciplinary creative practice to transform people, places and spaces. Income generated through book sales is reinvested entirely into our community programmes.