Not Quite Right For Us

Speaking Volumes•speaking-volumes.org.uk

Not Quite Right For Us showcases innovative and diverse writers from under-represented communities, reflecting on experiences of outsiderness and their defiance against it. Celebrating ten years of the literature organisation Speaking Volumes, Not Quite Right For Us is a cri du coeur, a warning shot, an affirmation, an education in forty works. The anthology will resonate with readers who understand where it’s coming from, or who are allied to its purpose, or — hopefully — who are ready for some unexpected empathy. Available from all good bookshops, or order from www.flippedeye.net

Last refreshed: July 25th, 2025 at 9:07 AM ⓘ

Follow this podcast in the Metacast mobile app to refresh it and see new episodes.

Follow on

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

RSS

Podcasts are better in Metacast mobile app

Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more

Episodes

Childhood

Our early years should be carefree, stress-free, worry-free. Yet all too often we’re made to feel ‘not quite right’ in some way, whether that’s because of the way we dress, the music we like — or, more insidiously, because of the colour of our skin. School days bring their own issues of peer pressure too, teaching lessons way beyond the classroom. But what happens to our own memories of that time when we grow up, or when we become parents ourselves? And what do we do with the knowledge that form...

Nov 23, 2021•23 min

Family

In this episode we hear ‘The Nod’ by Joshua Idehen ‘Prodigal’ by Maame Blue , and ‘Bodies’ by Shagufta Sharmeen Tania . Our guide is writer, curator and producer Amina Jama . We take family for granted, don’t we? Even when they may be dysfunctional, there’s always the odd memory of some happy moments, at least. But family – whether blood or chosen – can be hard work too. Whether they give us protection – or not – or need protecting from harsh truths, our family histories and stories are intertwi...

Nov 12, 2021•23 min

Friends

Friends, the people we choose to let into our lives, can be a joy and give us the support we need … but they can also make us feel ‘not quite right’. From the bonds and ties of friendships that develop over years or decades, to relationships forged in a moment; from the middle of an ocean of people and places to the bosom of family; what happens in moments of disjuncture and what those moments can lead to — good and bad — is articulated in the friendships we continually re-negotiate through life...

Oct 31, 2021•17 min

Work

When is a job ‘not quite right’? For Colin Grant it was when he encountered structural racism in the heart of the BBC establishment; for Johny Pitts, it was when he learned the hard lesson that the 1990s wasn’t a post-racial world; and for Fergal Harte’s narrator, it’s when an editor suggests only certain people can be ‘bad guys’. Very few of us can avoid working but, even if we do manage to hook that ‘dream’ job, it doesn’t stay perfect for long. Sooner or later, we find we – or the job – is ‘n...

Oct 26, 2021•25 min

Travel

The idea of travel brings with it the promise of exotic places filled with interesting people, and images of glittering beaches and crystal clear water, or adventure, relaxation, or even a family holiday. But that’s for those who are able to come and go as they please: one person’s exploration is another’s exploitation. For many, ‘travel’ has been ‘not quite right’ for centuries, bringing conquest and oppression, inequality and ecological disaster, prejudice, and at times walls to keep out ‘the ...

Oct 07, 2021•19 min

Love

Love touches us all at some point — from dependable familial bonds to the warm comfort of childhood pets, from the heady perfume of romance to the cherished appreciation of community, culture, country. The physical and emotional connections transcend barriers, cross generations and borders. And yet, love can sometimes be ‘not quite right’, taking where it should be giving, causing destruction — even as we still love. Celebrating ten years of Speaking Volumes, this anthology is a warning shot, an...

Sep 30, 2021•18 min

YesterdayToday

In these days of restrictions, the quieter, slower pace of the world is a good time to reflect on how our yesterdays have created what we are today. From the personal trials of overcoming prejudice and creating ground-breaking, often lonely, paths, to the political decisions to stand up for equality and make visible that which has been hidden, these are stories of being ‘not quite right’ that need to be shared. Each piece gives us pause for thought as we learn just how much personal and public h...

Sep 27, 2021•18 min

TodayTomorrow

Looking back at history and relating it to today helps us all reach for tomorrow. Although things may have been ‘not quite right’ at one time or another (or even now) there is always hope — and there are always things we can do to come together to make real change. Today & Tomorrow collide as our three unflappable authors shake off the burdens of the present; examine and explore today’s unequal world with precision, instinct and guile; and re-imagine a different (better?) future. With expert...

Jun 26, 2021•23 min

For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android