Yvonne Bailey-Smith was born in Jamaica in 1954 and immigrated to the UK in 1969. She trained and worked first as a social worker before becoming a psychotherapist. She is also a Water Aid Supporter and passionate about providing clean water and sanitation in developing countries.
She is the mother of three children: novelist Zadie Smith; actor, musician and children’s book author Ben Bailey Smith; and lyricist and writer LucSkyz.
Author photo © Elena Heatherwick
Interviews and Features
75 books to watch out for in 2021 by The Irish Times
The Irish Times picked 75 books you need to watch out for in 2021, all by independent Irish and British publishers. The list includes upcoming Myriad debut novels, The Day I Fell Off My Island by Yvonne Bailey-Smith and Hamid & Shakespeare by Majid Adin. See the list in full HERE.
Brent and Kilburn Times report on Yvonne's upcoming novel
Brent and Kilburn Times shares news of author Yvonne Bailey-Smith’s upcoming novel, The Day I Fell Off My Island, which we are publishing in June 2021.
The Day I Fell Off My Island tells the story of Erna Mullings, a teenage Jamaican girl uprooted from her island following the sudden death of her beloved grandmother. When Erna is sent to England to be reunited with her siblings, she dreads leaving behind her elderly grandfather, and the only life she has ever known. A new future unfolds, in a strange country and with a mother she barely knows. The next decade will be a complex journey of estrangement and arrival, new beginnings and the uncovering of long-buried secrets.
Coming-of-age novel by Yvonne Bailey-Smith
‘Candida Lacey has signed world rights to a coming-of-age novel by Yvonne Bailey-Smith directly from the author. The Day I Fell off My Island is set in Jamaica and the UK, and will be out next year. The novel follows the story of Erna Mullings, a teenage girl who is uprooted from Jamaica and sent to England following the death of her grandmother to be reunited with her mother and siblings.’
Beyond exciting to see news of Yvonne’s upcoming publication up on Book Brunch. To read more about Yvonne and her novel, click HERE.