A new book which explores stories from Scotland’s African and Caribbean communities has been published. It features the stories of 15 members of ACES (African and Caribbean Elders in Scotland) through 107 full-colour pages.

Founded in 2019, African and Caribbean Elders in Scotland is an organisation for African and Caribbean over-60s living in Scotland.

The book was launched on Saturday 14th of October during Black History Month at an intergenerational storytelling event.

‘One Life Two Cultures’ is available to purchase for £12. Email jennifer.novotny@scottishcivictrust.org.uk for more details. Proceeds from book sales support the work of ACES.

The book emerged from stories collected by ACES for their oral history project. The project documented the experiences of African and Caribbean Scots, preserving memories, recording the challenges faced and celebrating achievements to be shared with new generations. 

The One Life, Two Cultures project celebrated cultural diversity by collecting the experiences – both good and bad – of African and Caribbean Scots over the past 50 years. 

“These are the stories of real people; our lives are both ordinary and extraordinary at the same time. ” One Life, Two Cultures

The book was supported by the Scottish Civic Trust along with grants from European Heritage Days Stories (Council of Europe and European Commission) and the Year of Stories 2022 Community Stories Fund, which is delivered in partnership between VisitScotland and Museums Galleries Scotland with support from National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Fiona Grahame