Margaret Busby, Britain's first Black female publisher, has spent five decades reshaping the literary landscape by championing voices from Africa, the Caribbean, and beyond. Her new book, Part of the Story, collects essays, reviews, and speeches spanning her remarkable career, including her tenure as chair of the 2020 Booker Prize judges.

Busby's journey began in the 1960s when she and Clive Allison launched Allison & Busby from a £10-a-week office in Fitzrovia. Without publishing experience or significant capital, they focused on poetry before expanding to include writers from Britain's former colonies. At a time when African and Caribbean authors were often relegated to educational publishers with glossaries explaining African words, Busby saw an opportunity to bring authentic voices directly to mainstream audiences.

Now in her eighties, Busby finds herself on the other side of the editor-publisher relationship as she prepares for her book's release. The collection illuminates a pre-equality era while reviving important cultural conversations. As she reflects on her career from a Hackney recording studio café, Busby remains committed to amplifying underrepresented voices, proving that the battles she chose decades ago continue to resonate in today's publishing world.