At Christmas, we give presents to show that we care. Whether that's a special homemade edible treat or festive decorations you've crafted with your own hands, there are so many ways to give a thoughtful gift to show someone how much they mean to you.

One present category that contains everything from education to escapism to inspiration is books, and for this reason, it makes the perfect Christmas gift idea.

Whether you're looking to gift a title to a young reader, a lover of cookbooks or someone who wants to learn new things, there's something for everyone this festive season.

Here, book industry experts from authors and publishers to journalists share the reads they'll be giving their loved ones this Christmas to give you some ideas of your own.


The book: Good Hair: The Essential Guide to Afro, Textured and Curly Hair by Charlotte Mensah.

The expert: Mireille Harper, writer and editor at Square Peg Books.

Mireille says: "The legendary Black British hairdresser, Charlotte Mensah, who was the first Black woman to be inducted into the British Hairdressing Hall of Fame has come up with the ultimate guide for afro hair and I am going to be gifting it to my friends and family (and myself because my fro needs some love after being subjected to harsh weather and central heating for months). It covers everything, from choosing the right protective style for you and protecting your hair growth, to trying out new styles and devising your own tailored haircare routine. It's an absolute godsend and the package is just stunning."

Penguin Life Good Hair: The Essential Guide to Afro, Textured and Curly Hair, £11.99

Good Hair: The Essential Guide to Afro, Textured and Curly Hair, £11.99

Penguin Life Good Hair: The Essential Guide to Afro, Textured and Curly Hair, £11.99

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The book: Rukmini Iyer's Roasting Tin cookbooks and Sam George-Allen's Witches.

The expert: Juno Dawson, author of YA fiction and non-fiction.

Juno says: "If you aren't already converted to the 'Tinlads' cult, indoctrinate someone you love this Christmas with one of Rukmini Iyer's idiot-proof Roasting Tin cookbooks. It's not an exaggeration to say these titles - especially the Green Roasting Tin and Quick Roasting Tin have changed the way I eat, cook and entertain. These titles would be especially good for students or reluctant chefs, as I was."

Square Peg The Green Roasting Tin: Vegan and Vegetarian One Dish Dinners

The Green Roasting Tin: Vegan and Vegetarian One Dish Dinners

Square Peg The Green Roasting Tin: Vegan and Vegetarian One Dish Dinners

Now 47% Off

"For the feminist in your life, gift Sam George-Allen's wonderful Witches. A non-fiction examination of the strength of female solidarity, Aussie journalist George-Allen traces the fraught history of women organising - from witch trials, to suffragettes, to nuns and sex workers."

Melville House Publishing Witches: The Transformative Power of Women Working Together

Witches: The Transformative Power of Women Working Together

Melville House Publishing Witches: The Transformative Power of Women Working Together

Now 19% Off

The book: Black Bread, White Beer by Niven Govinden

The expert: Soniya Ganvir from @browngirlsreadbooks.

Soniya says: "This is one of my favourite books of 2020 and there's still time for you to make it someone else's! We spend 24 hours with Claud and Amal as they struggle to process a miscarriage. In just 188 pages, Govinden tackles interracial relationships, family structures and class signifiers with subtly brutal humour and insight. Ultimately it's about the fissures and fractures that affect any family. Whether we're able to be with our loved ones or not this year, this will be a brilliant reminder of the light and the dark side of family life in modern Britain."

Black Bread White Beer

Black Bread White Beer

Black Bread White Beer

Now 16% Off

The Book: Heads of the Colored People by Nafissa Thompson-Spires.

The expert: Isabella Silvers, Integrated Associate Editor, Hearst.

Isabella says: "The book I'm going to be wrapping up for my friends this Christmas is Heads of the Colored People by Nafissa Thompson-Spires. This short story collection explores Black identity in America in a supposedly post-racial era, following a teen struggling to connect to her Black culture, a YouTube star with a soaring online following who's still bullied IRL and, my personal favourite, a escalating epistolary exchange between two mothers, all sent through their daughters' school backpacks. The topics can be dark, but the tone is comic, bringing a new perspective to the diverse present-day Black experience."

Vintage Heads of the Colored People

Heads of the Colored People

Vintage Heads of the Colored People

Now 20% Off

The book: Loud Black Girls by Elizabeth Uviebinené and Yomi Adegoke.

The expert: Rachel Edwards, author of Darling.

Rachel says: "I have a number of novels I will be reading over the festive season, but I also see it as a great time to embrace some exciting non-fiction. One anthology which has made me sit up and cheer is Loud Black Girls, from the Slay in Your Lane duo, Elizabeth Uviebinené and Yomi Adegoke. It's a fantastic collection of essays by emerging and established Black female writers who put forth insights, with wit and erudition, about a wide range of topics that affect their lives. Like all the best yuletide gifts, it's original, it's thoughtful and it positively sparkles."

Loud Black Girls: 20 Black Women Writers Ask: What’s Next? (Slay in Your Lane)

Loud Black Girls: 20 Black Women Writers Ask: What’s Next? (Slay in Your Lane)

Loud Black Girls: 20 Black Women Writers Ask: What’s Next? (Slay in Your Lane)

The Book: Dear Reader by Cathy Rentzenbrink.

The Expert: Joanne Finney, Good Housekeeping's Books Editor.

Joanne says: "This memoir is a real love letter to books and reading. Cathy Rentzenbrink shares how important books have been in her life, first as a bookseller and more recently as a reviewer and author, as well as the more personal ways that reading and stories have kept her afloat through difficult times. Her writing is funny, wise and moving – it’s like having a wonderful conversation with a good friend. She also has great taste and the book is full of brilliant recommendations. My 'to be read' list is now even more out of control than it was – thanks Cathy!"

Picador Dear Reader: The Comfort and Joy of Books

Dear Reader: The Comfort and Joy of Books

Picador Dear Reader: The Comfort and Joy of Books

The Book: Our Favorite Day of the Year by AE Ali & Rachel Jomepour Bell.

The expert: Sumayyah Malna from @browngirlsreadbooks.

Sumayyah says: "At a time when inclusive and anti-racist approaches to children’s literature are essential, Our Favorite Day of the Year by A.E. Ali and Rachel Jomepour Bell is the perfect picture book to share in the celebratory spirit of Christmas, Las Posadas, Eid, Rosh Hashanah, and Pi Day! On the first day of school, Musa is worried he doesn't know anyone. But through sharing the joy of his classmates' favourite festivals, he finds, by the end of the year, that he has made four steadfast friends. This is the ideal book to give the gift of community cohesion and cross-cultural love."

Salaam Reads / Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers Our Favorite Day of the Year

Our Favorite Day of the Year

Salaam Reads / Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers Our Favorite Day of the Year

Now 33% Off

The book: The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett.

The expert: Sharmaine Lovegrove, publisher at Dialogue Books.

Sharmaine says: "My Christmas read is The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett. It was a blockbuster hit of the summer and a book that readers across the country were talking about. Following twin sisters from rural 1950s America as they take divergent paths, it has all the topical themes of the day race, identity, family, and belonging and is told in a beautiful and compelling way so it’s perfect to get curled up with and lost in. With its stunning cover laced with gold foil, presenting this book to someone you care about and the magical conversations you’ll enjoy after they’ve read, I promise it’ll be the gift that keeps giving."

Dialogue Books The Vanishing Half: Sunday Times Bestseller

The Vanishing Half: Sunday Times Bestseller

Dialogue Books The Vanishing Half: Sunday Times Bestseller

Now 28% Off

The book: A Dutiful Boy by Mohsin Zaidi.

The expert: Elizabeth Day, author and co-host of Sky Arts Book Club Live.

Elizabeth says: "This Christmas I’ll be gifting friends and family a copy of A Dutiful Boy, the beautiful, poignant and powerful memoir by barrister Mohsin Zaidi. Zaidi writes movingly about growing up in a devoutly Muslim family in East London and having to keep his sexuality a secret because being gay was deemed taboo. This book details his journey of self-acceptance, as he wins a scholarship to Oxford University and then becomes a high-flying barrister, and the twin journey his family also has to make. It is a book about love and identity, race and religion... and what makes the perfect cup of tea. The best memoirs teach you something about the author AND yourself. This one definitely does both."

Square Peg A Dutiful Boy: A memoir of a gay Muslim’s journey to acceptance

A Dutiful Boy: A memoir of a gay Muslim’s journey to acceptance

Square Peg A Dutiful Boy: A memoir of a gay Muslim’s journey to acceptance

Elizabeth Day is co-host of Sky Arts Book Club Live, Sundays at 7pm on Sky Arts, Freeview Channel 11 and simulcast live on @SkyTV Facebook.


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