Maybe I Don't Belong Here: A Memoir of Race, Identity, Breakdown and Recovery

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And look, I notice not just here in Britain but also in America, this desire in certain sections of the population to sort of tamp down any discussion of history. It'd be a criminal understatement to say that this book is a brave undertaking in sharing such a deeply personal and debilitating moment of one's life. I'd originally believed Harewood to be American from the roles I'd seen him play in some excellent TV (I didn't know previously of his extensive theatre repertoire). Born in 1965 to parents who’d arrived in Birmingham from Barbados, Harewood, like his father (who was also sectioned), found that the assimilation process led to deep emotional conflict and placed a big strain on his mental health.

In spite of the difficult topic, there is an underlying message and feeling of hope that resonates throughout. It's so interesting that that is how you choose to describe it, because so much of what you just described in historical terms, you've had to do in your own personal journey.But reading the book, this question kept jumping out at me, and that question is What does being Black mean to you?

Poor mental health and racism - Harewood dives deep into the raw symbiotic relationship by laying bare his personal story. Still, this book is key in getting the conversation going and in showing that identity and mental health are deeply intertwined.The way he puts hus vulnerabillities, being his personal life and experiences with psychosis and racism, on display is absolutely amazing. It's a very funny battle of ideas, and you end up agreeing with the person that you might not think you would normally agree with.