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Honest: Katherine Bing

FOR those of you ladies – and fellas – who’ve been longing for a chick-lit novel

that acknowledges that black people live in London, the wait is

over! Singleholic, the debut novel from author Katherine Bing has been dubbed ‘the black Bridget Jones’. Set in Brixton, south London, the book

follows the life of mixed-race Sarah, who’s desperate to find a husband.

But should she choose a black man or a white man? Who’ll make the better life partner? Who’s better in bed? These are just a few of the

challenges Sarah faces. But her friends – black journalist Jacquie, who’s confidently single, and white Georgina, who’s happily married –

are on hand to offer their advice. Katherine Bing, whose mother is black Jamaican and father is Indian Guyanese, tells Davina Morris that

her novel aims to be a true representation of multicultural London.

What made you decide to write this book?

It struck me that there wasn’t much of a multicultural feel to this genre of literature. Often, chick-lit tends to centre around white characters who

date other white characters, and so on. I just felt that that wasn’t representative of London because London is packed with people from

various backgrounds. And when I talk to women about the book – any woman who isn’t white British – their eyes light up at the idea of this

book because they know that their reality is often not represented in chick-lit. But also, it was just fun to write this kind of story. Sarah was

like my best friend for a while!

Is the book based on any of your own experiences?

Some of the writing is based on things I’ve seen or exaggerations of events that happened to me or people I know, and doing that created a story in its own right. I always used to talk to my friends about my crazy dating experiences in London, and a friend of mine told me I should write a book. I started writing things down, though I never intended to actually write a book. But when I gave some of my writing to friends, they read it and were like, ‘What happens next?’ So I’d go off and write some more, and eventually, the book was written.

Were you aiming to be controversial with the book?

I guess I wanted to spark debate and get people thinking. But the book doesn’t aim to say, ‘This is how it is’. It just explores the lives of these different characters, and race just happens to be one of those issues that’s a part of their lives – just as it is for so many women of colour. You don’t wake up every day and think, ‘I’m a black woman’. But you are a black woman. And every time you go into a shop or do anything, you do it as a black woman. So you talk

about these things with your friends, without even realising it.

Do you think black women today are more open-minded about dating outside their race than they were years ago?

Yes, I think so. Judging on my own experiences with my friends, I think it’s because a lot of them give up on black men! I know that sounds terrible, but I think it’s true. So often, black women start out feeling that they want to stay true to the black man. This is one of the things Sarah goes through. She talks about walking down the street with a white man and having black men look at her as if she’s a traitor.

Your press release jokes that you’ve been “looking for a boyfriend for as long as she can remember!” Why do you think you’ve yet to find a

suitable partner?

I don’t know! I don’t think I have an ‘ideal’ partner. I tend to go out with black guys because I want a man who understands race. I find that a

lot of white guys don’t really get race. Some of them do, but they’re rare. You know how it is; very often when you start talking about race with white

people, they suddenly look like they’ve swallowed something the wrong way! I couldn’t be with someone like that.

Do you think that the mainstream is ready for Singleholic?

I think so. But I’m not sure if the people who make those decisions will feel the same way. They may feel that a book with a black woman as a main character will only be of interest to black people. But I don’t think that’s the case.

Singleholic is out on April 16 through Hansib Publishing.

Tell Us What You Think.

Published: 14 April 2009
Issue: 1367

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