If you grew up in London in the 2000s, there’s no way you weren’t completely hooked on the saga of Keisha The Sket. The whole concept of ‘going viral’ barely existed yet, but thanks to Bluetooth, the serialised drama written by a then-teenaged Jade LB swept through the capital.
It was as central to that era of London as Channel U and N-Dubz, and now it’s getting a revival thanks to Stormzy’s #Merky Books. The synopsis for the book describes Keisha as “a girl from the ends, (who is) sharp, feisty, and ambitious; she’s been labelled ‘top sket’ but she’s making it work.”
For anyone who doesn’t remember how the story went, or for anyone who didn’t grow up in London, here’s a quick rundown: “When childhood crush and long-time admirer, Ricardo, finally wins her over, Keisha has it all: power, a love life and the chance for stability. But trauma comes knocking and with it a whirlwind of choices that will define what kind of a woman she truly wants to be.”
It’s been 16 years since Keisha The Sket gripped the nation’s capital, but since then, Jade LB has gone on to become a creative and academic writer with an impressive reputation in the literary world. Her writing primarily focuses on the experiences of Black women and the Black British working class. Away from writing, she also co-hosts the Echo Chamber podcast.
In the press release, she commented: “There isn’t anything that could’ve prepped me for this very emotional and highly political revisiting of Keisha and my teenage self. I’m indescribably grateful to the team of women that journeyed with me to see this project to fruition. Big up the waviest contributors ever—I’m honoured. This re-offering is for Us Lot—we know who we are.”
Keisha The Sket is set for release on October 14 (pre-order here), with collected essays from writers including Candice Carty-Williams, Caleb Femi and Aniefiok Ekpoudom.
