Amy Jackson’s cultural highlights

Amy Jackson is a London-based writer, graduating in English Literature and Creative Writing. Amy specialises in editorial, screenwriting and script editing. Her first co-written short film is set to be released in 2026, and she is currently developing an original comedy-drama for television.

Theatre: Not Your Superwoman (2025)

I watched Not Your Superwoman at Halloween and, funnily enough, departed from thinking about the skeletons buried beneath the foundations of our own lineages, and their role as fertiliser for trauma and toxicity. Written by Jamaican-Trinidadian author Emma Dennis-Edwards and starring Golda Rosheuvel and Letitia Wright as a mother-daughter duo, Not Your Superwoman explores the matriarchal dynamics prevalent in Caribbean households, as well as the isolated hardships of migration to England. This was the first time I’d watched a play so artfully explore these aspects of intergenerational dissonance, acceptance, and Black Caribbean motherhood in such a multilayered way. Despite the often fractured nature of familial trauma, Not Your Superwoman still manages to reaffirm the things that keep us connected: humour, culture, and ultimately the forgiving of ourselves and each other.

www.bushtheatre.co.uk/past-event/not-your-superwoman/

Book: Black Women Always by Kevin Morosky (2024)

I’m unsure if Kevin Morosky set out to create a bible for black women when writing Black Women Always, but the confluence of tenderness and empowerment projected through the voices of influential black women made this more than just a book for me. Black Women Always is an encyclopedia for navigating life as a black woman, as told by black women. I adore its structure, truly biblical in its nature, with an ability to be referenced non-chronologically and read in part, from any section. Take what you need, and come back when you can. Morosky platforms black British womanhood through the medium of candid conversation, setting up a space to breathe, unmask and unravel from everyday tension. Sections Two and Nine are devoted to conversations on resilience and intuition – two themes that have ruled the past two years of my life – and, like scripture, I carry elements of these conversations with me daily.

https://harpercollins.co.uk/products/black-women-always-conversations-on-life-culture-and-creativity-kevin-morosky?variant=40684975784014

Film: Hedda (2025) directed by Nia DaCosta

Hedda stars Tessa Thompson as Hedda, the impulsive, provocative female lead in this queer reimagining of playwright Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler (1891). The film walks us through an opulent party set in mid-century England, where chaos, temptation, and manipulation circle its grounds. I enjoy Hedda’s musings on her disorderly decision-making and self-serving choices: ‘Sometimes I can’t help myself. I just do things all of a sudden, on a whim. I don’t know why.’ Unflinching of consequence, Hedda exists in her self-made chamber of destruction and satisfaction, allowing both to rebound off one another simultaneously. The characters’ reckless behavioural traits have been strongly linked to clinical disorders and, although the film has received criticism for its lack of focus and incohesive storytelling, I found these elements effective in immersing its audience in Hedda’s affected mental state.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt27953589/?ref_=tturv_ov_i

Substack: Emma Dabiri

Over the past year, the longform revival (Substack) within a digital landscape of bite-sized, hard-to-contextualise media has given me the slightest bit of hope for the future. Although sceptical of its direction, with recent months seeing an influx of creators migrating content from unrelated platforms, I still keep my fingers crossed that Substack can rise above the usual fate of its social media counterparts. The Sunday Times bestselling author Emma Dabiri’s Substack is a refreshing departure from the visual chaos of modern media. Compiled of personal essays and cultural commentary, Dabiri engages readers with a critical nuance that the internet so often lacks. Dabiri’s superpower lies in an ability to find intersections across subjects that, at a glance, may appear polarised, reinforcing the interconnected system of politics, identity and culture. So far, my favourite read has been Hurricanes, Hip Hop and White Supremacy, which explores the convergence of music, revolt and climate in the wake of Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica.

https://emmadabiri.substack.com/p/hurricanes-hip-hop-and-white-supremacy

Performance: Search Party by Inua Ellams

Search Party is a welcomingly offbeat poetry performance, directed by its audience and driven by an amalgamation of playwright and poet Inua Ellams’ archival works. Its structurally unorthodox nature makes it difficult for me to categorise, as the show immerses you in so many opposing creative worlds, all in one sitting. Part stand-up, listening party and poetry reading, Search Party has solidified itself as one of my favourite experiences of 2025. Without knowing the literary outcome, audience members are encouraged to shout out words, prompting Ellams to search, read or discuss whatever randomised body of work emerges. It’s fun, invigorating and deeply captivating, prompting a nostalgic trip down memory lane for Ellams, whose storytelling abilities make you feel like you’re in a room with an old friend. Ellams’ archive shifts tone and atmosphere, with topics ranging from trauma to comedy, and sometimes even a mix of both.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DO6Zlf0DfdH/?hl=en

Favourite WritersMosaic writer 

This one is purely for my daughters, who would be deeply disappointed in me if I didn’t spotlight the works of Laura Henry-Allain. Her contribution to diversity in children’s television is undeniable, and I’m joyful every time we get to watch JoJo & Gran Gran grace our screens. It’s the early representation we all wish we had, alongside her children’s book My Skin, Your Skin (2021).

https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/443570/my-skin-your-skin-by-mbe-laura-henry-allain/9780241512739

Amy Jackson

Amy Jackson is a London-based writer, specialising in editorial, screenwriting and script editing.