I’m grateful to Seji @theartisangeek for hosting the #blacklitchallenge and pushing us out of our comfort zones, and to Anna @never_withouta_book for highlighting this play on her feed! I haven’t read a play since school and I have never read a play that is also a poem, full stop.

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Surprisingly I got on okay with this one. It was challenging but in a good way, and it made me wish I could see a version performed live on stage one day.

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Shange presents us with seven women, all unnamed, referred to by the colour of their dresses. They take it in turns to speak about various experiences faced by women of colour, from rape and domestic violence to discrimination at school and abortion.

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A nite with beau willie brown, positive and latent rapists’ were some of the poems that stood out to me as being the most powerful. Especially the latter, as in 1975 Shange was already aware of the shifting nature of rape - from the faceless stranger in the street most women fear to the person you know, even feel safe with. But this whole piece is excellent and you should try to read it, if not see it!