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Greer makes Obama Music at Legend

23.09.09 | Catherine Neilan

Legend Press is to publish a new book by Bonnie Greer, which looks at the music that influenced "Obama's generation".

Due out on 31st October, Obama Music has been selected for front-of-store promotions at Blackwell's, having been selected as one of the retailer's Paperbacks of the Year.

Greer, who is a regular panellist on Newsnight Review, uses music to recall the culture that influenced president Obama's ascendency, as well as the wider fight for racial equality and her own experiences growing up on the South Side of Chicago.

The book explores the difficulties and opportunities faced by African-Americans from the 1950s and describes the changing atmosphere in the years leading up to the inauguration of the first black president of the United States. Musical genres considered will include hip-hop, country, classical and rock and roll, as well as blues, gospel, soul and jazz.

Tom Chalmers, managing director of Legend Press, described it as an "exciting project". He said: " Bonnie is a great current commentator, and we look forward to publishing this book about such an important subject and one of the great figures of the 21st century."

The book had been signed as a late addition to the publisher's autumn schedule, and Legend was planning a "very big marketing push behind it", Chalmers added.

"There will be events up and down the country – Bonnie’s doing lots of talks, at libraries and book shops, and October is Black History Month, so there will be some events tied into that. We have already had quite a few bookshops getting behind it, on top of Blackwell's, and we will be doing some events in the States as well."

Greer's last book, a novel entitled Entropy, was published by Picnic Publications in April. 

• Bonnie Greer
• Catherine Neilan
• Legend Press
• People