Five questions for K Bailey Obazee, founder and director of PRIM

Can you tell us about PRIM?

PRIM is a unique digital platform dedicated to educating, connecting, documenting and sharing the myriad of Black storytelling mediums that exist. Our goal is to make stories of African, Caribbean and Afro-Latinx fam accessible to all. From a pioneering author’s catalogue and written stories to video readings, films, documentaries, photography and more, you’ll find it all on PRIM. Stories created and told by us.

What made you apply for the New Futures programme?

The programme was offering me the very opportunity I was looking for: the chance to create my own space. Since inception, that’s what the framework of PRIM really is, a blueprint for taking up space.

How did you come up with your proposal for your bookshop?

I did a lot of thinking about what our community is missing. In the spaces we go to for relaxation, education, enjoyment or to work—what do they truly give us? Can we feel at home, at peace? Do we leave those spaces feeling nurtured and encouraged? In some spaces, yes. In other spaces, we definitely do not. So what would a space look and feel like if PRIM did it?

The other key part is how it cultivates sustainability for that same community—can it support their growth? Aside from this, I believe it is important that space is luxurious and homely, yet multifunctional... a space that promotes creativity.

What is your background, and how do you think it will feed into the creation of the bookshop?

My background is a mixture of politics, workspace, operations and programming. In my view, these are truly all of the components required. I’m a curator, consultant and researcher with a focus on storytelling, particularly ensuring the visibility of storytelling by people of Black ancestry. So far I’ve has collaborated with Aesop, British Vogue and the AKO Caine Prize. All of this is what led me to create PRIM and it’s fed into a lot of what we have done so far.

What challenges and opportunities do you foresee in opening the bookshop?

Real estate and finance. In the beginning, these are really feeling like the greatest hurdles. The Pinterest moodboard versus the dineros. But I know we will get there—these are quickly managed once we get all the pieces in place. There is a lot of opportunity to offer something innovative and supportive. The opportunity to build not just in the physical realm but in the digital space too.