Innocence and corruption

Description

“You have been taught a lie. That lie says we live in a society that loves children. But children are some of the most at risk, coerced, and oppressed people on the planet. We are one of the most forgotten marginalised groups as so many mock our liberation. Most adults will not talk about this with the nuance, perspective, and experience that is needed – whether because they just don’t know, don’t care, or want to protect their privilege. So, I – a radical, abolitionist, writer, liberator, DELINQUENT teenager – will write out the words and thoughts that I believe have been missing from the minds of so many of us.” — INNOCENCE & CORRUPTION

INNOCENCE & CORRUPTION by Aiyana Goodfellow is a unique political take on the social position of children – written by a teenager. In the history of all liberation movements, success is found in the elevation of the voices of the underclass in question. The experiences of youth are perhaps one of the last plights to be heard and this book is one of the first to explore it from the perspective of a young person.

If you believe that Black children’s lives matter, that we should protect trans kids or if you know disabled children should be able to live with dignity then please support this book!

INNOCENCE & CORRUPTION illuminates the oppression of children and teenagers: as both its own valid experience and as an inherent part of all kinds of institutional marginalisation in our world today. Weaving social theory, history, critical analysis, personal reflection, and practical action, teenage author Aiyana Goodfellow tears down adult privilege and forces the reader to reckon with anti-child ageism.

This book features a foreword by literary force Walela Nehanda (@itswalela) and an afterword by the wonderful Eshe Kiama Zuri (@eshekiamazuri), two experienced abolitionist activists and adult allies who understand that “Moving towards liberation means betraying your privilege. It means disappointing adults around you and breaking the adult conspiracy of silence.”

Reviews of INNOCENCE & CORRUPTION

“In the lineage of a book like Lessons from the Damned, Aiyana provides a relentless and original political and philosophical critique of the oppression of young people in England…providing a wide cultural basis to expose the fragility of our ageist, ableist and abusive society.”

– No More Exclusions, youth centred coalition movement

“This is hands down one of the best things I have ever read and is certainly one of the most aware. The selection of essays, although can stand alone, are best witnessed in the book’s wholeness. The influence of this work will be considerable, this is revolutionary writing at its best. Here we can see our society under a microscope, looking in detail at the way the world is reliant on anti-ageism and how that connects with more commonly understood and discussed areas of injustice.”

– Eshe Kiama Zuri, activist, doula and community organiser

“Aiyana deserves all the love and communal gratitude in the world for creating one of the most powerful, transformative writings I have read in my lifetime, that I believe will not only be eye-opening for every single person to read but also simultaneously healing, humbling, and overwhelming in the most impactful sense. Aiyana Goodfellow’s INNOCENCE & CORRUPTION is a revolutionary offering for the world that critically and creatively breaks down the oppression of children. This is staple reading for everyone.”

– Ayesha Khan, abolitionist microbiologist and organiser

Author

Aiyana Goodfellow is a writer, liberator, and DELINQUENT based in London. He generally writes and speaks about animality, Blackness, queerness, ageism and all its intersections. They are a Black, queer, neurodivergent creative who co-runs The Anima Print and is the co-founding director of NEUROMANCERS. They are the author of Radical Companionship: Rejecting Pethood & Embracing Our Multispecies World.

INNOCENCE & CORRUPTION, published by The Anima Print, was written between the ages of 15-16 and is their second published book.

www.aiyanagoodfellow.com | @aiyana.goodfellow

The Anima Print

Anima describes the spirit, the soul and all those that move.

We are a radical Black-led micro-publisher based in the UK, giving platform to unpublished, un-agented, and marginalised writers. We uplift and honour the word of the people!

We began as an anti-speciesism collective who organised through animal artistry, community care & (re)imaginative learning. These histories still influence our work today: all animals create; art is a practice of nature and essential to the success of all and any revolutions.

Abolitionist – Everything we do is in consistent alignment with the abolitionist politic. We publish literature that is politically engaged and written from fresh perspectives on under discussed topics.

Independent – We are communally funded so do not rely on donors nor are deeply linked to the wider elitist world of publishing, instead opting to connect to the people.

Sustainable – Supporters back our Kickstarter which allows us to print new publications, which is the basis for an economical and ecological model meaning we only print what is necessary and therefore reduces our environmental impact. Additionally, this also makes all of our books, t-shirts, and stickers ‘limited edition’.

Black run – We are grounded in our experiences growing up Black in England, as well as our roots across the Afrikan diaspora. Ensuring that our projects reach and connect to Afrikan people and projects beyond this country, using our collaborative networks – currently in The Gambia and Barbados.