A week ago, Desma Johnson had only two things on her mind – in exactly eight days, she would be sixteen years old, and to top it off, she was inline for a top scholarship, bringing her one step closer to her dreams. Life was perfect and nothing would get in the way of her birthday plans. But it’s 1959 and the secret Progressive Group has just announced a boycott of all cinemas in Bermuda in order to end racial segregation.

As anxieties around the boycott build Desma becomes increasingly aware of the racial tensions casting a dire shadow over the island. Neighbors she once thought were friendly and supportive show another side. So, Desma must learn that change is never easy, and even when others expect small things from black girls, she has the right to dream big.

In this startling debut, Bermudian author Florenz Webbe Maxwell takes a little known fact about Caribbean history and weaves an engaging story that speaks eloquently to the contemporary experience of race and social justice. Girlcott takes you beyond the image of Bermuda as a piece of paradise in the Caribbean and charts a narrative of resistance, hope and the importance of fighting for change. Desma is a strong female lead who can inspire all young girls to create the change they want to see in the world and resist the urge to conform. Girlcott is a story of politics and personal growth and highlights that politics is always personal.

Girlcott won a Burt Award for Caribbean Literature (2016) prize.