The Racial Code

Tales of Resistance and Survival

Nicola Rollock author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Penguin Books Ltd

Published:6th Oct '22

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The Racial Code cover

'A powerful, salient and gracefully written study of the corrosive dynamics of race in Britain from a trusted voice on the subject. We can all benefit from reading it' Diana Evans

In this transformative book, Nicola Rollock, one of our pre-eminent experts on racial justice, offers a vital exploration of the lived experience of racism


Miles, a successful lawyer, is mistaken for the waiter at a networking event. Femi is on the verge of breakdown having been consistently overlooked for promotion at her university. Nigel's emails, repeatedly expressing concern about his employer's forthcoming slavery exhibition, are ignored. Carol knows she can't let herself relax at the work Christmas party...

This is racism. It is not about the overt acts of random people at the fringes of society. It's about the everyday. It's the loaded silence, the throwaway remark, the casual comment or a 'joke' in the workplace.

It's everything.

The Racial Code is an unprecedented examination of the hidden rules of race and racism that govern our lives and how they maintain the status quo. Interweaving narrative with research and theory, acclaimed expert Nicola Rollock uniquely lays bare the pain and cost of navigating everyday racism -- and compels us to reconsider how to truly achieve racial justice.

A powerful, salient and gracefully written study of the corrosive dynamics of race in Britain from a trusted voice on the subject. We can all benefit from reading it -- Diana Evans
Startlingly effective as a primer for anyone interested in racial equity at work . . . Because it reads, in part, like a short story collection, it sets a new bar for our notions of what a workplace or business book can be -- Isabel Berwick * Financial Times *
This book has done more to help me understand the microaggressions that people of colour routinely face than any other. Nicola Rollock, one of the UK's foremost experts on racial justice, immerses us in the everyday lived experience of racism -- Caroline Sanderson * Editor’s Choice, Bookseller *
A must-read book for anyone who wants to examine their own assumptions and dig deep into what it means to be, as Rollock puts it, "racialised as white". . . The addition of Rollock's own experiences and the short-story format of her case studies are what makes this book so different and valuable for anyone willing to challenge themselves and advance diversity and inclusion for all * Financial Times *
A forensic and no-nonsense unpacking of everyday racism and the often invisible 'racial rulebook' that dictates all of our lives. Rollock offers a simultaneously insightful yet accessible take on what the next steps in racial justice look like -- regardless of where you are on your anti-racism journey, this book offers something truly eye-opening in every chapter -- Yomi Adegoke
Using Nicola Rollock's own salient insight into Black British reality, The Racial Code unreservedly explores the Black experience through a series of vivid tales from modern life. Sharp and engrossing on every turn of the page -- David Lammy
Nicola Rollock brings together rigorous scholarship, personal experience, and immense empathy in this informative and insightful manual for surviving racism in contemporary Britain. Accessibly written and presented without sacrificing intellectual acuity, The Racial Code is an illuminating, painful but ultimately hopeful read that informs and inspires in equal measure. I wish I had the essential guidance and tools included in this book when I first arrived in Britain - I would have avoided much pain! -- Sunny Singh
An essential guide for any institution committed to improving the experiences of their workforce. This is a book for the future: it gives us exactly the tools we need to dismantle racial injustice in our society -- Baroness Doreen Lawrence

ISBN: 9780241521052

Dimensions: 222mm x 144mm x 27mm

Weight: 392g

272 pages