A Bigger Picture

My Fight to Bring a New African Voice to the Climate Crisis

Vanessa Nakate author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Pan Macmillan

Published:28th Oct '21

£20.00

Available to order, but very limited on stock - if we have issues obtaining a copy, we will let you know.

A Bigger Picture cover

A rousing manifesto and memoir from leading young activist Vanessa Nakate which will change the way we think about the impact of climate change and inspire readers to become activists themselves.

‘Vanessa Nakate continues to teach a most critical lesson. She reminds us that while we may all be in the same storm, we are not all in the same boat.’ Greta Thunberg

‘An indispensable voice for our future.’ Malala Yousafzai


‘A powerful global voice.’ Angelina Jolie



No matter your age, location or skin colour, you can be an effective activist.

Devastating flooding, deforestation, extinction and starvation. These are the issues that not only threaten in the future, they are a reality. After witnessing some of these issues first-hand, Vanessa Nakate saw how the world’s biggest polluters are asleep at the wheel, ignoring the Global South where the effects of climate injustice are most fiercely felt.

Inspired by a shared vision of hope, Vanessa’s commanding political voice demands attention for the biggest issue of our time and, in this rousing manifesto for change, shows how you can join her to protect our planet now and for the future.

Vanessa realised the importance of her place in the climate movement after she, the only Black activist in an image with four white Europeans, was cropped out of a press photograph at Davos in 2020. This example illustrates how those who will see the biggest impacts of the climate crisis are repeatedly omitted from the conversation. As she explains, ‘We are on the front line, but we are not on the front page.’

Without A Bigger Picture, you’re missing the full story on climate change.

In this moment of intersecting crises, Vanessa Nakate continues to teach a most critical lesson. She reminds us that while we may all be in the same storm, we are not all in the same boat. -- Greta Thunberg
Vanessa Nakate is a powerful global voice. A strong spirit who will clearly not give up and only grow in strength. -- Angelina Jolie
Through Vanessa Nakate's eyes, A Bigger Picture shows us the threat of climate change to people in East Africa and the relentless courage of one activist fighting to be heard. Vanessa is more than an inspiration – she's an indispensable voice for our future -- Malala Yousafzai
Vanessa Nakate's message couldn't be more urgent or her voice more desperately needed. At once intimate and sweeping, A Bigger Picture is a must-read for anyone who cares about the future. -- Elizabeth Kolbert, author of Under a White Sky and The Sixth Extinction
Africa is suffering today from a crisis it did not cause, and yet African perspectives have been sidelined in the climate conversation. Leading a new generation of activists, Vanessa Nakate is setting that right. Writing with conviction and courage, she is a vital new voice for climate justice. -- Jeremy Williams, author of Climate Change is Racist
Vanessa's story, her voice and fearless spirit are an inspiration to all of us. This book is a vital reminder that the costs of climate change have been transforming negatively the lives of those who have had the least part in causing the problem. Without racial justice and equality, climate justice can never be a reality. -- Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland and author of Climate Justice: Hope, Resilience, and the Fight for a Sustainable Future
This is a wonderful story, wonderfully told! Vanessa Nakate is a crucial climate leader, reminding us of one of the iron laws of global warming: the less you did to cause it, the sooner and harder you get hit. Thank heaven her voice will echo far and wide, and down through the years. -- Bill McKibben, author of Falter: Has the Human Game Begun to Play Itself Out?
Enthusiasm, commitment and energy jump out from every page of A Bigger Picture. After presenting the emergency climate problems facing Africa and the rest of the world Vanessa goes on to signpost the reader with solutions – an inspiring read! -- Nancy Birtwhistle, author of Clean & Green and Green Living Made Easy
Vanessa’s deeply personal and thought provoking account of her experience in the climate movement, specifically in the global south reminds us that at the center of this crisis is our shared humanity. -- Bonnie Wright, actress, activist and author of Go Gently: Actionable Steps to Nurture Yourself and the Planet
Vital, urgent, eye-opening. This is one of the most important and empowering books ever written about the climate change emergency. A must-read for all of us, no matter where we’re from. -- Dr Ali Foxon, author of The Green Sketching Handbook
Deeply personal and powerful, A Bigger Picture offers a fresh perspective from the frontlines of climate change. -- Wordery
The bold young female voice leading Africa's climate fight. -- African Business

ISBN: 9781529075687

Dimensions: 242mm x 162mm x 29mm

Weight: 468g

256 pages