Letters to Gil: A Luminous Memoir of Racism, Life in the Care System and the Power of Discovering Music under the Mentorship of Gil Scott-Heron – with a Foreword from Lemn Sissay

I cant put the book down! The words jump out and paint the most captivating images. I have cried, laughed and learnt things about Liverpools history, the music industry and much more, that i didn’t know about before. Malik’s story is captivating, inspiring, entertaining, honest and heartfelt. The narrative is laid out perfectly, jumping between Malik’s difficult childhood in Liverpool and his worldly adventures with Gil, offers a stark contrast which will (re)awaken hope and faith in the magic of life. Not to mention the poignant revolutionary poetry, which i already love listening to on Malik's Album “Rhythms of the Diaspora”. What an incredible story, what an incredible man. I recommend this book to everyone!

If you are a fanatical Gil Scott-Heron fan like myself you’d probably be happy to buy anything related to the great man. Gil’s seering social commentary in verse and song is sorely missed in a world where few can get anywhere near his level of wit and insight. If you’re looking for a book about Gil, then this isn’t it. However if you’d like to read a book that embodies the extraordinary compasssion and humanity that Gil represented, look no further. For this is indeed an extraordinary tale. A stark reminder of just how grim the institutional underbelly of Britain was back in the seventies, the racism and brutality of the care system that Malik Al Nasir somehow endured until his life was transformed by a backstage encounter with Gil Scott-Heron. A story of redemption, the liberating power of music, and the inspiration of one of the greatest artists Black America has produced. Malik’s journey from wrongly interned victim of a hopelessly skewed and prejudiced system to poet, writer and performer is magical.

To hear on the grapevine that a guy from Liverpool ended up being mentored by Gil Scott Heron enticed me into buying this book but what I read was so much more than the triumph of a fellow Scouser.Malik’s journey was heart wrenching and told with such beautiful honesty that you simply must keep on reading. It was harrowing to learn of his experiences but this was the part of the book that had me engrossed knowing that this human being had had the strength, courage and resilience to carve out such an exceptional life for himself after experiencing such hardship is truly inspirational.This is one of those books that you just can’t put down split into experiences of his past childhood and his relationship with Gil creating a brilliant balance.If you can ever hear him speak then do so he is also an exceptional lecturer.Malik is an asset to Liverpool and a role model to all who have been through hardship. He is inspiring and also a really lovely human being. I look forward to reading whatever he writes next.

I met Malik briefly back in 2010 when I tried to get Gil Scott Heron to sign a couple of his books at one of his concerts,Malik had to escort me from the back stage area as I had no backstage pass. Despite this Malik helped me get my books signed by Gil out side the gig later on. It’s a fantastic book that I would most defiantly recommend (you don’t need to be a fan of GSH) . If you have got this far just buy it!

An amazing story, with the right values in it.