The creativity of author, designer and publisher Ben Arogundade
WE HAVE BEEN SHOCKED and appalled by the murder of George Floyd in the US, and heartened by the resistance of the Black Lives Matter movement. In the aftermath, what matters most is not this painful past, but what we are going to do now. I am determined to transform my feelings of anger, pain and sadness into something positive and inclusive, which gathers and unifies citizens of all ethnicities who believe in fairness, equality and love. Hopefully that is you.
As a writer, to add my voice to the movement, I am looking to raise funds to write, produce and publish an illustrated history book that narrates the story of society’s prejudices against BAME people in the 21st century, and the subsequent work of Black Lives Matter. Each person who donates the book price or more (£45.00/$55.00) will receive a copy.
I have written before about the history of the black experience, in a book called Black Beauty published in 2000. It went on to become a bestseller, was honoured by the New York Public Library and become the subject of a three-part BBC documentary. My proposed new book is a “sequel” which continues this literary journey into this new century.
The title will become an important educational and historical document that will both inform the growing audience of people seeking to understand how we got here, and also help ensure that the aims and values of the Black Lives Matter movement continue to resonate.
This is the most important time in the history of the struggle for racial equality since the death of Martin Luther King in 1968. Let us not allow it to pass without doing what we can. Donate now, and let’s go!
Ben Arogundade
ABOUT ME
Hi there, I’m Ben Arogundade. This site showcases my work as an award-winning writer and creative. My journey began with architecture, which I studied for seven years in London. Since then I have worked as a journalist, graphic designer, editorial director, advertising copywriter, apps designer, fashion model, voiceover actor, and most recently as an author and book publisher. My start-up publishing imprint, White Labels Books, creates print-on-demand, direct-to-consumer fiction and non-fiction, using more sustainable production methods. Learn more about me and White Labels Books here.
BOOKS: NEW RELEASE
My Terrifying,
Shocking, Humiliating,
Amazing Adventures
In Online Dating, by
Ben Arogundade
“Fantastic.”
The Telegraph
“Extremely educational.”
GQ
“Intriguing and powerful.”
BBC Radio 5 Live
“Extraordinary and revelatory.”
whatwesee.com
Author Ben Arogundade recounts his journey as an online dater, during which time he was stood up, verbally abused, propositioned for sex and asked to be a father to an unborn child. Along the way he offers singles the secrets and best practices they need to know to boost the quality of their matches, and presents the latest strategies, research-based guidelines and innovations to take their online profiles to new levels of excellence. Get it now at Amazon, £9.99/$12.99.
Four men are paid to seduce and abandon...but then one of them breaks the rules.
“A clever, dark drama,” says ‘Esquire’.
Eccentric millionaire Dennison Carr invents a bizarre game in which he pays a group of handpicked men to seduce women he selects at random from the streets, bars and clubs of London. The chosen women all appear to share the same desire for the thrill of no-strings sex with a stranger. One of the male seducers, a down-and-out graphic designer named Erskine, is recovering from a recent trauma that has made him averse to relationships. Things begin to unravel when he begins to develop feelings for one of the women he is paid to seduce — a commitment-phobic jazz singer called Natascha. As they both battle against their aversion to intimacy, and their expanding feelings for one another, neither is prepared for the shocking conclusion Dennison has planned.
The novel, which boasts 18 SEX SCENES, became a cult hit when first released, and was championed by Hollywood actor and ‘Matrix’ star Laurence Fishburne, who recorded an audio segment which has never been released. Get the book now at Amazon, £8.99/$11.99.
RECENT BOOK RELEASES: US POLITICS
Fake Views? The Donald Trump Book Of Covers
THE ILLUSTRATED STORY OF PRESIDENT Donald J. Trump’s rise from real estate mogul to the White House, told through a unique collection of 240 of his front covers, from 1979 to the present. Witness Trump depicted as the anti-Christ, Adolf Hitler, The Joker, a Ku Klux Klansman, a terrorist, a psychopath, a narcissist and a sexual predator, to name but a few.
WINNER: GENERAL NON-FICTION: Indie Book Awards 2019.
FINALIST: BEST COVER DESIGN: Indie Book Awards 2019.
Get it now at Amazon.
Obama: 101 Best Covers
“Dramatic and startling.” The Guardian
DURING HIS TWO TERMS IN OFFICE President Barack Obama amassed more newspaper and magazine front covers than any other in history. This book presents the best 101 examples from across the globe in a special commemorative edition celebrating the startling event that was the election of the first African American president.
Eight years in the making, the book’s selection of covers depict Obama in a kaleidoscope of guises, including feminist, communist, fashion model, Jew, Muslim terrorist, Messiah, Superman, George Washington, President Roosevelt, Julius Caesar and Hindu deity Lord Shiva. The accompanying text discusses the design, typography, photography and political context of each cover, bringing to life this unique portrait of one of the world’s most famous men. Get it now at Amazon. Available in FOUR different covers.
£29.99/$34.99 or less.
£29.99/$39.99 or less.
BOOKS: FASHION & BEAUTY
Black Beauty: A History & A Celebration
The struggle for acceptance in a world of white values
“Beautiful,” says Vogue
This book chronicles the turbulent journey of black beauty within Western culture, from antiquity to the present. It analyses the aesthetics of make-up, hair, skin-tone and facial features amongst people of colour, and the way in which these motifs have been both accepted and rejected within Eurocentric culture. The narrative draws upon a galaxy of black stars of film, fashion, music, television and sports. From Josephine Baker to Beyoncé, from traditional African hairstyles to coloured contact lenses and blonde weaves, ‘Black Beauty’ has become the key text for all studies of this branch of beauty history. Now a three-part BBC documentary.
Get it now at Amazon.
VOICE ACTING
Alongside my writing I also work as a voiceover actor and television broadcaster. I recently narrated the BBC documentary, ‘Space Volcanoes’, (see adjacent), and I was also chosen to narrate Charles Darwin’s controversial 1859 text, ‘On The Origin Of Species’, as part of publisher Penguin Classics audio series, alongside some of the UK’s best-known actors and writers, including Andrew Scott, David Harewood, Emilia Fox and Jeanette Winterson.
APP DEVELOPMENT AND DESIGN
365 POSITIVITY is a start-up digital publisher. We create innovative health, well-being and self-improvement apps that are designed to entertain, inform, inspire positive actions, or even change behaviours. We achieve this via creative writing, crafting original quotes and thought-provoking prose to convey big ideas within small sentences. Our apps cover a wide range of topics, from mental health to music. They combine the power of words with elegant designs that are simple and easy to use. Learn more about 365 Positivity here..
ART DIRECTION & DESIGN: King-sized Photography Books
I HAVE WORKED as creative and editorial director on limited edition, king-sized photo-collectables, producing a number of titles on a range of subjects, from Pelé to Pink Floyd.
ART DIRECTION & DESIGN: ‘Extract’ Magazine
SURFING ahead of the zeitgeist for 'reality' media, I launched ‘Extract’ – a bi-monthly style magazine about non-celebrities. It rejected the lives of the rich and famous in favour of interviews and profiles with unknown personalities from around the world. As well as publishing the magazine, I also edited and designed its pages. It attracted international attention, not only for its then radical editorial agenda, but also for its creative page layouts. Images were supplied by an army of talented young British photographers who were as unknown as their subjects. The title drew a cult audience globally.
ONLINE CONTENT & JOURNALISM by Ben Arogundade
I write across a range of subject areas, including history, politics, fashion and beauty, sex and relationships, health and wellbeing, sports and the arts. I have also written for a range of publications, including ‘The Times’, ‘The Telegraph’, ‘The Guardian’, ‘The Evening Standard’, ‘GQ’, ‘Marie Claire’, ‘Elle’ and ‘Creative Review’.
