Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason
AUTHOR
ABOUT KADIATU
Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason lives in Nottingham and is a former lecturer in English at The University of Birmingham. Her memoir, House of Music: Raising the Kanneh-Masons, won the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Storytelling Award in November 2021 where it was described as ‘a fresh, moving account of raising children and nurturing their creativity. It captures what’s sincerely human in classical music-making.’ It then went on to win the the Non-Fiction prize in the 2022 Indie Book Awards, noted as ‘a joyous celebration of the musical talents of the Kanneh-Mason family, which also serves as a window into issues of race and class in twenty-first century Britain.’ Her second book, To Be Young, Gifted and Black was released in May 2025 and focuses on what it means – and how it feels – to grow up as a Black artist in today’s turbulent times. Via conversations with her family, Kadiatu searches for a hopeful way through.
Kadiatu and her husband Stuart were given a Lifetime Award for Contribution to Children’s Arts at the 2018 J.M. Barrie Awards and in February 2022, on behalf of the family, they collected the prestigious ABO Award for commitment and inspiration given to other aspiring young musicians and fellow parents. Kadiatu was awarded an Honorary Fellowship of The Royal Academy of Music in 2022, and in 2023 she received the ISM Distinguished Musician Award.
Kadiatu has seven children, all of whom are classical musicians. The family has been the subject of several TV documentaries and in early 2023, along with husband Stuart and all her children, she co-presented and curated their first radio series, The Kanneh-Mason Family Takeover, for Classic FM. In the UK, she is often a contributor to BBC radio and has been a guest of Michael Berkeley on his BBC Radio 4 show Private Passions and overseas, was interviewed by Australia’s ABC journalist Richard Fidler for A Home Filled with Music – Raising the Kanneh-Masons. She has also been the subject of a profile interview by Neil Fisher of The Times.
She is “Champion” of Music Mark, on the Board of Trustees for ESTA String Teachers Association, The Nottingham Education Trust, Real Talk TV, Music Masters, the National Children’s Orchestra and MISST – the Andrew Lloyd-Webber charity for music in secondary schools. She is on the advisory council for the Royal Philharmonic Society and the family is patron to Sinfonia Viva. A strong advocate for the benefits of regional music-making and accessibility, Kadiatu is also patron of the Swaledale Festival, patron of SaMM in Totnes, President of the Chester Philharmonic Orchestra, and Honorary Friend of the British and International Federation of Music Festivals.
In April 2023 the Kanneh-Mason family were appointed Cultural Ambassadors to Antigua and Barbuda and commended for their contributions to the development of the musical talents of young Antiguans and Barbudans.
Kadiatu is continuing to write and gives talks, interviews and lectures around the U.K. on diversity in classical music, music education, issues of race and inclusion, literature and parenting.
PUBLICATIONS
TO BE YOUNG, GIFTED AND BLACK
When Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason’s eldest daughter, Isata, made her solo debut at the BBC Proms in 2023, she could not have been prouder. Watching years of hard work transform into a transcendent performance was profoundly moving, both as music-lover and parent.
All fractured when her younger daughter came to her in tears a few days later, having read online abuse about her sister. Isata, it was declared, did not deserve to be there. How do you prepare your child for the fact that no matter their talent, technique or dedication, they will be told they do not belong?
Through conversations with her extraordinarily gifted family, Kanneh-Mason explores what it’s like to come of age in these turbulent times, when Black artistic self-expression is so often met with disparagement and abuse online – and offers a hopeful, powerful way through.
Available 8 May 2025 on Oneworld Publications
HOUSE OF MUSIC: RAISING THE KANNEH-MASONS
WINNER OF THE INDIE BOOK AWARD 2022 FOR NON-FICTION
WINNER OF THE ROYAL PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY STORYTELLING AWARD 2021
Seven brothers and sisters. All of them classically trained musicians. One was Young Musician of the Year and performed for the royal family. The eldest has released her first album, showcasing the works of Clara Schumann. These siblings don’t come from the rarefied environment of elite music schools, but from a state comprehensive in Nottingham. How did they do it?
Their mother, Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason, opens up about what it takes to raise a musical family in a Britain divided by class and race. What comes out is a beautiful and heartrending memoir of the power of determination, camaraderie and a lot of hard work. The Kanneh-Masons are a remarkable family. But what truly sparkles in this eloquent memoir is the joyous affirmation that children are a gift and we must do all we can to nurture them.
PRAISE FOR RAISING THE KANNEH-MASONS
‘Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason’s story offers a ray of sunshine. Her account of the daily struggle to manage the musical educations of her family’s seven talented children reaches a triumphant conclusion when second son, cellist Sheku, achieves worldwide fame in 2018, playing at the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.’ ― Financial Times, BOOKS OF THE YEAR
‘[Kadiatu’s] frank memoir reveals the eye-watering level of practical, emotional, intellectual and financial commitment required to raise seven outstanding classical musicians… Her beautiful, wise writing is its own music.’ ― Daily Mail
‘Riveting, taking in prejudice as well as sacrifice. There are 4.30am starts, lost instruments, fractured wrists, all captured with vivid flourishes. A paean to camaraderie.’ ― Observer
‘The story runs deeper… Kadie makes no secret of the sacrifices she’s had to make, whether physical (pregnancy never agreed with her), career (she gave up her job as an English lecturer 21 years ago), or financial.’ ― Daily Express
‘An amazing, compelling, moving, unforgettable story…’ ― Lady Antonia Fraser
‘The unique story of a unique family. Unique? Well I can’t think of any other family with seven children, all of whom are prodigiously talented musicians. Kadie gives a glorious account of how she and husband Stuart came to realise that from the earliest age their children communicated through music. She gives an honest account of the burdens as well as the joys, as she and Stuart knew they had a duty to fulfil, which imposed enormous financial strain on them. Now they can relish their children’s achievements ― including Sheku’s performance at a royal wedding ― and know all the sacrifice was worth it. Kadie combines this with a searing account of growing up as a mixed-race child in the Britain of the 70s. A deeply intimate and honest read on so many levels.’ ― John Suchet
‘A memoir that both candidly portrays and fiercely protects [Kanneh-Mason’s] brood… The fortitude and determination of the parents leap from every page.’ ― Guardian
‘I was entranced by the inspirational memoir about an exceptional family of very young musicians who have already achieved phenomenal success… Beautifully written and hugely enjoyable, this book shows us what it takes to nurture children to fulfil their potential and offer their unique gifts to the world.’ ― Bernardine Evaristo
‘The Kanneh-Masons are a unique family and the family’s matriarch, Kadiatu, has written a suitably unique and fascinating account of how day-to-day life works in an extraordinary household.’ ― Julian Lloyd Webber
‘Having just spent time working with my friend Sheku at Abbey Road it’s wonderful to read about him and his terrific family. All the DNA that makes him one of the most important classical musicians – actually make that “all around” musicians – of his generation is captured so well in this loving book.’ ― Nile Rodgers
‘This book is about hard work, determination and a triumph against the odds. It is truly inspirational!’ ― Paul Smith
‘Eloquent and inspirational’ ― Surrey Life
‘An engaging and informative account of hard work and dedication, given context by [Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason’s] experiences of growing up with a Sierra Leonean father and a Welsh mother in 1970s–1980s Britain.’ ― Herald
APPEARANCES
September 2025
Kadiatu – Harrogate, UK
October 2025
November 2025
