Keisha The Sket (also referred to as Keisha Da Sket) is a coming-of-age novel, centred around the experiences and sexual adventures of a young teenage black Londoner.
The original story was entirely written in text speak in 2005, by then anonymous 13-year-old Jade LB. It was released chapter by chapter by uploading the text to then popular blogging site, Piczo. Teenagers across the United Kingdom shared the story via text messaging and email. The story spread between schools and youth clubs. A nostalgic buzz around the story re-emerged on social media in 2017, and Jade LB was contacted by Rachel Mann, a literary agent, after her assistant - a young black woman - forwarded her the story.
In 2022, Keisha the Sket won the British Book Awards 2022 in the Discover Book of the Year category.
Synopsis
Keisha the Sket tells the story of a young Londoner from the 'ends' navigating the complexities of love and life. She is sharp, fiery and ambitious. Despite being named a 'top ' her determination propels her through what life and society has for her. When her childhood crush, Ricardo, pursues and finally wins her over, Keisha has everything she could've dreamed of: "power, a love life and the chance for stability". But then the occurrence of some unfortunate events turns life upside down and brings with it a whirlwind of choices that will define what kind of a woman she truly wants to become.
Author
Jade LB is an academic living in London. She is executive producer for the Amazon original podcast +44 Presents:...The Noughties with presenters Eddie Kadi and Nadia Jae.
For the first year following the release of Keisha the Sket, Jade LB chose to remain anonymous. Jade herself shared in multiple early interviews with the likes of the BBC and the Guardian that this was due to the shame she had attached to the nature of the coming-of-age issues explored in the book. After over a year of anonymity, Jade LB's identity was revealed when she featured in Stormzy's comeback video 'Mel Made Me Do It', stating in a caption on her instagram page "our national treasure is back. #mmmdi #melmademedoit".
Reception
The excitement around the return and publishing of Keisha the Sket led to widespread media coverage of the book's launch in 2021. It was featured in the BBC, the Guardian, British GQ, and Vogue.