| Diane | Abbott | British politician who served as the Shadow Home Secretary. |
| Valerie | Amos | Member of House of Commons. |
| Anthony | Appiah | British-Ghanaian philosopher. |
| Jeffrey | Archer | English novelist, former politician, convicted perjurer. |
| Joan | Armatrading | British singer-songwriter. |
| Neil | Armstrong | American astronaut and the first person to walk on the Moon. |
| Janet | Austen | English novelist. |
| Joan | Baez | Singer-songwriter. |
| Pete | Bennetts | One of the students. |
| Mrs. | Beresford | Winsome's neighbor. |
| Sarah | Bernhardt | French stage actress. |
| Osama | bin Laden | Founder of the pan-Islamic militant organization al-Qaeda. |
| Cilia | Black | English singer. |
| Winston | Blackstocks | One of the students. |
| Marc | Bolan | English singer, songwriter. |
| Amma | Bonsu | The artistic director. Aka: Ams. |
| Ken | Boothe | Jamaican vocalist. |
| David | Bowie | English singer-songwriter. |
| Marlon | Brando | American actor and film director. |
| Charlotte | Brontë | English novelist and poet. |
| Anita | Brookner | English novelist and art historian. |
| James | Brown | American singer-songwriter. |
| Judith | Butler | American philosopher. |
| Marian | Callas | American-born Greek soprano. |
| Aime | Césaire | French poet. |
| Tracy | Chapman | American singer-songwriter. |
| Frédéric | Chopin | Polish composer. |
| Petula | Clark | British singer, actress and composer. |
| John | Clayton | A Math teacher. |
| Shirley | Coleman | Amma's friend. Aka: Shirl. |
| Maryse | Condé | French novelist, critic, and playwright. |
| Brian | Connolly | Scottish singer-songwriter. |
| Jilly | Cooper | English author. |
| Dorothy | Dandridge | American film actress. |
| Angela | Davis | American political activist. |
| Simone | de Beauvoir | French writer. |
| Miss | Delaunay | One of of the teachers. |
| Jacques | Derrida | Algerian-French philosopher. |
| Amr | Diab | Egyptian singer. |
| Charles | Dickens | English writer and social critic. |
| Clint | Eastwood | American actor, filmmaker. |
| T. S. | Eliot | A poet, essayist, publisher, playwright, literary critic and editor. |
| Buchi | Emecheta | Nigerian novelist. |
| Frantz | Fanon | A psychiatrist. |
| Sebastian | Faulks | British novelist, journalist and broadcaster. |
| Ranulph | Fiennes | British explorer . |
| Ken | Follett | Welsh author. |
| Betty | Friedan | American feminist writer and activist. |
| Roxane | Gay | American writer. |
| Che | Guevara | An Argentine revolutionary. |
| Rosa | Guy | Trinidad-born American writer. |
| Penelope | Halifax | A retired school teacher. Aka: Penny. |
| Robert | Harris | English novelist. |
| Martin | Heidegger | German philosopher. |
| Baron | Hindmarsh | Grace's boss. |
| John | Holt | American author and educator. |
| Lena | Horne | American singer. |
| Ted | Hughes | An English poet, translator, and children's writer. |
| Engelbert | Humperdinck | An English pop singer. |
| Chloe | Humphries | One of Carole's friends. |
| Phillip | Hutchinson | Penelope's second husband. Aka: Phil. |
| Harriet | Jackson | Megan's great-grandmother. aka: GG; Hattie. |
| Slim | Jackson | Megan's grandfather. |
| Glenmore | Jones | King of the bouncers. |
| LaTisha | Jones | Carole's friend. |
| Tom | Jones | A Welsh singer. |
| Scott | Joplin | American composer. |
| Chaka | Khan | American singer-songwriter. |
| Angélique | Kidjo | Singer-songwriter. |
| Jamaica | Kincaid | Antiguan-American novelist, essayist. |
| Martin Luther | King, Jr. | American Christian minister and activist.a Martin Luther King, Jr. |
| Dorothy | Koomson | English novelist. |
| Julia | Kristeva | Bulgarian-French philosopher. |
| Fela | Kuti | Nigerian multi-instrumentalist, musician, composer. |
| Jake | Lambert | A politician. |
| Mrs. | Langley | Mary's acquaintance. |
| Lillie | Langtry | British-American socialite, actress and producer. |
| John | Legend | American singer-songwriter. |
| Audre | Lorde | American writer. |
| Tina | Lowry | A PE teacher. |
| Morgan | Malenga | A non-binary activist. Formerly Megan. |
| Frederick | Marchmont | Carole's fiancee. Aka: Freddy. |
| Mark | Marchmont | Freddy's father. |
| Bob | Marley | Jamaican singer-songwriter. |
| Paule | Marshall | American writer. |
| Johnny | Mathis | American singer-songwriter. |
| Lauren | McDonaldson | One of Carole's friends. |
| Mrs. | Missingham | One of Mrs. Beresford's friends. |
| Joni | Mitchell | Canadian singer-songwriter. |
| Marilyn | Monroe | An American actress, model, and singer. |
| Mr. | Moray | The headmaster. |
| William | Morris | British textile designer, poet, novelist. |
| Wolfgang | Mozart | Composer. |
| Hosni | Mubarak | Former President of Egypt. |
| V. Y. | Mudimbe | Congolese philosopher. |
| Grace | Nichols | Guyanese poet. |
| Barack | Obama | 44th U.S. President. |
| Aderami | Obi | A Bishop. |
| Dolly | Parton | American singer-songwriter. |
| James | Patterson | American author and philanthropist. |
| Charley | Pride | American singer. |
| Roland | Quartey | Amma's great friend. |
| Jim | Reeves | American singer-songwriter. |
| Sandra | Reynolds | A lecturer. Aka: Sandy. |
| Minnie | Riperton | American singer-songwriter. |
| Ms. | Robertson | A sports teacher. |
| Clovis | Robinson | Shirley's father. |
| Asap | Rocky | American rapper. |
| Johnny | Ronson | The school's most promising student. |
| Linnaeus | Rydendale | Hattie's ancestor. |
| Joseph | Rydendale | Hattie's father. |
| Edward | Said | A professor of literature at Columbia University. |
| Jeremy | Sanders | Penelope's partner. |
| Mathilde | Santing | Dutch singer. |
| Olive | Senior | Jamaican poet, novelist, short story and non-fiction writer. |
| William | Shakespeare | An English poet. |
| Lavinia | Shaw | A doctor. |
| Gayatri | Spivak | An Indian scholar. |
| Joseph | Stalin | Former Premier of the Soviet Union. |
| Jack | Staniforth | Owner of the building. |
| Gloria | Steinem | American journalist. |
| Roy | Stevenson | A Physics teacher. |
| Donna | Summer | American singer-songwriter. |
| Mao | Sylvester | Amma's friend. Aka: Sylvie. |
| Margaret | Thatcher | Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. |
| Joanna | Trollope | English writer. |
| Mr. | Watson | A teacher. |
| Mr. | Waverly | The headmaster. |
| Cornel | West | American philosopher. |
| Walt | Whitman | American poet, essayist, and journalist. |
| Augustine | Williams | Bummi's husband. |
| Carole | Williams | Bank's Vice-President. |
| Mrs. | Williams | Augustine's mother. |
| Oprah | Winfrey | American media executive. |
| William | Wordsworth | English Romantic poet. |
| Mrs. | Wright | One of Mrs. Beresford's friends. |
| Mrs. | Wycombe | The cook. |
| Mao | Zedong | Former Chairman of the People's Republic of China. |
| Ada Mae | | One of Hattie's children. |
| Adaline | | One of Grace's friends. |
| Adam | | Penelope's son. |
| Agnes | | A maid. |
| Alan | | One of Hattie's grandchildren. |
| Andy | | Nzinga's brother. |
| Angela | | One of Dominique's acquaintances. |
| Angie | | LaTisha's aunt. |
| Annie | | One of Hattie's acquaintances. |
| Barbara | | Hattie's baby. |
| Beatrice | | One of Grace's acquaintances. |
| Bernadette | | The secretary in the civil service in Toronto. |
| Bertha | | One of Grace's friends. |
| Bettina | | One of Hattie's acquaintances. |
| Bibi | | Megan's acquaintance. |
| Bob | | A security guard. |
| Bobby | | The father of Hattie's lost child. |
| Boomi | | An African cleaner. |
| Brian | | Carole's boss. |
| Bummi | | Carole's mother. |
| Carolyn | | Lakshmi's child. |
| Carter | | LaTisha's co-worker. |
| Cecilia | | Dominique's mother. |
| Celestine | | A clerk at the CIA in Virginia. |
| Cheryl | | Alan's second wife. |
| Chimango | | Hattie's acquaintance. |
| Courtney | | One of Yazz's friends. |
| Craig | | Sarah's husband. |
| Curwen | | Sylvester's life partner. |
| Daisy | | GG's grandmother. |
| Dolores | | A graphic designer. |
| Dolores | | One of Amma's girlfriends. |
| Dominique | | The company manager. Aka: Dom. |
| Dora | | One of Britain's first black schoolteachers. |
| Dwight | | A security guard. |
| Edwin | | Penelope's father. |
| Einar | | Waris' boyfriend. |
| Ekio | | Bummi's distant relative. |
| Elaine | | Amma's acquaintance. |
| Ernest | | Ruby's son. |
| Errol | | One of Shirley's brothers. |
| Errol | | One of Shirley's brothers. |
| Estelle | | Shirley's schoolmate. |
| Esther | | Dominique's acquaintance. |
| Eudoré | | Captain Linnaeus Rydendale's wife. |
| Flora | | Bummi's friend. |
| Flossie | | A nanny. |
| Gabrielle | | Myrtle's special friend. |
| Gaia | | Dominique's acquaintance. |
| Georgie | | A plumber's apprentice. |
| Germaine | | One of Dominique's acquaintances. |
| Gerry | | One of Rosie's friends. |
| Giles | | Penelope's first husband. |
| Gloria | | The local librarian. |
| Grace | | GG's mother. |
| Hazel | | The first black hairdresser's in Bristol. |
| Helen | | Amma's mother. |
| Herodotus | | Greek historian. |
| Hugo | | Jeremy's brother. |
| Humperdinck | | Penelope's golden retriever. |
| Jackie | | A therapist. |
| Jackie | | One of Amma's girlfriends. |
| Janet | | Sonny's wife. |
| Jantelle | | One of LaTisha's kids. |
| Jason | | One of LaTisha's kids. |
| Jason | | Dora's husband. |
| Jayla | | Carole's older sister. |
| Jessica | | One of Gaia's lawyer friends. |
| Jimmi | | Jayla's father. |
| Jimmy | | One of Hattie's grandchildren. |
| Jimmy-Dev | | One of Adam and Sarah's half-brothers. |
| Jimoh | | Omofe's husband. |
| Jonathan | | Jack Staniforth's son. |
| Jordan | | One of LaTisha's kids. |
| Josephine | | Celestine's friend. |
| Joy | | Bibi's Labrador. |
| Juliana | | One of Hattie's acquaintances. |
| Julie | | Megan's mother. |
| Julie | | One of Hattie's grandchildren. |
| Kadim | | Nenet's fiancee. |
| Kamal | | LaTisha's boyfriend. |
| Karen | | One of Shirley and Lennox's daughters. |
| Karen | | Jimmy's first wife. |
| Kate | | An English Literature teacher. |
| Katrina | | A nurse. |
| Kenny | | Roland's friend. |
| Kirsty | | A doctor. |
| Kofi | | One of Bummi's staffs. |
| Kwabena | | Amma's father. A journalist. |
| Labi | | A local sawmill supervisor. |
| Lady Esmée | | Baron Hindmarsh's daughter. |
| Lady Maisie | | Nenet's dog. |
| Lakshmi | | A saxophonist. |
| Laverne | | Dominique's acquaintance. |
| Lennox | | Shirley's husband. |
| Lily | | Grace's daughter. |
| Linda | | Margaret's niece. |
| Lucy | | One of Rosie's friends. |
| Mabel | | A freelance photographer. |
| Mabel | | One of Grace's acquaintances. |
| Madison | | Rachel's daughter. |
| Malcolm X | | American Muslim minister and human rights activist. |
| Marcus | | Carole's boyfriend. |
| Margaret | | Penelope's mother. |
| Margo | | A Geography teacher. |
| Marian | | One of Hattie's grandchildren. |
| Mark 1 | | An electrician. |
| Mark 2 | | Megan's brother. |
| Marva | | LaTisha's father's live-in partner. |
| Mary | | Daisy's roommate. |
| Maryse | | A translator from Guadeloupe. |
| Matthew | | One of Hattie's grandchildren. |
| Matty | | One of Sarah and Craig's children. |
| Maya | | One of Gaia's lawyer friends. |
| Melanie | | One of Rosie's friends. |
| Melissa | | One of Phillip's clients. |
| Mildred | | Penelope's acquaintance. |
| Molly | | One of Sarah and Craig's children. |
| Moses | | Bummi's father. |
| Moto | | Omofe's acquaintance. |
| Myrtle | | Lennox's great aunt. |
| Nenet | | Yazz's friend. |
| Noah | | One of Hattie's great-great-grandchildren. |
| Nzinga | | Dominique's live-in-partner. |
| Omofe | | One of Bummi's staffs. |
| Pamela | | Freddy's mother. |
| Patricia | | One of Rosie's friends. |
| Paul | | One of Hattie's grandchildren. |
| Pauline | | LaTisha's mother. |
| Pearl | | A middle-aged Jamaican woman. |
| Phillip | | A brilliant psychologist. |
| Polina | | A beautician. |
| Priya | | One of Rosie's friends. |
| Rachel | | One of Shirley and Lennox's daughters. |
| Raj | | A mechanic. |
| Ravi-Paul | | One of Adam and Sarah's half-brothers. |
| Rex | | The bald tattooist. |
| Riley | | One of Hattie's great-great-grandchildren. |
| RiRi | | Japanese singer-songwriter. |
| Roger | | Megan's uncle. |
| Ronnie | | The estate's blacksmith. |
| Rory | | One of Dominique's adoptive children. |
| Rosie | | Carole's new friend. |
| Roz | | Nzinga's first partner. |
| Ruby | | Daisy's acquaintance. |
| Rupa | | One of Latisha's co-workers. |
| Ryan | | One of Jimmy's son. |
| Sahara | | Nzinga's last girlfriend. |
| Sally | | One of Grace's friends. |
| Sandy | | The lecturer. |
| Sarah | | Penelope's daughter. |
| Shawn | | One of Jimmy's son. |
| Sheryl | | Carole's acquaintance. |
| Sonny | | One of Hattie's children. |
| Steve | | Grad student on interrelationship and aesthetics. |
| Stormzy | | British rapper. |
| Sue | | Megan's aunt. |
| Tammy | | One of LaTisha's co-workers. |
| Tayo | | One of Omofe's sons. |
| Tess | | A receptionist. |
| Thalia | | One of Dominique's adoptive children. |
| Tiannah | | Marva's daughter. |
| Tilley | | A baker. |
| Toby | | One of Rosie's friends. |
| Tommy | | Ada Mae's husband. |
| Tony | | One of Shirley's brothers. |
| Tony | | One of Shirley's brothers. |
| Trevor | | Hazel's husband. |
| Trey | | Carole's acquaintance. |
| Tyrone | | Section Manager of Electronics and Appliances. |
| Vivienne | | A painter. |
| Waris | | One of Yazz's friends. |
| Winsome | | Shirley's mother. Aka: Winnie. |
| Wintley | | Dominique's father. |
| Wizkid | | Nigerian singer-songwriter. |
| Wolde | | Grace's father. |
| Wole | | One of Omofe's sons. |
| Xaanan | | Waris' mother. |
| Yazz | | Amma's daughter. |
| Young Billy | | An electrician. |
| Zoe | | One of Hattie's great-great-grandchildren. |
