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'I'd toast the moon and look at the sky... I think it draws us to it; we wonder what lies beyond.'

Maggie Aderin’s destiny was always written in the stars. From the age of three, inspired by The Clangers, her dream was to go into space. While her childhood was spent moving around the country, her fascination with the universe remained her constant and enmeshed in her a deep desire and determination to succeed as a scientist.

Starchild is Maggie’s emotionally honest and intimate memoir, telling a story of education and prejudice, adversity and ambition, motherhood and the moon – all recounted in her characteristically warm and relatable style. From being the only Black woman on her physics course at Imperial College London to her work on the James Webb and Gemini telescopes, Maggie’s story is a love letter to life and the universe that makes it possible.

© Maggie Aderin-Pocock 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026