Black London: History, Art & Culture in Over 120 Places

Discover the people, places, and landmarks that make London a truly global, modern city.

Authors: Avril Nanton and Jody Burton

• The story of Black history throughout London, with historical richness and symbolism from the Tudor times to the present day
• Complete travel guide to the people, places, events, and landmarks in London that have shaped Black history
• Over 120 historical sites all over London, detailing the Nelson Mandela Statue, Cleopatra's Needle, the Black Lives Matter mural, and more
• 5 detailed maps with handy markers for each location to visit, breaking London down into easy areas to explore

London is a city justly proud of its cultural diversity, yet for too long the focus has been on mainstream history. Black London is a complete guide that shines a new and much-needed light on the rich Black history of London's inhabitants and beyond.

London is rich with global and local Black history. Look up, slow down, and discover the work of some remarkable individuals who made London a truly global, modern city! From Cleopatra's Needle carved in Egypt 3,500 years ago, which sits on the Victoria Embankment, the Nelson Mandela Statue in Parliament Square, and the Stuart Hall Library in Westminster to the Memorial Gates in Constitution Hill, the Wayne Marques corbel on the London Bridge, the Black Lives Matter mural in Woolwich, Jamaica Wine House in Cornhill, and so much more, this must-have travel guide showcases over 120 historical sites worth visiting and revisiting.

Co-author Avril Nanton is a qualified London tour guide and Black history historian who offers lectures and tours on Black history in the London area, while co-author Jody Burton is a librarian and bibliophile with a particular interest in Black history and art. Inside this 192-page book, they take you on a journey through the Black history of London, one area at a time! You'll find annotated walking maps for Central and East London, West London, North London, South London, and South-East London, each with helpful numbered markers so you can build your own perfect walk through history.

Here are some of the fascinating locations in this book to visit and explore their Black history:

Central and East London:

• Bronze statue of Mary Seacole in the gardens of St Thomas' Hospital
• Johnson Beharry portrait at the National Portrait Gallery
• Buxton Memorial Fountain in Victoria Tower Gardens
• The home of Jimi Hendrix in Mayfair

West London:

• Cetshwayo kaMpande's English Heritage plaque on Melbury Road
• Memorial to the Great Exhibition in South Kensington
• Notting Hill Carnival
• Bust of Haile Selassie I in Cannizaro Park

North London:

• Alexandra Palace Murals featuring Winifred Atwell, Evelyn Dove, and Una Marson
• Steel statue of Jazzie B outside Finsbury Park Station
• Bust of Marcus Mosiah Garvey in Tottenham
• Tombstone of Cynthia Jarrett in Tottenham

South London:

• The Dark and Light Theatre Company (DLT) in Camberwell
• Phoenix sculpture at Oliver Goldsmith Primary School
• The Peckham Portraits at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts building
• Black Cultural Archives (BCA) in Windrush Square, Brixton

South East London: 

• Nelson's Ship in a Bottle by Yinka Shonibare MBE at the Greenwich Maritime Museum
• Blue Earth sculpture at The Horniman Museum in Forest Hill
• Steel portrait of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor in Croydon
  

Explore more than 120 historical sites worth visiting and revisiting, and see this familiar city anew, with Black London.