In 2011, on the 25th anniversary of the publication of Black British Literature: An Annotated Bibliography, I was invited by Newcastle University to give a lecture.
Just imagine – in 200 years, no one had compiled even the most basic tool of research, a bibliography.
That was why, despite all my limitations, I worked away on my own, without any academic guidance, without any grant or scholarship, and without much by way of visible means of support for my family, to compile the bibliography covering the entire period from the 18th century to 1985. Fortunately, Greater London Arts gave a grant towards its publication, which was taken up by Dangaroo Press.
The interesting point was that the Bibliography was hardly reviewed. Neither, as far as I recollect, was I ever interviewed about it – or asked to discuss it anywhere.
Then suddenly, out of the blue, 25 years later (!), came the invitation to travel to Newcastle to give this lecture.
So of course I accepted.
And what did the lecture attempt to do?
Basically, it reflects on the history of the 200-year struggle of black writers, biographers, memoirists, poets, novelists, journalists, editors, and publishers, culminating in the efforts to establish Black British literature as a body of literature in its own right. That struggle was, of course, part of the wider struggle to establish Black British arts, media and cultural presence as a whole.
You may find this recording of that talk providing fascinating light on current concerns and preoccupations, not only on literature, the arts, media and culture, but also on wider economic and politics – and indeed on some of today’s hottest debates.
https://recap.cloud.panopto.eu/Panopto/Pages/Embed.aspx?id=7531ebc5-3b70-4cfb-8a5d-d3950620e9c4&v=1
