S. I. Martin
S. I. Martin (born 24 April 1961) is a British author, historian, journalist and teacher, specialising in Black British history and literature.[1][2][3] He wrote Britain’s Slave Trade for Channel 4 Books to accompany the channel’s television documentary Windrush, a novel, Incomparable World, charting the progress of three black exiles living in 18th-century London, and has written works of fiction for children to widen the consciousness and knowledge of the slave trade.[1] Aside from authorship, Martin actively promotes the knowledge of Black British history through his work with London schools,[4] borough councils,[5] English Heritage, the National Maritime Museum, the Museum of London, the Museum of London Docklands, the Imperial War Museum and the Public Record Office.[6]
Life
Steven Ian Martin was born on 24 April 1961 in Bedford, England,[1][7] his parents settled having arrived in Britain from Antigua in 1954, and Martin received his education at Bedford Modern School.[7]
Martin's work is focused on Black British history and literature.[1][2] In particular he wished to redress the lack of published history on the presence of black people in Britain before the arrival of HMT Windrush in 1948.[7][5] His subsequent journalism, teaching, writing and scholarly work has addressed that lacuna, including his walking tours of London demonstrating "500 Years Of Black London".[6][2]
Martin’s first novel, Incomparable World (1988), charts the fate of three black exiles living in 18th-century London.[8] His work of non-fiction, Britain’s Slave Trade, was written for Channel 4 to tie in with its four-part documentary series, Windrush, produced by Trevor Phillips.[9]
In 2007 Martin’s novel for children, Jupiter Williams, was published.[10] It tells a contradictory tale of privilege and dispossession of a boy who lives at the African Academy in Clapham, London in 1800, the son of a wealthy Sierra Leone family.[11] Cesar Picton is a character in the novel.[12] The sequel, Jupiter Amidships, was published in 2009 and follows Jupiter and his brother who are trapped by a pressgang before boarding their home ship to Sierra Leone.[13]
Aside from authorship, Martin actively promotes the knowledge of Black British history through his work with London schools,[4] English Heritage, borough councils,[5] the National Maritime Museum, the Museum of London, the Museum of London Docklands, the Imperial War Museum, the Public Record Office[6][14] and the Black Cultural Archives.[15]
Martin lives and works in South London.[1]
Selected bibliography
- Incomparable World: A Novel. Published by George Braziller, Inc., New York, 1988[16]
- Britain’s Slave Trade, London: Channel 4 Books, 1999[9]
- Jupiter Williams, London: Hodder Children's Books, 2007[12]
- Jupiter Amidships, London: Hodder Children's, 2009.[17]
References
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- ↑ Black Cultural Archives.
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