Description
A vivid biography of an African Edwardian chronicler of London, in a time of social upheaval.
'A must read.'
‘A brilliant biography . . . [Jones] has given a vivid picture of London one hundred years ago.’
'An engaging, worthwhile biography. … Jones uncovers the life of a historical ghost, nearly lost to the world'
‘The richness and wider implications of Merriman-Labor’s life and sojourn in England come out vividly in [this] book because of Jones’ careful research, analytical rigor, and lively writing.’
'Written with great verve, An African in Imperial London reconstructs the life of A.B.C. Merriman-Labor... Both he and his biographer provide a rich picture of London, particularly in his most important work... an enlightening account of what it meant to be black in the most powerful country in the world'.
'Historical rigour, literary skill and a deep sense of humanity pervades this splendid biography which recovers from the condescension of the past the world of Augustus Merriman-Labor.'
'The moving and surprising story of A.B.C. Merriman-Labor, both insider and outsider in nineteenth- and twentieth-century Africa and England, is also a compelling contemporary parable about the interaction between individuals and society.'
Elegantly written and meticulously researched for over seven years, An African in Imperial London presents the life and times of Augustus Merriman-Labor: Sierra Leonean writer, barrister, munitions worker during the First World War, and much more besides. This is an important addition to the history of Africans in Britain.'
Danell Jones is a writer and scholar whose works have appeared in a wide variety of publications,from British academic journals to small presses. She has a PhD in literature from Columbia University and is the author of 'The Virginia Woolf Writers’ Workshop' and 'Desert Elegy'.