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

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "S. I. Martin – British Council Literature". British Council. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 "S I Martin". Hachette Children's Books. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
  3. ↑ "S. I. Martin". Historic Naval Fiction. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
  4. 1 2 "TEXT: Writers in schools: Writers profiles". cripplegate.org. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 "Black History Month 2014: Exploring the Black contribution to World War One". Greater London Authority. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
  6. 1 2 3 "– British History in depth: Your Local Slave Trade History". BBC – History. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
  7. 1 2 3 Leila Kamali. "S.I. Martin, April 24, 1961–". academia.edu. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
  8. ↑ "Fiction Book Review: Incomparable World by S. I. Martin, Author George Braziller $22.5 (213p) ISBN 978-0-8076-1436-5". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
  9. 1 2 "Britain's slave trade". worldcat.org. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
  10. ↑ "S I Martin – Jupiter Williams". Hachette Children's Books. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
  11. ↑ Kate Agnew (13 November 2007). "Critics' choice". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
  12. 1 2 "Jupiter Williams". worldcat.org. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
  13. ↑ "S I Martin – Jupiter Amidships". Hachette Children's Books. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
  14. ↑ "English Heritage to host national conference on commemorative plaques, February 2010 – English Heritage". wired-gov.net. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
  15. ↑ Black Cultural Archives.
  16. ↑ "Incomparable world : a novel". worldcat.org. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
  17. ↑ "Jupiter amidships". worldcat.org. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
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