An intimate and fascinating account of Londons Seven Dials in the period between the two world wars. Matt Houlbrooks vivid portrait provides a multitude of stories that encapsulate the cosmopolitanism, gentrification and everyday racism of one of the citys forgotten black colonies on the fringes of the West Ends theatreland. Hakim Adi, author of African and Caribbean People in Britain
Between Soho and Bloomsbury, between two world wars, between rich and poor lies Songs of Seven Dials. A poetic exploration of one of Londons most iconic neighbourhoods, this book illuminates histories both intimate and global. Through the story of one interwar libel trial, Songs of Seven Dials brilliantly explores the tensions of race, class and social inequality that shaped the modern metropolis and still resonate in the streets of London today. Julia Laite, author of The Disappearance of Lydia Harvey
Absorbing and illuminating, Songs of Seven Dials speaks eloquently about a past that is simultaneously distant and familiar, casting a fresh light not just on a cluster of past lives and London streets, but on the evolution of modern cities all across Europe. Marek Kohn, author of Dope Girls and The Stories Old Towns Tell
Full of brilliant insights, Songs of Seven Dials offers an entirely new way of understanding the social dynamics of interwar London. Jerry White, author of The Battle of London 193945
Thoroughly researched and passionately written, Matt Houlbrooks story of injustice and gentrification in Seven Dials is a powerful contribution to the history of central London. Phil Baker, author of City of the Beast: The London of Aleister Crowley
This is an original and compelling read. Matt Houlbrook takes the reader on a fascinating journey of discovery through a little know aspect of London's history. Stephen Bourne, author of Black Poppies and Fighting Proud -- .
