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]

Martin is a patron of Humanists UK. ^[7]

Life

Steven Ian Martin was born on 24 April 1961 in Bedford, England, ^{[1] [8]} his parents settled having arrived in Britain from Antigua in 1954, and Martin received his education at Bedford Modern School. ^[8]

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. ^{[8] [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 (1996), charts the fate of three black exiles living in 18th-century London. ^[9] 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. ^[10]

In 2007 Martin's novel for children, Jupiter Williams, was published. ^[11] 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. ^[12] Cesar Picton is a character in the novel. ^[13] 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. ^[14]

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] [15]} and the Black Cultural Archives. ^[16]

Martin lives and works in South London. ^[1]

Selected bibliography

• Incomparable World: A Novel. Published by Quartet Books, London, 1996 ^[17]
• Britain's Slave Trade, London: Channel 4 Books, 1999 ^[10]
• Jupiter Williams, London: Hodder Children's Books, 2007 ^[18]
• Jupiter Amidships, London: Hodder Children's, 2009. ^[19]

References