London by Lockdown: A Travel Podcast

#bocaslitfest
A singer performing ska on stage into a microphone, bathed in green stage lighting.
Logo for Your Local Arena, an Arts Council England-funded project celebrating Black British culture through the BBC’s Arena film archive, produced by Lucy Hannah and Speaking Volumes.

Your Local Arena is a Lucy Hannah & Speaking Volumes co-production.

featuring BBC Arena’s film archive.

This event is funded by Arts Council England and Hamish Hamilton, part of Penguin Random House.

The Roots of Independent Black British Publishing, by Roxy Harris & Sarah White

Logo for the “London by Lockdown” travel podcast, celebrating Black British history with the text “Est. 23 March 2020” inside a red circular icon styled like the London Underground sign.

As a community and a nation, we can’t know where we are, where we’re going, or where we could be if our map is faulty, incomplete or badly drawn. We also miss out on great stories. To build a better map and truly trace the contours of this place, in all its complexity and beauty, we need to hear all voices, stories and experiences — across the city and beyond. This latest episode explores the rise of Black Britain and celebrates diverse and brilliant Black British voices. As part of this collaboration with Your Local Arena, we hear readings and interviews from authors SI Martin, Jacqueline Roy and Nicola Williams, and we learn how levelling the field in publishing can enrich our understanding of everything from Georgian London to legal thrillers.