The Inspiration: Black Tudors - The Untold Story

The journey for writing my book began with Dr Miranda Kauffman's wonderful book Black Tudors. I find it hard to convey the impact that this had on me when I read it. Growing up in the 80s and 90s Black British history wasn't a thing, it wasn't taught in school, there were no books to discover, it didn't appear in any cultural touch points that I was exposed to. Black people were enslaved and then arrived with Windrush. Period. This is the narrative I grew up with and I didn't question it. Even as I became more aware of the role of Black history it was always with a decidedly American slant. So Black Tudors was the first real exposure I had to Black people as part of the fabric of everyday life. And it blew my mind.

Black Tudors uses meticulous research to bring to light the stories of 10 different individuals from the Renaissance era, all of African descent, that formed part of the everyday fabric of Tudor life. From the Black trumpeter John Blanke who petitioned HenryVII for a pay rise, the silk weaver Reasonable Blackman who lived in Southwark with his family, to the French wreck diver Jacques Francis who was looking for the Mary Rose. Her writing is accessible and enlightening and by pulling these hidden figures from the historical records reinforces that immigrants, and Black immigrants have been part of the British Isles for hundreds and hundreds of years.

After reading this book I was obsessed with exploring more Black British history and also looking into what books were published for the next generation to do the same. There were some - mainly non-fiction- all great but not enough. It’s still not a statutory part of the national curriculum for schools and there are a few excellent fiction books that are helping to bring these figures to life to kids. But again, not enough. And that was the spark that created Time Tub Travellers and the Silk Thief and what sustained me into making it a reality.