New Books Network Matt Houlbrook, "Songs of Seven Dials: An Intimate History of 1920s and 1930s London" (Manchester UP, 2025)
Dec 2, 2025
Matt Houlbrook, a Professor of Cultural History at the University of Birmingham and author, dives into the rich tapestry of 1920s and 1930s London, focusing on Seven Dials. He unpacks its journey from a planned development to a notorious slum, centered around a significant libel trial involving a local café. Houlbrook discusses the media's role in racializing the area, the pressures of gentrification, and the ongoing challenges of preserving its history amidst rapid change, revealing how the struggles of the past still resonate today.
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Seven Dials: Urban Wheel And Working Hub
- Seven Dials is a small central-London area laid out in the 1690s with seven radiating streets and mixed uses.
- It became a notorious slum by the 19th century yet remained a working, cosmopolitan hub serving neighboring districts.
The Kittens' Café And The Libel Case
- Jim and Emily Kitten, a working-class couple, opened a successful café in Great White Lion Street in 1921 after saving from low-paid catering jobs.
- Their café became a Black and Asian social hub and later triggered a High Court libel suit against the John Bull newspaper.
Dual Engines Of Gentrification In The 1920s
- Two entwined gentrification drives shaped the 1920s: a political plan to demolish Seven Dials and a capital-led push by developers and theatre entrepreneurs.
- Both visions aimed to transform residential, working-class space into commercial, leisure, or office uses but ultimately failed by the late 1930s.
