The Lonely Londoners

By Sam Selvon,

Book cover of The Lonely Londoners

Book description

The Lonely Londoners, an unforgettable account of immigrant experience and one of the great twentieth-century London novels, now in in a stunning Clothbound Classics edition.

At Waterloo Station, hopeful new arrivals from the West Indies step off the boat train, ready to start afresh in 1950s London. There, homesick Moses…

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Why read it?

1 author picked The Lonely Londoners as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Another classic, but this time set a generation before East of Acre Lane.

This follows members of the Windrush generation as they try and make their way in a city that is hostile in weather and temperament. There is a lot of humour here amongst the occasional bleakness, but either way it’s a revelatory read. Again, language is really important here to really hear the voices of the characters.

Admittedly, I read this quite late in the game, but could instantly see why it’s one of the classics.

From Jendella's list on introducing you to Black London.

Want books like The Lonely Londoners?

Our community of 11,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like The Lonely Londoners.

Browse books like The Lonely Londoners

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in immigrants, London, and Jamaica?

Immigrants 179 books
London 860 books
Jamaica 57 books