Senate House Library's Special Collections and Archives contain some material of relevance to Anglophone Caribbean literature and its presence in the diaspora, particularly in England. Other collections contain political, historical and social historical material which provides useful contextual information.
Special Collections books can be searched on the regular library catalogue while archival material can be located via the archives & manuscripts catalogue
The following collections may be of interest:
Ron Heisler Collection (click on link for collection overview) - contains books and pamphlets related to left-wing politics, with a focus on Britain and Ireland. The collection not only contains overtly political texts but also numerous works of literature which reflect similar ideas. Works produced by writers of Caribbean heritage are included, such as those produced in the 1970s and 1980s by community presses Black Ink Collective and Centerprise, and some works published by the Race Today Collective and Bogle L'Ouverture
C. L. R. James Papers (click on link for collection description and PDF list of items) - C. L. R. James's papers on Caribbean politics. Contains one letter from George Lamming (see below image).
Billy Strachan Papers (click on link for collection description and attached PDF list of items) - Billy Strachan's papers on his involvement in communist political activism. Strachan was also the founder of the newspaper Caribbean News
See below for some related blogs and images
These blogs were written by Senate House Library staff and include information on works from the special collections, archives, and also the historic periodicals collections:
Black History Month 2021: Four Treasures from Senate House Library's Collections
The view from the "Motherland": Billy Strachan's fight for the Windrush generation
The London Estates and Neighbourhoods that Became Publishing Houses
Una Marson: Writer, Activist and the First Black Woman Broadcaster at the BBC