My research examines the intersections between British working-class literature and Caribbean literature from 1947 to 1971, with a particular focus on the role of racialised masculinity in constructing and contesting notions of Britishness. By analysing how these literary traditions intersect, the project highlights the often-overlooked contributions of Caribbean writers to British cultural discourse and their dialogue with their white working-class contemporaries.
My interest in this period stems from the abundance of significant socio-political changes that occurred during the post-war years. A key case study that exemplifies these shifts is the 1958 race riots in Nottingham: a period of violence incited by racialised masculinity in a city shaped by substantial Caribbean migration. Nottingham serves as a microcosm for analysing the socio-cultural tensions of post-war Britain. The racialised violence that erupted there soon spread across the country, profoundly affecting Caribbean communities and shaping their literary production throughout the United Kingdom. These events encapsulate anxieties surrounding racialised masculinity and are reflected in the literature of the time, enabling an exploration of how race and working-class identities intersected to shape Britain’s evolving post-imperial identity.
To explore these dynamics, my research focuses on white working-class authors such as Alan Sillitoe, John Braine, and John Osborne. Alongside them, I examine their contemporary Caribbean authors who migrated to the United Kingdom during this era such as Samuel Selvon, Andrew Salkey, and George Lamming. My research aims to contribute to understandings of Britain as a postcolonial nation, the cultural legacy of the Windrush Generation, and the intersections of race and class in shaping post-war British identity.