Stephen Bourne is a British writer, film and social historian specialising in the history of
Black British people
Black British people or Black Britons"Black Briton, N." ''Oxford English Dictionary''. Oxford UP. December 2024. https://doi.org/10.1093/OED/1136579918. are a multi-ethnic group of British people of Sub-Saharan African or Afro-Caribbean descen ...
and
gay culture in the United Kingdom
''Gay'' is a term that Terminology of homosexuality, primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'.
While scant usage referring to Gay men, ...
.
Career
He was a research officer at the
British Film Institute
The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...
on a project that documented the history of Black people in British television. He wrote ''Brief Encounters: Lesbians and Gays in British Cinema 1930–71'' published in 1996. His book ''Black in the British Frame: Black People in British Film and Television 1896-1996'' was published in 1998. His ''Black in the British Frame: The Black Experience in British Film and Television'' followed on it in 2001. He also wrote books on American actors
Elisabeth Welch
Elisabeth Margaret Welch (February 27, 1904July 15, 2003) was an American singer, actress, and entertainer, whose career spanned seven decades. Her best-known songs were " Stormy Weather", " Love for Sale" and "Far Away in Shanty Town". She was ...
,
Ethel Waters
Ethel Waters (October 31, 1896 – September 1, 1977) was an American singer and actress. Waters frequently performed jazz, swing, and pop music on the Broadway stage and in concerts. She began her career in the 1920s singing blues. Her no ...
,
Butterfly McQueen
Butterfly McQueen (born Thelma McQueen; January 8, 1911December 22, 1995) was an American actress. Originally a dancer, McQueen first appeared in films as Prissy in ''Gone with the Wind'' (1939). She also appeared in the films '' Cabin in the Sky ...
, and
Nina Mae McKinney
Nina Mae McKinney (June 12, 1912 – May 3, 1967) was an American actress who worked internationally during the 1930s and in the postwar period in theatre, film and television, after beginning her career on Broadway and in Hollywood. Dubbed " ...
. He co-authored two books with
Esther Bruce about her life as a
seamstress
A dressmaker, also known as a seamstress, is a person who makes clothing for women, such as dresses, blouses, and evening gowns. Dressmakers were historically known as mantua-makers, and are also known as a modiste or fabrician.
Notable d ...
in London.
In 2014, Bourne's book ''Black Poppies: Britain's Black Community and the Great War'' was published by
The History Press
The History Press is a British publishing company specialising in the publication of titles devoted to local and specialist history. It claims to be the United Kingdom's largest independent publisher in this field, publishing approximately 300 ...
. Reviewing it in ''
The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'',
Bernardine Evaristo
Bernardine Anne Mobolaji Evaristo (born 28 May 1959) is an English author and academic. Her novel ''Girl, Woman, Other'' jointly won the Booker Prize in 2019 alongside Margaret Atwood's ''The Testaments'', making her the first Black woman to win ...
said: "Until historians and cultural map-makers stop ignoring the historical presence of people of colour, books such as this one provide a powerful, revelatory counterbalance to the whitewashing of British history."
Following the publication of the
Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities in March 2021, Bourne revealed he was listed as a contributor to the report without his knowledge, stating that he felt manipulated.
His book ''Deep Are the Roots: Trailblazers Who Changed Black British Theatre'' was published in 2021 and his book ''Amanda Ira Aldridge and Avril Coleridge-Taylor: Getting the Tempo Right'' (about British composers
Amanda Ira Aldridge and
Avril Coleridge-Taylor) in 2024.
Awards
In 2002 Bourne received the Metropolitan Police Volunteer Award for his work as independent adviser on critical incidents. In 2013 Bourne was nominated for a Southwark Heritage
Blue Plaque
A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place in the United Kingdom, and certain other countries and territories, to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person, event, or former building on the site, serving a ...
for his work as a community historian and Southwark Police independent adviser. He came second with 1,025 votes.
In May 2017, he was honoured at the 12th
Screen Nation Awards for his work on the history of Black Britons in film and television. In 2017 he received an Honorary Fellowship from
London South Bank University
London South Bank University (LSBU) is a public university in Elephant and Castle, London. It is based in the London Borough of Southwark, near the South Bank of the River Thames, from which it takes its name. Founded in 1892 as the Borough Po ...
.
TV and radio
Bourne has been interviewed on
BBC Radio London
BBC Radio London is the BBC Local Radio, BBC's local radio station serving Greater London.
It broadcasts on FM broadcasting, FM, Digital Audio Broadcasting, DAB, digital TV and via BBC Sounds from studios at Broadcasting House in Langham Plac ...
.
In 1993, for ''Salutations'', Bourne received a Race in the Media Award for Best Radio Documentary from the
Commission for Racial Equality
In-Commission or commissioning may refer to:
Business and contracting
* Commission (remuneration), a form of payment to an agent for services rendered
** Commission (art), the purchase or the creation of a piece of art most often on behalf of anot ...
(CRE). ''Salutations'' was a nine-part series that Bourne conceived and scripted for Ladbroke Radio/BBC Radio 2, celebrating the achievements of Black African, Caribbean and British singers and musicians from the 1930s to the 1960s. Subjects included
Leslie "Hutch" Hutchinson,
Reginald Foresythe,
Evelyn Dove
Evelyn Mary Dove (11 January 1902 – 7 March 1987) was a British singer and actress, who early in her career drew comparisons with Josephine Baker. Of Sierra Leone Creole and English parentage, Dove is recognized as a "trailblazing performer": ...
,
Leslie Thompson,
Leslie "Jiver" Hutchinson,
Ken "Snakehips" Johnson,
Cyril Blake,
Rudolph Dunbar,
Fela Sowande
Chief Olufela Obafunmilayo "Fela" Sowande MBE (29 May 1905 – 13 March 1987) was a Nigerian musician and composer. Considered the father of modern Nigerian art music, Sowande is perhaps the most internationally known African composer of works ...
,
Edric Connor
Edric Esclus Connor (2 August 1913 – 16 October 1968) was a Caribbean singer, folklorist and actor who was born in Trinidad and Tobago. He was a performer of calypso in the United Kingdom, where he migrated in 1944 and chiefly lived and wor ...
,
Winifred Atwell
Una Winifred Atwell (27 February or 27 April 1910 or 1914There is some uncertainty over her date and year of birth. Many sources suggest 27 February 1914, but there is a strong suggestion that her birthday was 27 April. Most sources give her ye ...
,
Ray Ellington
Henry Pitts Brown (17 March 1916 – 27 February 1985), known professionally as Ray Ellington, was an English singer, drummer and bandleader. He is best known for his appearances on ''The Goon Show'' from 1951 to 1960. The Ray Ellington Quartet ...
,
Cy Grant
Cyril Ewart Lionel Grant (8 November 1919 – 13 February 2010) was a Guyanese actor, musician, writer, poet and World War II veteran. In the 1950s, he became the first black person to be featured regularly on television in Britain, Gus Joh ...
,
Geoff Love
Geoffrey Love (4 September 1917 – 8 July 1991) was a prolific British arranger and composer of easy listening and pop versions of film themes, famous in the late 1950s under the stage name Manuel and the Music of the Mountains.
Early years
...
and
Shirley Bassey
Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey (; born 8 January 1937) is a Welsh singer. Known for her career longevity, powerful voice and recording the James Bond music, theme songs to three James Bond films - the only artist to officially perform more than o ...
. The following year, Bourne received a second CRE award in the same category for ''Black in the West End'', a celebration of Black musical theatre in London's
West End.
Black British theatre
Bourne was the recipient of a Wingate Scholarship in 2011.
Publications
* ''The Sun Shone on Our Side of the Street: Aunt Esther's Story'', with
Esther Bruce, ECOHP, 1991,
* ''Brief Encounters: Lesbians and Gays in British Cinema 1930–71'', Cassell, 1996,
* ''Aunt Esther's Story'', with
Esther Bruce, ECOHP, 1996,
* ''Black in the British Frame: Black People in British Film and Television 1896-1996'', Cassell, 1998,
* ''A Ship and a Prayer: The Black Presence in Hammersmith and Fulham'', with Sav Kyriacou, ECOHP, 1999,
* ''Black in the British Frame: The Black Experience in British Film and Television'', Cassell/Continuum, 2001,
* ''Sophisticated Lady: A Celebration of Adelaide Hall'', ECOHP, 2001,
* ''Elisabeth Welch: Soft Lights and Sweet Music'', Scarecrow Press, 2005,
* ''Speak of Me As I Am: The Black Presence in Southwark Since 1600'', Southwark Council, 2005,
* ''Ethel Waters: Stormy Weather'', Scarecrow Press, 2007,
* ''Butterfly McQueen Remembered'', Scarecrow Press, 2008,
* ''Dr. Harold Moody'', Southwark Council, 2008,
* ''Mother Country: Britain's Black Community on the Home Front 1939–45'',
The History Press
The History Press is a British publishing company specialising in the publication of titles devoted to local and specialist history. It claims to be the United Kingdom's largest independent publisher in this field, publishing approximately 300 ...
, 2010,
* ''Nina Mae McKinney: The Black Garbo'', BearManor Media, 2011,
* ''The Motherland Calls: Britain's Black Servicemen and Women 1939–1945'',
The History Press
The History Press is a British publishing company specialising in the publication of titles devoted to local and specialist history. It claims to be the United Kingdom's largest independent publisher in this field, publishing approximately 300 ...
, 2012,
* ''Esther Bruce: A Black London Seamstress'', with
Esther Bruce, History and Social Action Publications, 2012,
* ''Black Poppies: Britain's Black Community and the Great War'',
The History Press
The History Press is a British publishing company specialising in the publication of titles devoted to local and specialist history. It claims to be the United Kingdom's largest independent publisher in this field, publishing approximately 300 ...
, 2014,
* ''Evelyn Dove: Britain's Black Cabaret Queen'',
Jacaranda Books
Jacaranda Books is a Black-owned British independent book publishing firm launched in 2012 and known for their effort promoting diversity in United Kingdom's publishing industry.
History
Jacaranda Books was founded in December 2011 in Lo ...
, 2016,
* ''Fighting Proud: The Untold Story of the Gay Men Who Served in Two World Wars'', I.B.Tauris, 2017/Bloomsbury Academic, 2019,
* ''War to Windrush: Black Women in Britain 1939–1948'',
Jacaranda Books
Jacaranda Books is a Black-owned British independent book publishing firm launched in 2012 and known for their effort promoting diversity in United Kingdom's publishing industry.
History
Jacaranda Books was founded in December 2011 in Lo ...
, 2018,
* ''Black Poppies: Britain's Black Community and the Great War'' (2nd edition, revised and updated),
The History Press
The History Press is a British publishing company specialising in the publication of titles devoted to local and specialist history. It claims to be the United Kingdom's largest independent publisher in this field, publishing approximately 300 ...
, 2019,
* ''Playing Gay in the Golden Age of British Television'',
The History Press
The History Press is a British publishing company specialising in the publication of titles devoted to local and specialist history. It claims to be the United Kingdom's largest independent publisher in this field, publishing approximately 300 ...
, 2019,
* ''Under Fire: Black Britain in Wartime 1939-45'',
The History Press
The History Press is a British publishing company specialising in the publication of titles devoted to local and specialist history. It claims to be the United Kingdom's largest independent publisher in this field, publishing approximately 300 ...
, 2020,
[Stephen Bourne]
"Under Fire: Black Britain in Wartime 1939-45"
at Google Books.
* ''Deep Are the Roots: Trailblazers Who Changed Black British Theatre'',
The History Press
The History Press is a British publishing company specialising in the publication of titles devoted to local and specialist history. It claims to be the United Kingdom's largest independent publisher in this field, publishing approximately 300 ...
, 2021,
* ''Black Poppies: The Story of Britain's Black Community in the First World War'' (Young Readers Edition),
The History Press
The History Press is a British publishing company specialising in the publication of titles devoted to local and specialist history. It claims to be the United Kingdom's largest independent publisher in this field, publishing approximately 300 ...
, 2022,
* ''Lena Horne: The MGM Years''
BearManor Media, 2023,
* ''Amanda Ira Aldridge and Avril Coleridge-Taylor: Getting the Tempo Right''
Historycal Roots, 2024,
* ''Trailblazers of Black British Theatre: From Ira Aldridge to Cleo Laine''
The History Press
The History Press is a British publishing company specialising in the publication of titles devoted to local and specialist history. It claims to be the United Kingdom's largest independent publisher in this field, publishing approximately 300 ...
, 2025,
Contributor
* "Denying Her Place: Hattie McDaniel's Surprising Acts", in P. Cook and P. Dodd (eds), ''Women and Film: A Sight and Sound Reader'',
Scarlet Press, 1993,
* "Secrets and Lies: Black Histories and British Historical Films", in C. Monk and A. Sargeant (eds), ''British Historical Cinema'',
Routledge
Routledge ( ) is a British multinational corporation, multinational publisher. It was founded in 1836 by George Routledge, and specialises in providing academic books, academic journals, journals and online resources in the fields of the humanit ...
, 2002,
* "Black representation" and "Gay and lesbian representation", in B. McFarlane (ed.), ''The Encyclopedia of British Film'',
Methuen, 2003,
* "Behind the Masks: Anthony Asquith and Brian Desmond Hurst", in R. Griffiths (ed.), ''British Queer Cinema'',
Routledge
Routledge ( ) is a British multinational corporation, multinational publisher. It was founded in 1836 by George Routledge, and specialises in providing academic books, academic journals, journals and online resources in the fields of the humanit ...
, 2006,
*
D. Dabydeen, J. Gilmore and C. Jones (eds), ''The Oxford Companion to Black British History'',
Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press (OUP) is the publishing house of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world. Its first book was printed in Oxford in 1478, with the Press officially granted the legal right to print books ...
, 2007,
* "Colour Balance: Black British Television Stars", in J. Bell (ed.), ''Black Star: A BFI Compendium'',
BFI, 2016,
* "Paving the Way: The Story of Annie Brewster", in J. Beula (ed.), ''Nursing a Nation: An Anthology of African and Caribbean Contributions to Britain's Health Services'',
Nu Jak Media Publishing, 2021,
* "Snakehips Swing" and "Sophisticated Ladies", in P. Bradshaw (ed.), ''Beyond the Bassline: 500 Years of Black British Music'',
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom. Based in London, it is one of the largest libraries in the world, with an estimated collection of between 170 and 200 million items from multiple countries. As a legal deposit li ...
, 2024,
* "A Massive Jigsaw Puzzle", in M. Ohajuru (ed.), "Who is John Blanke?: Historians and Artists Reimagine the Black Tudor Trumpeter",
Canbury Press, 2025,
References
External links
Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bourne, Stephen
Year of birth missing (living people)
Living people
People from Camberwell
Alumni of De Montfort University
Alumni of the London College of Printing
British film historians
English gay writers
British LGBTQ historians