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Vivian Usherwood Poems

Object

Book

Production date

1975

Object number

2025.25

Physical Description

Vivian Usherwood Poems book. The book is white with black bold writing. There is a black and white image of Vivian Usherwood on the cover.

Object history

Vivian Usherwood was born in Jamaica who then moved to Hackney and attended Hackney downs School. This fifth edition (1975) book showcases the poems he wrote when he was twelve years old. Two of his teachers approached Centerprise to publish his poems, which were very popular and were bought by many local residents and local schools. This was Centerprise's first publications and had sold over 8,000 copies by March 1978.
His poems discuss his life, emotions, and the Borough of Hackney. Sadly, Usherwood died young in a house fire in Stoke Newington.

These poems were originally published in 1972 by Centerprise (1971-2012) which was a community centre in Dalston. They were originally at 32 Dalston Lane and later moved to 136-138 Kingsland Road. They hosted a bookshop, reading centre, cafe, youth club, and a publishing project where people like Usherwood could write their autobiographies.

Associated Organisation

Centerprise (Publisher)

Associated Person

Associated Place

Material

Paper

Dimension

Length: 208mm
Width: 149mm

On display?

No