We Were There

We Were There is a vital corrective that enhances our understanding of Black British history in the 20th century by moving the narrative outside of London – Steve McQueen
Lanre Bakare’s first book is not just a work of history – it is a necessary and urgent recalibration of the way we think about Black Britain… an expansive, deeply researched work that insists on a broader, richer understanding of Black life * Guardian *
[Bakare writes] with quiet enthusiasm and sharp intelligence about black communities, including those in Bradford, Wolverhampton, Manchester, Liverpool, Cardiff and Edinburgh … We Were There bridges the gaps to missing links and admirably achieves what it sets out to provide: further evidence of Black people’s influence on the UK * Observer *
Like much of how we view and discuss history in the UK, the story of Black Britain often has a London bias. But as Guardian writer Lanre Bakare’s book explores, there is a rich story to be told outside the capital too … A joyous and fascinating corrective * GQ Magazine best books of 2025 *
The premise of this non-fiction book is a deceptively simple one: to consider the influence of Black culture in modern Britain, and, critically, beyond London … It’s a part of Britain’s collective heritage that has been woefully underreported and makes for a book that is fact-packed and fascinating * Esquire best books of 2025 so far *
We Were There is an essential, unique and joyful contribution to the full understanding of Black Britain. It broadens our story and ensures that the scale of our influence across the UK is fully recognised and appreciated. Utterly brilliant – Dipo Faloyin, author of Africa Is Not A Country
An urgent conversation about Britishness and the breadth of Black British experience [that] will take us on affecting and insightful journeys – Arifa Akbar, author of Consumed
Lanre Bakare takes us on a rare journey, rearranging our understanding of Britain’s racial geography with an open mind, perceptive eye and an accessible style. An incisive book at an important time – Gary Younge, author of Dispatches from the Diaspora
Genuinely pioneering and transformative histories only come along rarely, but Lanre Bakare’s wonderfully immersive, wide-ranging account of the years when Black Britian acquired its own agency is undoubtedly such – David Kynaston, author of A Northern Wind
[A] meaty social history study [with] interesting things to say about race and class … Packed with revealing content * Independent *
A revelation of a black history almost lost, a chronicling of a rich black British life outside of London told with such love and tender, evocative prose that it immediately colourises the present. In tracing this history, Bakare offers not just a homage to Black British identity, but a reinforcement of it – Nesrine Malik, author of We Need New Stories
Fascinating. Lanre Bakare’s story is told with pace, wit, scholarship, and nuance. It taught me so much about the city and the country where I live – Ed Caesar
With We Were There, Lanre Bakare provides a vital new chapter in the story of modern Britain. Told with urgency, empathy and a skilled journalist’s ability to connect the dots across race, power and national identity, this is essential reading – Ekow Eshun, author of The Strangers
This is an important and ambitious book, and Bakare has found the right stories and language to do it justice – Andy Beckett, author of Promised You A Miracle
An exquisitely cathartic and powerful journey though some of the most important, but untold chapters of our recent history. If you lived it, you will love it - if you didn’t, brace, this is a tough but ultimately uplifting story that, in Lanre’s caring hands, we can all live and love – Gus Casely-Hayford, Director of the Victoria and Albert Museum East
This book is full of energy and purpose, determined to tell the stories of those who have always been here and made Britain what it is today, but whose stories have been suppressed. This book is full of pain, but also so much joy, and love for community and history. I found this book so moving and so energising, and Lanre’s writing captivated me from the first page. The research is extensive and is woven together effortlessly, challenging and over-turning the anti-migration rhetoric that we see in our media and politics today. This book is urgent and timely, and will help you see Britain with completely fresh new eyes, one which extends far beyond London, one which has always been beautifully multi-cultural – Pragya Agarwal, author of Sway
Uplifting and empowering. By looking outside of London, We Were There - with its stories of survival and overcoming, strength and resilience - gives us a fuller picture of who we have been in the UK and who we are – Marvin Rees, former Mayor of Bristol
Evocative and empathetic, Bakare finds lost histories and gives them new life… an important book that opens the door to a greater understanding of black British history * UK Press Syndication *
Lanre Bakare’s We Were There, a bracingly readable social history, celebrates the UK as a bastion of black culture, black music and food … Vivid, well-written … Bakare’s excellent book captures the life and glory of a culture that changed the face of Britain for good – Spectator
A beautiful corrective to the view that Black resistance begins and ends in the capital * Guardian *

Lanre Bakare is the arts and culture correspondent for The Guardian. His writing focuses on the intersection of art, race, and culture across multiple disciplines. He was the senior correspondent on the Cotton Capital project, an expose on The Guardian’s founders’ links to transatlantic slavery, which was recognized at the Press Awards as a “breathtakingly honest mea culpa.” Bakare was born and grew up in Bradford, West Yorkshire.

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