The Gentle Author’s Cries Of London
It has been five years in the making but – thanks to the generous support of the readers of Spitalfields Life – I am almost ready to publish the first full-colour illustrated history of the CRIES OF LONDON, just in time for Christmas.
This ambitious book sets out to reclaim an entire cultural tradition which I believe is an essential part of the identity of London as a city founded upon its markets. In the capital, those who had no means of income could always sell wares in the street and, by turning their presence into performance through song, they won the hearts of generations and came to embody the spirit of London itself.
Designed by David Pearson, recently acclaimed as Britain’s most-influential book designer, CRIES OF LONDON is a handsome cloth-bound green hardback with a gilded cover containing hundreds of beautiful illustrations of London street traders spanning four centuries, together with stories of the artists and the hawkers, and an extended introduction by yours truly.
I am celebrating with a LAUNCH at Waterstones Piccadilly on 3rd December, a CONCERT at Shoreditch Church on 4th December, a PEDLARS CONFERENCE on 5th December and ILLUSTRATED LECTURES on 10th & 11th December at Bishopsgate Institute – you will find all the information and booking details below. I look forward to welcoming you to these events, where I shall be signing books and giving away prints of CRIES OF LONDON to all comers.
Peepshow in Piccadilly, 1804
I am proud to be launching CRIES OF LONDON at WATERSTONES PICCADILLY on THURSDAY 3rd DECEMBER from 6:30pm with cakes, cocktails, live music, dancing & a host of famous authors. There is no need to book, please come along to join the party!
Hair Brooms outside Shoreditch Church, 1804
I am delighted to be introducing a concert of CRIES OF LONDON by Orlando Gibbons & others, performed by Fretwork & Red Byrd, presented by Spitalfields Music on FRIDAY 4th DECEMBER at ST LEONARD’S CHURCH, SHOREDITCH. Click here to book for the concert & pre-concert talk.
Cats & Dogs’ Meat in Bishopsgate, 1804
I am thrilled to be hosting a PEDLARS CONFERENCE on SATURDAY 5th DECEMBER at 2pm and giving ILLUSTRATED LECTURES on THURSDAY 10th & FRIDAY 11th DECEMBER at 7:30pm at BISHOPSGATE INSTITUTE. Please click here to book.
CLICK TO BUY A SIGNED COPY OF CRIES OF LONDON FOR £20
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You may like to explore these sets of Cries of London
More John Player’s Cries of London
More Samuel Pepys’ Cries of London
Geoffrey Fletcher’s Pavement Pounders
William Craig Marshall’s Itinerant Traders
H.W.Petherick’s London Characters
John Thomson’s Street Life in London
Aunt Busy Bee’s New London Cries
William Nicholson’s London Types
Francis Wheatley’s Cries of London
John Thomas Smith’s Vagabondiana of 1817
John Thomas Smith’s Vagabondiana II
John Thomas Smith’s Vagabondiana III
Thomas Rowlandson’s Lower Orders
More of Thomas Rowlandson’s Lower Orders
I was able to buy a couple of your books when we were holidaying in London last year. We used it as our tourist guide !! Who needs Lonely Planet or Fodor when we have you . A question : will we be able to buy a copy of the new tome online for mail order as we won’t visit again from Australia until 2017 . I actually have three Cries of London , Victorian prints, hidden away in the study somewhere . I bought and sold old English prints for years .
Congratulations on the new book
Paul Huckett
Good luck with the launch, I am sure it will be a great success. Valerie
Best wishes for your book launch.
What a book – what a programme of events! Many congratulations on bringing to birth what I know will be a beautiful piece of work, and here’s to the sales thereof.
My word, you are going to be busy!! Hope it will all be a great success.