Because They Know Not

Alvin Gladstone Bennett, a West Indian poet and journalist, wrote this novel about migration to Britain. The main character, Tom Hendon, comes to England on board a ship from Jamaica. Obtaining accommodation is Tom’s first problem and, despite his qualifications, he finds it difficult to get a job. He suffers from loneliness at having to leave his wife behind and has to cope with racism. The author came to England in 1954, representing a group of newspapers in Jamaica, to report back on the situation of Caribbean people who had emigrated to Britain. Courtesy of the Museum of London