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A people's history

August 01 2024
Cover of A People’s History of Finsbury Park, designed by Matt Bonner. © The Museum of Homelessness Cover of A People’s History of Finsbury Park, designed by Matt Bonner. © The Museum of Homelessness

The Museum of Homelessness has published its first book A People’s History of Finsbury Park. Marsha Glenn shares highlights from the book launch event

On 5 June, the Pavement visited the Manor House Lodge inside London’s Finsbury Park to attend the launch of a new book by the Museum of Homelessness (MoH).

Eager guests and supporters arrived long before the launching programme began. One of the trustees, Rachel, welcomed and invited us to visit the community pond dug by hand and the adjacent growing garden. The ecosystem around the quiet pond offered stability and a sense of permanent home. Due to the drizzling weather, after a little while we all had to gather inside the historic lodge. Tiny rooms were filled up quickly as the weather demanded a cuppa. It was such a homely and warm environment where writers, activists and local heroes came together to celebrate the written history of the Finsbury Park area.

Matt Turtle, one of the co-founders and directors of the museum, recalled this powerful anthology started as a small zine. He was extremely proud to present the collection of adapted literature pieces created by passionate contributors, including: Alan Denney, Benji Human, Lisa Ogun, David Tovey, Malcolm Grant, Milly Gumm, Bekki Perriman, Jeremy Worman, Hasan Kahya, Isabella Pojuner, Mark, Rachel and Melissa.

A People’s History of Finsbury Park explores myths and legends about the area, shares untold histories of squatting, testimonials and poetry from people who live or have lived there. The black-and-white historical photos and the current park landscape images present a unique insight into this bustling and diverse part of London. They are capable on their own of telling us the whole story including the systematic underlying discrimination, as well as the loving community spirit.

The People’s Right to Wild Camping and Squatting: A Timeline by Benji Human challenges the misleading media narrative of the homeless community. Lisa Ogun shared her heartwarming experience of travelling to different parts of the world, only to find her home in the Finsbury Park area. Poet and translator Hasan Kahya dedicates a poem to the Seven Sisters Road:

A writhing snake of a road
that runs along the leafy
Finsbury Park for a while,
before it hisses past the new
Museum of Homelessness where,
It's cut in two by Green Lanes.

Since 2015, the MoH has been making history and educating the population through building a national collection for homelessness, preserving and sharing histories of homelessness, poverty and social action. They carry out independent investigations and campaigns to influence policymakers for the change we need to become a united and compassionate society. The driven MoH team believes in practical, mutual aid-style direct actions. They create exceptional, high-quality artistic events, exhibitions and content to bring individuals and communities together. I thoroughly enjoyed a successful book launching event followed by an open mic session exploring creativity in all of us.



The pond on-site at the Museum’s Manor lodge home. © Marsha Glenn

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August – September 2024 : Being Heard

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