The Blackbirds of St Giles: 'The novel Dickens didn't write, but should have done' SEAN LUSK

Louise Hare meets Sara Collins, this is an upmarket historical set in Georgian London, which puts Black history and characters at the centre of the story.

Some things are earned. Some things are worth fighting for… 

It’s 1782, Daniel and his sister Pearl arrive in London with the world at their feet and their future assured. Having escaped a Jamaican sugar plantation, Daniel fought for the British in the American War of Independence and was rewarded with freedom and an inheritance.  

But the city is not a place for men like Daniel and he is callously tricked and finds himself, along with his sister Pearl, in the rookeries of St Giles – a warren of dark and menacing alleyways, filled with violence and poverty.  

The underworld labyrinth is run by Elias, a man whose cruelty knows no bounds. But under his dangerous rule is a brotherhood of Black men, the Blackbirds of St Giles, whose intention is to set their people free.  

Can Daniel use his strength, wit and the fellowship of the other Blackbirds to overthrow Elias and truly find the freedom he fought for…? 

• | Author: Lila Cain
• | Publisher: Simon & Schuster Ltd
• | Publication Date: Sep 25, 2025
• | Number of Pages:
• | Language:
• | Binding: Paperback / softback
• | ISBN-13: 9781398526594
• | ISBN-10: 1398526592