We are deeply saddened to share the news of the death of Eric Huntley, a cherished member of the Ealing community whose life’s work helped shape Black British culture, activism and publishing, both locally and beyond our borough.
Born in Guyana, Eric Huntley became an influential figure in Black British cultural life. Alongside his wife, Jessica Huntley, he co-founded Bogle L’Ouverture Publications, a groundbreaking publishing house that played a vital role in amplifying Black and migrant voices at a time when they were largely excluded from the mainstream. Through their work, the Huntleys published early and important writing by figures such as Walter Rodney, Beryl Gilroy, Lemn Sissay and Valerie Bloom, helping to nurture voices that would go on to shape literature, politics and thought in the UK and internationally.
Beginning in 1968 with a small printing press in their living room, their commitment and vision grew into the opening of the Bogle L’Ouverture Bookshop in West Ealing in 1975. The bookshop quickly became a cultural landmark – a place of learning, debate and connection – and remains a source of immense pride in our local heritage. Its impact continues to resonate well beyond Ealing, influencing generations of readers, writers and activists.
Eric and Jessica were also devoted campaigners for social justice both nationally and in Ealing. Throughout the 1970s, they were central to the borough’s Black community organising around education, culture, and historical visibility, working closely with the Caribbean Parents Group to challenge institutional racism in local schools, standing up for fairness, dignity and opportunity for Black children and families. Their activism was always rooted in community, education and collective empowerment.
Eric Huntley further supported young people’s creative development as Patron of WAPPY (Writing, Acting and Publishing Project for Youngsters), where he helped oversee the publication of hundreds of children’s writings and creative works across West London. Cllr Grace Quansah (Akuba), councillor for Walpole ward and director of WAPPY, knew the Huntley family for over 50 years, visiting the Bogle-L’Ouverture bookshop as a child and presenting poetry at Caribbean Parents Group conferences attended by the Huntleys. Eric Huntley later became both a family figure and literary mentor, continuing that relationship into adulthood and public life. Cllr Grace Quansah (Akuba) said: “Eric never saw children’s writing as ‘practice’ — he treated it as literature, history, and testimony. That approach shaped generations of young people across Ealing and beyond.”
Eric’s commitment to legacy and community continued long after the bookshop closed through the work of the Huntley Archives, which were deposited at The London Archives in 2005. Beverley Mason, Chief Executive of Friends of the Huntley Archives at LMA Foundation (FHALMA) said: “For Eric, legacy was never about the past alone — it was about responsibility to the future. The Huntley Archives exist so that the struggles, creativity and organising of Black communities are preserved, shared and learned from, not forgotten. Eric believed deeply that archives are living resources, rooted in people and place, and that access to our histories is fundamental to building a more just and equitable society.”
Following Jessica’s death in 2013, Eric led efforts to establish the Jessica Huntley Community Garden in West Ealing, which opened in 2023 and was described as a “beautiful and fitting tribute” to their lifelong dedication to grassroots change.
Councillor Blerina Hashani, the council’s cabinet member for thriving communities, said: “Eric Huntley’s life was one of purpose, generosity and enduring impact. He will be remembered with gratitude and respect by Ealing and by all those whose lives were enriched by his work. Our thoughts are with his friends and family at this time.”
Annual Huntley Conference
Tickets are available for this year’s Huntley Conference, which will take place on Saturday 21 February 2026 at The London Archives. I Am an Archive. We Are an Archive: 20th Annual Huntley Conference is an opportunity to gather, reflect and honour the life of Eric Huntley.
Read more about the life and work of Eric and Jessica Huntley
- November 2025 – Ealing Culture – 50 years of Bogle-L’overture bookshop
- November 2024 – National Portrait Gallery – Display of Eric and Jessica Huntley’s new portrait
- October 2024 – Around Ealing – Ealing’s pioneering Black bookshop
- October 2023 – Around Ealing – Saluting our Sisters: Jessica Huntley
Photo credit: Eric & Jessica Huntley c2000’s © Mervyn Weir. Courtesy The Huntley Archives.