Black Oxford Untold Stories

The book launch on the bus

In partnership with City Sightseeing Oxford

One book.

Two experiences.

Countless stories.

Saturday 7th November 2026 | Oxford

Join historian, author and founder of Black Oxford Untold Stories, Pamela Roberts, for a very different kind of book launch.

To celebrate the publication of the new edition of Black Oxford: The Untold Stories of Oxford University’s Black Scholars, we’re taking the launch out of the lecture theatre and onto the road.

The book is your ticket (£15)

Board the City Sightseeing bus and travel through Oxford, discovering some of the remarkable Black scholars whose lives, achievements and connections to Oxford are brought together in the new edition of Black Oxford.

You’ll discover:

• Remarkable Black scholars and professionals connected to Oxford.
• Stories that have often been overlooked or forgotten.
• The experiences and achievements of Christian Frederick Cole, Kofoworola Moore and Alain LeRoy Locke.
• Connections between Oxford’s university history and the wider Black community.
• How these individual stories form part of a much bigger history.

Your book launch experience includes:

• A signed copy of the new edition of Black Oxford.
• A place on the 60-minute Black Oxford heritage bus tour.

Bus details

Date: Saturday, 7th November 2026
Time: 12:30pm
Departure: City Sightseeing Oxford Stop 13, Broad Street
Duration: 60 minutes

Then the stories continue…

Return to the City of Dreaming Spires: From Christian Frederick Cole to the New Black Oxford

A free author talk at the Weston Library

In partnership with the Bodleian Libraries

This free public event is separate from the Black Oxford book launch bus experience and is open to everyone. You do not need to purchase the book or join the bus tour to attend.

After the bus experience, Pamela Roberts will continue the story at the Weston Library with a special author talk exploring the research and journey behind Black Oxford.

Whether you’ve travelled on the Black Oxford bus, already own a copy of the book, or are simply curious about the stories, you are welcome to join Pamela at the Weston Library.

How did these stories get found?

Pamela has spent more than a decade researching, documenting and sharing the untold stories of Black people connected to Oxford.

In this special talk, she will take you behind the scenes of the research and reveal how a single book developed into something much bigger.

She’ll explore:

• Why Black Oxford needed to be written
• What the research uncovered
• The people and stories that surprised her
• Why updating the book became so important
• How Black Oxford developed into Black Oxford Untold Stories — a cultural platform for books, talks, exhibitions, film, theatre, guided experiences and creative responses

You’ll hear about the discoveries, the challenges and the journey behind the new edition, and why recovering these stories matters today.

This is your opportunity to hear directly from the author, discover more about the people featured in the book and ask your own questions.

Weston Library Author Talk

Time: 2:00pm
Location: Weston Library, Oxford
Admission: Free
Booking: to attend in person or book the livestream, please head to the Bodleian Libraries website here.

Please note: The Weston Library author talk is a separate event. Attendance is free and does not require a book purchase or bus ticket.

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