St Giles-in-the-Fields: History of a London Parish presents a new history of the district at the very centre of London – a place that many people don’t even know exists. The history of St Giles has rarely been glamorous, but it is packed with the stories of lives touched by many of the most momentous events in British history. It is the story of a village that was swallowed up by the metropolis, a place which became home to noblewomen, authors, painters, politicians and poets, then sank to become the most notorious slum in the city, before being revitalised as a hub for music, fashion and high-tech industries.
The publication is the culmination of a community history project led by the parish church. At the outset we did not have a clear idea what the ultimate product of this process would be, but after exploring a range of different avenues, we struck upon Self-Publishing Partnership, after they were recommended by another local historian who had recently published with them. From the outset our experience of working with the SPP team was straightforward and unfussy. Costings were set out clearly and the areas for flexibility were highlighted clearly.
The pandemic and subsequent challenges accessing archives and photo libraries meant the project took longer to come to fruition than we had originally planned, but the SPP team were unfailingly patient and responsive, despite several “false starts”. Once we had a final text, the process leading up to publication was smooth and well-communicated. They set clear expectations of what was required from us and when they would hit the various milestones on the way to printing. The book was delivered on schedule and on budget.
The finished product has exceeded our expectations – the setting and printing are highly professional and the book has a great look and feel. It is a product worthy of all the effort that went into researching and writing it and has been really well received.
Wil James, Lay Minister, St. Giles-in-the-Fields
Read more about St Giles-in-the-Fields: History of a London Parish here
