Melanin Vybz, the social meet-up group for LGBTQ+ Black people 50+ are proud to celebrate the achievement of one of our valued members with the launch of his latest novel, The Librarian’s Love Life, at the fitting East London bookshop, Common Press.
Martin Patrick Black, British, Gay, and over fifty. He graduated from a Visual Arts & Theatre Studies degree and wrote his 1987 debut play Where To Now about the life of a Black Gay man and the family he builds, is the first Black gay play produced on the London stage. It was revived in 2025 by Unfinished Histories. The lead character, portrayed by award winning actor Cyril Nri, is now in the Hackney Archives. From 1988 – 1992 he wrote four other plays, Jubilee, Give It Up Mum and Romance and Treason. In 1993-1994 he turned his Gay Vignette short stories into a spoken word with dance and music theatre pieces and toured it in Europe culminating at Euro-Pride 1994. After 25 years teaching university students drama and film studies, Martin now writes novels. His British debut novel Love Both Ways was long-listed for the Polari Prize of 2017. His last four romance novels including the 2025 publication, The Torment of Desire are available online and in bookshops worldwide. Martin lives in London and he’s currently editing his next novel.