In Memory of Eric Huntley
- WAPPY
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Patron of WAPPY (Writing, Acting & Publishing Project for Youngsters)
It is with deep sorrow and immense gratitude that I share the passing of Eric Lindbergh Huntley, activist, publisher, educator, elder, and Patron of WAPPY.
Known affectionately to me as Uncle Eric (and often simply Dad), Eric Huntley was one
of the most formative influences in my life and in the life of WAPPY. Alongside his lifelong partner Jessica Huntley, who passed in 2013, he helped shape not only my development as a writer and cultural organiser, but also the values, purpose, and grounding of WAPPY itself.
Eric and Jessica were co-founders of Bogle L’Ouverture Publications, which grew from their family home on Coldershaw Road into the iconic radical Black bookshop and publishing house at Chignell Place. From that space, and long before it, they ensured that Black working-class histories, struggles, and intellectual traditions were documented, published, and made accessible to future generations.
WAPPY’s relationship with the Huntleys is deep and enduring.
Bogle L’Ouverture Publications published WAPPY’s first anthology, The Soul of a Child, in 2011, following four years of our participation in the Annual Huntley Archives Conferences and with funds donated via the London Metropolitan Archives. That publication marked a defining moment in WAPPY’s journey, affirming that the voices of young people mattered and deserved to be preserved in print.
Eric was not a distant patron. He showed up, consistently, and WAPPY continuously contributed to events revolving around the Huntleys.
He attended WAPPY showcases year after year, read the young people’s work closely, offered encouragement, and celebrated their growth. Right up to recent times, he remained connected, most recently taking photos with WAPPY performers at the Gunnersbury Park, 50th Anniversary of the BogleL'Ouverture Bookshop, event last November 2025
In Wonderful World of WAPPY, Uncle Eric reflected on the organisation’s roots and purpose, writing about the importance of “grounding”, the passing on of knowledge across generations, and the responsibility to nurture confidence, creativity, and political awareness in young people from working-class and marginalised backgrounds. His belief in collective storytelling and cultural confidence sits at the heart of WAPPY’s ethos.
"One of the greatest pleasures over the years has been to witness the growth in confidence and ability of students from a wide cross section of the community, showcasing their skills in writing and acting and eventually becoming published authors in their own right.”
Eric Huntley, Wonderful World of WAPPY, 2018
He understood that art, literacy, and publishing were not luxuries, they were tools of survival, resistance, and liberation. Together with Jessica, he modelled what it means to build institutions from love, discipline, and community need. We are indebted to him.
I last visited Eric in December 2025, sharing memories, laughter, and reflections on a lifetime of activism, publishing, and community building. That moment, like so many others, will remain close to my heart.
On behalf of WAPPY, I give thanks for Eric Huntley’s life, legacy, and unwavering support. His influence lives on in every young person who finds their voice through WAPPY, every story published, and every space where Black history and creativity are honoured with integrity.
A celebration of Eric Huntley’s life will be announced by his family in due course.
With love, respect, and gratitude,
Cllr Grace Quansah (Akuba)
Founder, WAPPY
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