Billy Waters is Dancing

Mary L. Shannon is a writer, broadcaster, and senior lecturer in English literature at the University of Roehampton, where her research focuses on nineteenth-century literature and culture. She is author of the award-winning Dickens, Reynolds and Mayhew on Wellington Street.

“A riveting tale of a flamboyant character, thoughtfully and vividly evoked. . . . The past is abundant with wonderful stories and remarkable lives that are waiting to be rediscovered.”—Alice Loxton, The Telegraph“In this thoughtful book Mary L. Shannon sets about unpicking Billy Waters’s rackety rise to proto-celebrity to see what it might tell us about life on the edge in the early years of the 19th century.”—Kathryn Hughes, Sunday Times“An uplifting twist to a tale of resilience and ingenuity by a poor, disabled, Black immigrant in the face of enormous challenges.”—Tony Montague, Songlines“Shannon . . . tells a fascinating, important story.”—John Baxter, Folk Music Journal“[An] exhaustively researched and compassionate biography.”—Robin Knight, Sea History2025 NYC Big Book Award winner in the History-World category“Dazzling! Read this book to discover the dramatic life and legacy of one indomitable man, among the delights and diversity of Regency London.”—Penelope J. Corfield, author of The Georgians“This book is a powerful illumination of the life of one of the most influential Black people in nineteenth-century popular culture, a vital story that fell through the cracks in the rejuvenation era of individualised Black British history.”—Bell Ribeiro-Addy, Member of Parliament for Streatham“Compassionately researched, Billy Waters is Dancing provides a thrilling example of how much we still must learn about our pasts. Shannon creates a brilliant roadmap for the future of history writing.”—Ayanna Thompson, author of Blackface“How to atone for the great imbalances of history writing and representation, asks Shannon? Her answer is simple: produce the most sumptuous, intelligent, enjoyable excavation possible, and render the marginal magnificent!”—Oskar Jensen, author of Vagabonds“Deeply researched and generously illustrated, Billy Waters is Dancing recovers a forgotten figure and opens a window onto London street-life and popular culture in the early nineteenth century.”—Michael Bundock, author of The Fortunes of Francis Barber