How a Spitalfields blog became bigger than Keanu Reeves

Dear Londoners — For years now, I've been utterly fascinated by the work of The Gentle Author, the semi-anonymous author behind the blog Spitalfields Life. The site is a paean to the East End, but more than that, it's an incredibly human document of what it is to live in the city, of the people and places that we pass by every day without knowing their stories. There's nothing quite like it: the people he profiles come from every possible background and profession, including hundred-year-old market traders, paper bag sellers, poets and publicans. And, on top of that, it's published every single day, without fail (including Christmas), and has been since 2009.

In fact, The Gentle Author was one of the first people I got in touch with when I started at The Londoner, mostly to beg him to let me interview him. After going on one of his excellent tours of the East End (which he began as an antidote to the Ripper tours drifting past his cottage every evening), I finally convinced him to let me ask him about his life, work and the assassin whose story he never told. Read it below.

Elsewhere, catch-up with art-world headlines, find our top culture picks for May and stuff yourself full of our usual recommendations.

Your culture briefing

🎭 How do you get more eyes from the big smoke on regional theatre productions? That’s the question that’s been haunting Justin Martin, the director of the Olivier Award winning Prima Facie starring Jodie Comer. Martin’s argument, covered in the Stage this week, is that shows from around the country should be filmed and shown in London cinemas. On one level, it seems like an obvious win-win: extra eyes on the stage and money for cinemas — and larger theatres like the National Theatre already employ the tactic to much success. In fact, Prima Facie was the most watched National Theatre Live performance to date. The question is: Could the same method work for their less well-known colleagues?

🪧 On the subject of theatre, a summer of West End glamour could be under threat by strike action. At the latest annual conference for Equity over the weekend, the trade union for actors, it was abuzz with news of an indicative ballot for strike action being taken by its members over stagnating pay. Pay at West End productions is negotiated centrally between Equity and SOLT (the Society of London Theatres) which represents employers. But with those negotiations for this year at a standstill after six months of talks, the upcoming strike ballot could see actors refusing to work any Saturdays or any overtime until a better pay deal is offered. Expect more news on Monday when the results of the ballot come in.

🎨 The Undercroft, the beloved riverside skatepark nestled under the Southbank Centre, has long been the backdrop to every broadcast news story about youth culture. Now, it’s celebrating its 50th anniversary with an exhibition of films about the space’s history, music, photography and, of course, skateboards. The Standard did a write-up of it all here.

Quick hits: Pioneering female photographer Julia Margaret Cameron has been given a permanent blue plaque, how Banksy put up his new statue in Waterloo Place (already a massive tourist destination, judging from when I've walked past); 87-year-old poet, photographer and filmmaker Gozo Yoshimasu has won the inaugural Serpentine x Flag Art Foundation Prize.

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From east London curiosity to global obsession: The story of Spitalfields Life

Illustration: Adam Dant/The Gentle Author

You might not have met The Gentle Author in person, but there’s a good chance you’ll know his work. As the mysterious figure behind the fantastic Spitalfields Life blog, he’s been writing about the East End in all of its glory every day since 2009. Along the way, he has become the area’s scribe, historian and fiercest defender — not to mention the city’s best tour guide.

As well as helping found the East End Trades Guild and the East End Preservation Society, he’s led community campaigns to stop the destruction of local pubs, ancient mulberry trees and bell foundries. Recently, I sat down with him to find out more about what inspired him to embark on this labour of love, how he made it in America and why London declinism really began in the 16th century.