Dialogue Books signs Derek A Bardowell’s tribute to dancehall culture
Dialogue Books has acquired Derek A Bardowell’s “comprehensive guide to the people, places and politics that shaped dancehall,” Fire Inna Dancehall.
Sharmaine Lovegrove acquired exclusive English language UK, Commonwealth and Europe rights from Oli Munson at A M Heath. Assistant editor Adriano Noble will lead on publication, which is scheduled for 27th August 2026.
Fire Inna Dancehall “traces the collision of sound, style and struggle that created one of the most influential cultural movements of the past half-century,” the publisher says. “From inner-city Kingston to the council estates of London, the block parties of New York and the underground scenes of Panama and Puerto Rico, Derek A Bardowell charts the rise, triumphs, controversies and tragedies of a space where joy and resistance share the same rhythm.
“Blending in-depth social history and journalistic insight with the movement’s revolutionary spirit, Bardowell explores how the pulse of dancehall speaks to migration, masculinity, faith, freedom and the ongoing fight for self-determination, to reveal how a sound became a global language of liberation.”
Bardowell is the author of No Win Race (Mudlark) and Giving Back (Dialogue Books). His work has been longlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year and shortlisted for an Indie Book Award. He has contributed to the anthology Black British Lives Matter (Faber & Faber) and has written for publications including the Guardian, Sunday Times, The Source and British GQ.
He said: “Fire Inna Dancehall is an unapologetic homage to the beauty and brutal origin story of dancehall music and culture. This book emerged from my love of this sound, my Jamaican heritage, and the many years I covered its leading artists as a journalist. Dancehall is enigmatic, misunderstood and underappreciated, yet it has helped shape modern pop, reimagined music, and been catalytic in giving voice to oppressed people globally. It’s a revolutionary movement that not enough people know about.”
Noble said: “It’s a joy to work with Derek on this truly ambitious project. He has taken a prismatic view on dancehall, handling each facet with such care, acuity and passion. This is a deeply considered analysis of a world often scrutinised without understanding or nuance, and Derek has done a phenomenal job of diving deep into the history, present and future of dancehall while holding the door open for those only just discovering the genre.”
