Have You Seen The Bust Of Alfred Fagon?

Do you know who Alfred Fagon was?

The bust of Alfred Fagon is the only statue in memory of a Black person in Bristol. In a leafy corner between Grosvenor Road and Ashley Road in St Paul’s, the bust quietly pays tribute to an important cultural figure who lived in the the area in the 60s and 70s.

Born in Jamaica in 1937, Alfred migrated to England in the fifties, where he worked for British Rail. He become the Middleweight Boxing Champion in 1962 during a stint in the army.

Following this, he lived in Bristol, where he began to work as an actor. His very first stage appearance was at Bristol Arts Centre – now known as The Cube. He worked in TV, film, radio and theatre.

Alfred went on to become a British playwright, poet and actor. He wrote and produced plays across the country, including London.

His written work included11 Josephine House (1972), The Death of a Black Man (1975), Four Hundred Pounds (1982) and Lonely Cowboy (1985).

The bust of Alfred Fagon in St Paul’s

Fagon’s life was cut tragically short in 1986. He died of a heart attack at the age of 49 outside of his flat in Camberwell. The Metropolitan Police claimed they were unable to identify him so he was given a pauper’s funeral with no grave and without notifying anyone. This was despite the fact he had an agent, family, a BBC script on his person and identification in his home.

The following year the bust – which was created by Zimbabwean David G Mutasa – was unveiled in a ceremony. It was subsequently given listed status in 2022 making it a Grade II-listed monument.

Alfred Fagon’s name continues to live on in revival productions of his work. There is also the Alfred Fagon Award.

The annual award – which is now a registered charity – is a leading prize scheme for the best new play by a Black British playwright of Caribbean or African descent living in the UK.

It was founded by Yvonne Brewster OBE, Oscar James, Roland Rees and Sheelagh Killeen Rees and Paul Stephenson OBE.

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