Dr. Geoffrey Levett is a historian and Blue Badge guide to London who lives in Harringay, north London.

A freelance guide he is always interested researching new walks in London; when not walking London for profit he walks it for fun.

A convenor on the Institute of Historical Research’s Sport and Leisure seminar series, he has written on sport and culture in the twentieth century in the Britain and France, and the history of guiding in London. He is also the Secretary of the British Society of Sports Historians and co-host of the Sport in History podcast.

In the theatre he specialises in adapting works in French for the English stage.

If you’re interested in any aspect of my work please get in touch by email at geoffreylevett@me.com

Publications

‘A Certain Idea of ‘Le Sport Français’: Le Monument Frantz Reichel and the Struggle for the Soul of French Sport’, French History, 36:3 (2022), pp. 348-365

‘Eclipse of the Summerbok: Percy Sherwell, Paul Roos and the Competition for a National Game in South Africa’, in Bruce Murray, Richard Parry and Jonty Winch (eds.) Cricket and Society in South Africa: from Union to Isolation 1910-1971 (Palgrave, 2019)

‘Degenerate Days: Colonial Sports Tours and British Manliness, 1900-1910’, Sport in History, 38:1 (2018), pp. 46-74

‘The ‘White Man’s Game’? West Indian Cricket Tours of the 1900s’, International Journal of the History of Sport (2017)

Nine entries for the OUP Dictionary of Caribbean and Afro-Latin American Biography (2016) (Wes Hall, Fitz Hinds, Brian Lara, Clive Lloyd, Charles Olivierre, Viv Richards, Clyde Walcott, Everton Weekes, Frank Worrell)

‘Sport and the imperial city: Colonial tours in Edwardian London’, London Journal 35:1 (2010), pp. 39-57

‘Constructing imperial identity: The 1907 South African cricket tour of England’, in Empire & cricket: The South African experience 1884-1914 (UNISA Press, 2009), pp. 241-25

Selected recent conference papers & public lectures

Stranded in Essex: Putting the Geezer into Marivaux: Marivaux et la Scène Européenne, Florence, 2022

‘Should we resume relations with France?’: Rugby diplomacy and International Split of the 1930s: BSSH Conference, St Mary’s University, Twickenham, 2021

‘Jouez le Jeu!’ Rugby and the French Empire: Society for Study of French History Conference, University of Strathclyde, June 2017

The Chequered History of a Parisian Monument: Remembering Frantz Reichel, Athlete and Journalist: Society for Study of French History Conference, University of Chichester, July 2016

Opening up the world: The imperial experience’: Victoria & Albert Museum, January 2015

‘Gaelic Manhood’ versus ‘Anglican Athletics’: Two models of manliness in Edwardian Ireland. Sport History Ireland Conference, September 2014. St Patrick’s College, Dublin.

‘Englishmen who happen to reside in the West Indies’: Early West Indian cricket tours and imperial identity. Social History Society Conference, University of Northumbria, May 2014

Sport as Diplomacy: The 1907 South African Tour of England. Southern Africa: History, culture and society seminar series, University of London, March 2014

Following the ‘Urban Alchemist’: The tour guide and the history of London. Institute of Historical Research, Autumn 2012

‘Nègres contre Blancs’. North American Society of Sports Historians Conference, Berkeley, May 2012

Theatre

Vanya (2023) Written and directed for the Crouch End Players. You can read about it here.

A Misunderstanding (2023) Written and directed for the Crouch End Festival and produced by the Crouch End Players. You can read about it here.

The Lovers and Interview (2022) Written for the Crouch End Festival and produced by the Crouch End Players. You can read about it here.

No Exit (2021) Written for the Crouch End Players. You can read about it here.

A Soldier’s Song (2019) Written for the Crouch End Players. You can read about it and download the script here.

A Door (Should Be Open Or Shut) (2018) Written and directed for the Crouch End Festival and produced by the Crouch End Players. You can read about it and download the script here.

Corbyn Island (2017)  Written for the Crouch End Festival and produced by the Crouch End Players. You can read about it and download the script here.

Television

Heir Hunters (BBC, 2016)