This is a collection of stories on the theme of “Hidden London”, uncovering little-known aspects of a diverse city — featuring six stories by previously unpublished Londoners, together with work by prominent London authors Diran Adebayo, Nicola Barker, Romesh Gunesekera, Hanif Kureishi, Sarah Hall, Andrea Levy, Patrick Neate and Alex Wheatle. Each of these fourteen stories expresses a different mood and aspect of the city. Paul T. Owen’s story begins after a Harlesden shooting. He takes us through alleyways, barbershops and seedy pubs in search of clues. Humane characters give this grim tale a note of hope. Saeed Taji Farouky leads us into the stale multiplexes and greasy kitchens where illegal migrants earn a crust, outlining the moral dilemmas they face. Shereen Pandit exposes the tensions underlying multicultural London in the space of a bus journey. Hanif Kureishi offers a run-in between a son and his dead father. Nicola Barker describes a 3-way showdown in a chemist’s. Andrea Levy depicts a woman’s conflicted desire to help a homeless refugee. Diran Adebayo describes a first date in central London, taking swipes aloing the way at trendies, C-list celebs and Shoreditch bohemians. Sarah Hall’s lyrical tale of a woman seeking exile from her past reveals London as a place of refuge, convalescence and transformation. A mixed but interesting collection with some good material. (199 pages)
Level: C-A