Fat of the Land
One-hundred and fifty years ago, a famous battle from a great war spilled blood on the fields behind my family’s home. Now, these long summer days, we chase away men wearing dark baseball caps and bulky headphones, metal detectors swaying wildly at their sides. Other days we crack off pistol-fire into the air and watch as they retreat to their little cars, great clouds of dust dispersing over the roads as they tear back to town.
By David Peak.
Streets Paved With Books
The term “Londonist” has become fashionable quite recently, so it is surprising to learn that it actually dates back to 1880. This is one of the numerous facts — some less well known than others — to be found in London Fictions, issued by Five Leaves this spring. Based in “the Royal Borough of Nottingham”, the radical publisher has long been interested in London. Casting its net wider than Adrift in Soho or London E1, this collection focuses on 26 titles which take the reader to many more places in London. Each piece is a critical essay which often serves as a reading companion to the chosen book, concluding with a short article about recent developments in the area in question.
Anna Aslanyan reviews the capital criticism anthology London Fictions.