Tales of Two Londons

A capital city of historic buildings next to degraded social housing. A city of the enormously wealthy living beside the poorest and dispossessed. A city in which the burnt-out hulk of Grenfell Tower, standing in London’s richest borough, is a shocking landmark to the potentially fatal consequences of our society’s inequalities. A city in which nearly 40 per cent of the population was born outside of the country. A city with stories to tell, but whose citizens’ stories don’t often seem to come from the same place.

Tales of Two Londons reasons that everybody has a right to seek a better life, no matter where they live. Curated by Claire Armitstead, this contradiction is illuminated in a collection written by as diverse a group of people as the metropolis it records. Here, work from the famous sits alongside the previously unpublished in fiction, reportage and poetry to capture the nuances, accents and schisms that define this contemporary city.

Featuring writers such as Ali Smith, Iain Sinclair, Arifa Akbar and Ruth Padel, and stories from previously unpublished writers, immigrants and refugees, Tales of Two Londons is a compelling collection which captures the constantly evolving fabric and etiquette of the city: its housing, its restaurants and its pubs; its communities, its architecture and its landscape; its art, its buses and tubes, and even its graveyards.

About the Author

Claire Armitstead is Associate Editor, Culture, for the Guardian. Over a 25-year career with the paper she has been arts editor, literary editor and head of books. She presents the weekly Guardian books podcast and is a regular speaker at live events in the UK and internationally. She is also a trustee of the freedom of speech charity English PEN.