Reading the City

1 total work

The Book of Sheffield

by Margaret Drabble, Philip Hensher, Helen Mort, Gregory Norminton, Naomi Frisby, Tim Etchells, Geoff Nicholson, Desiree Reynolds, and Karl Riordan

Published 24 October 2019

Known for both its industrial roots and arboreal abundance, Sheffield has always been a city of two halves. From elegant parks and gardens to brutalist high-rise estates and the hinterland nightclubs of 'Centertainment', it is a city caught between the forges of the past and the melting pot of the present. Bringing together new short stories from some of the city's most celebrated writers, The Book of Sheffield traces the contours of this complex landscape from both sides of the economic dividing line. From the aspirations of young creatives, ultimately driven to leave, to the more immediate demands of refugees, scrap metal collectors, and student radicals, these stories offer ten different look-out points from which to gaze down on the ever-changing face of the 'Steel City'.