Purim in Hackney, Neil Martinson, book review: ‘Rare insight into humour of orthodox communities’
This 25-photo collection is ‘delightful’
Books
Encounters with James Baldwin: Celebrating 100 Years – review
‘The place in which I’ll fit will not exist until I make it’
A History of the East End, Chris Dorley Brown, book review: ‘Stands out from the crowd’
Dorley Brown’s photographs show East London in ‘all its beauty and grime’
Child Migrant Voices in Modern Britain, Eithne Nightingale, book review: ‘Unique perspectives on how we live’
Nightingale’s sensitive collection of people’s stories is ‘remarkable for its sheer diversity’
Coming Unstuck, Joe Cullen, book review: ‘An object lesson in how to get out of a rut’
The first prose book by the man known as the Bard of Dalston is a ‘very personal foray into the undergrowth of Cool Britannia’
One Girl Began, Kate Murray-Browne, book review: ‘These women’s lives are all heroic in a small way’
The local author’s new novel explores the lives of three women at different junctures in Hackney’s history
One Last Song, Nathan Evans, book review: ‘A delicately oblique love story’
This debut novel by an accomplished poet and performer will have you ‘giggling while reaching for the tissues’
Hackney Scars, Eddie Plex, book review: ‘Local spirit of anarchic quirk’
Photographer and multimedia artist Plex offers up a ‘very personal interpretation’ of the borough
The Disappearance Boy, Neil Bartlett, book review: ‘Utterly compelling’
Bartlett’s tale of illusion and love ‘keeps the reader thoroughly engrossed’
‘Makes me so angry’: Hackney author Dr Chris van Tulleken lifts lid on ultra-processed foods in bestselling book
‘Ultra-Processed People’ rejects weight-shaming and instead offers the reader power through knowledge
‘We used to understand the beauty of something being made by hand’: Jeweller Theo Fennell on the East End, his burgeoning writing career, and how big brands are sucking the joy out of his craft
The ‘king of bling’ speaks to the Citizen as he works on a follow-up to his acclaimed autobiography
‘So very proud’: Retired Hackney teacher helps Ghanaian primary school students become published authors
Juliet Coley Bremmer supported the pupils at Deacons Academy in Accra throughout the pandemic
‘My mum thought I’d be sent to jail’: Hackney author’s new memoir chronicles decades-long career in publishing – from controversial cult hits to phenomena like Harry Potter
Richard Charkin’s ‘My Back Pages’ is winning rave reviews for its detailed unpicking of the industry’s evolution over the past 50 years
Tales of the Suburbs, Justin David, book review: ‘Vivid storytelling full of sharp detail’
This novel ‘paints a picture of a journey away and back that many readers will recognise’
‘It’s all down to the friendliness of the authors’: One-man Hackney publishing house built on a personal touch gets ready to celebrate five-year anniversary
Industry veteran Richard Charkin has found success with a light-footed approach to a notoriously competitive business
‘How to bring to life a totally unknown cook?’
Our resident food historian dips into author Vicky Hayward’s ‘brilliant’ revival of an 18th-century friar and his recipes