Invisible Ink: A Family Memoir, Martha Leigh, book review: ‘Part love story, part history, part meditation’
The Hackney GP’s journey into the lives of her parents ‘probes with admirable delicacy some of the most pressing questions of our era’
Books
Two Hackney residents among winners of the London Writers Awards 2021
Carla Montemayor and Elizabeth Chan chosen for ten-month development course designed to improve diversity in publishing
Plight of local music venues brought into focus for charity photography book
Alex Amorós spent the November lockdown capturing the borough’s beloved stomping grounds, some of which are in a fight for survival
Homecoming, Luan Goldie, book review: ‘A subtle and engrossing story’
The Stoke Newington-based author explores, in ‘lyrical prose’, the ‘tangle of contemporary identity’
Precious You, Helen Monks Takhar, book review: ‘A great lockdown read to gobble up and ponder’
The Stoke Newington author’s first novel is a ‘gloriously dark parable of envy between generations’
The Little History of the East End, Dee Gordon, book review: ‘Ambitious and very readable’
The local writer packs six millennia into fewer than 200 pages filled with ‘fascinating detail and lively prose’
Young Hackney author turns her mental health battles into ‘guide for others’
Yolanda Lear aiming to publish book next month, and has also teamed up with a local youth project to ‘share what she has learned’ through workshops
100 Great Black Britons, Patrick Vernon and Angelina Osborne, book review: ‘Inspiring and highly entertaining’
This 400-page volume, based on a 16-year campaign to see eminent Black figures officially recognised, is a ‘valuable historical resource’
In Your Face, Paul Trevor, book review: ‘Up close and personal’
Naturalistic photographs alternating between Brick Lane and the City from the late ‘70s to the early ‘90s, this collection leaves the viewer ‘engrossed in detail’
Local artist celebrates life of ‘fearless’ journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in new children’s book
Hackney-based Gattaldo hopes to inspire youngsters with the story of his late friend, who was assassinated in 2017 after reporting on corruption in their home country of Malta
The Address Book, Deirdre Mask, book review: ‘Timely and fascinating volume’
The local author’s exploration of the meanings behind our street addresses is a ‘must-read’ for anyone who cares about place
‘Life is way more fun when you’re clean’: Local author Michele Kirsch on her prize-winning memoir about addiction
The Citizen spoke to Kirsch after she was awarded the prestigious Christopher Bland Prize for her ‘beautifully crafted’ book
The 392, Ashley Hickson-Lovence, book review: ‘Clever debut that makes you think anew about London’
The Hackney-born author’s novel is set over just 36 minutes on a bus journey, and has ‘plenty to say’ on race, class, gentrification and more
One Saturday in 82 on Broadway Market, Stuart Goodman, book review: ‘Every photo is worth a second look – and then a third’
The street has made headlines for the wrong reasons during lockdown, so what better time to remember its history through this ‘charming’ snapshot?
Londonia, Kate A. Hardy, book review: ‘Boisterous humour and quirky invention’
If you think coronavirus feels like an alternate reality, sink into this ‘delicious’ post-apocalyptic thriller set in Hackney
East End Canal Tales, Carolyn Clark, book review: ‘Rare glimpse of a bygone world’
Dozens of photos and snippets from horse-drivers, lock keepers and others feature in this social history of East London’s major waterways