The Many Londons of Short Stories

Over time, London has meant different things to different people and writers capture that in their fiction. Some, like Dickens, set stories of character in smokey London where others, like Doyle, uncover truth in mysteries. Writers from two cultures, like Adiche and Naipaul, unearth the complexities in their English lives, while Greene, Spark, Rhys and Carter, capture the city’s fragmented life, its brilliance and its desolation. We’ll begin with Dickens’ 1838 THE LAMPLIGHTER then go to Mayhew’s 1871 THE LITTLE WATERCRESS GIRL and THE JEW OLD-CLOTHES MAN. Do read for style and point of view as well as content. Prompts will arrive on Fridays; written responses will be shared after 6pm on Sundays.