Literature: London lives: four novels by Linda Grant

As a multi-cultural, ever-changing city, London gains much of its energy and creative novelty from the successive waves of immigrants and incomers who have made it their home. In this course we will be reading and discussing four novels by Linda Grant that consider their experiences: The Clothes on Their Backs, We Had It So Good, The Dark Circle and A Stranger City. In her writing, Grant examines the particular experience of those who make a choice to live in the capital city: from Jewish refugees, through Commonwealth and EU migrants, to those who relocate from the suburbs or other cities. An ‘incomer’ herself, her writing observes the experience of lives where identities shift and are remade to fit the shifting cityscape. Through friendly and accessible discussions of the novels, we will learn more about these stories and their characters, set against the social and political backgrounds of the respective periods. While you will get the most from the course by reading the books in their entirety, short extracts for discussion will be downloadable from Canvas, where links to further reading will also be provided for those who wish to extend their learning.