Local history in fiction: London E1 and Haque – reviews

London E1: A fertile ground for storytellers

Spitalfields is a fertile ground for story-tellers in London. Stories seem to abound as its residents learn to live side by side with different cultures. But it is not often you see Cockney history remembered, although the anonymous blog Spitalfields Life has done its bit to represent the white working class side of an area repeatedly described as a melting pot.

New London Editions has just republished a novella by a Stepney son, Robert Poole. The author drew on his experiences growing up in East London to tell the story of a working class boy, Jimmy, who falls for a mixed-race girl.

Unfortunately, as Rachel Lichtenstein writes in her introduction, Poole’s story doesn’t have much literary merit, despite its occasional charm. Anthony Burgess’s review of its first imprint declared the narrative as a moral novel to be “probation officer stuff”.

But at the same time, Burgess admired the “authentic aromatic Stepney” that the author portrays. Poole’s scene-setting is simple and effortless – ships coming into Millwall, rotten fruit lying out in Spitalfields Market, a skirt factory on Hanbury Street – and the novel pays attention to the sense of the place. The hoppy whiff of the Truman brewery, the unfamiliar spices of the new curry cafés, and the smoke and dust of blitzed buildings are all noted, powerful memories that bring the narrative to life.

For anyone interested in local history, London E1 is an immersive experience, and an interesting stepping stone between Dickensian London and Monica Ali’s era.

Also out this month is an anthology of local writing. Haque is written and edited by a local writers’ group. The collection is diverse, and certain pieces such as Liz Barnes’ short story are outstanding. But surely the advantage of working in a group is to benefit from other writers’ opinions? While the collection has been neatly proofed, some of the work was confusing or unfocused. I hope the next anthology makes the most of its collective resource.

London E1
Robert Poole; introduction by Rachel Lichtenstein
New London Editions
978-1907869624

Haque: the Hackney and East London writer’s group magazine
Issue 1 (January 2013)
Edited by Mike Harth