The Book of Birmingham (Reading the City)

Author(s): Kavita Bhanot (Editor)

Location(s): Birmingham

Genre(s): Short Stories

Era(s): Various

Few cities have undergone such a radical transformation over the last few decades as Birmingham. Culturally and architecturally, it has been in a state of perpetual flux and regeneration, with new communities moving in, then out, and iconic post-war landmarks making way for brighter-coloured, 21st century flourishes. Much like the city itself, the characters in the stories gathered here are often living through moments of profound change, closing in on a personal or societal turning point, that carries as much threat as it does promise.

Set against key moments of history from Malcolm X s visit to Smethwick in 1965, to the Handsworth riots two decades later, from the demise of the city s manufacturing in the 70s and 80s, to the on-going tensions between communities in recent years these stories celebrate the cultural dynamism that makes this complex, often divided second city far more than just the sum of its parts.

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