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Reading the City: A City in Short Fiction
The Book of Birmingham: A City in Short Fiction
Birmingham is a writer’s city with a long tradition of distinctive literary subcultures. Long-established novelists such as David Lodge and Jim Crace have spent most of their writing lives there, and the city continues to support and inspire a new generation of voices.
Bringing together fiction from some of the city’s most talented writers, The Book of Birmingham showcases and celebrates original and unusual writing, in all its forms.
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.
Bringing together fiction from some of the city’s most talented writers, The Book of Birmingham showcases and celebrates original and unusual writing, in all its forms.
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.
144 pages, Paperback
First published September 27, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 9, 2018
I'm in this, and went to the launch tonight. Excellent evening. Looking forward to reading the other stories from fellow Brummies.
OK 5 stars, I'm biased, but you will find great stories here that illuminate life in Birmingham (UK) at key moments in its history: the visit of Malcolm X in the late sixties, and the 'Rivers of blood' anti-immigrant speech by Enoch Powell. Two stories here reflect on that time and what it felt like to be a newcomer from ex commonwealth countries living here amongst hostility (not universal, in fact there is much about the kindness of Brummies to offset, and one is about interracial marriage). Later set stories recount difficulties for second and third generation immigrants during the riots (called 'uprisings' by the editor Kavita Bhanot) of 1985 and 2005. A couple (including mine) look at life for white working class during the ravages of Thatcherism, or student life in Selly Oak, and the last wonderful piece is an account of a day in the life of the Birmingham Surrealists of the 1950s.
OK 5 stars, I'm biased, but you will find great stories here that illuminate life in Birmingham (UK) at key moments in its history: the visit of Malcolm X in the late sixties, and the 'Rivers of blood' anti-immigrant speech by Enoch Powell. Two stories here reflect on that time and what it felt like to be a newcomer from ex commonwealth countries living here amongst hostility (not universal, in fact there is much about the kindness of Brummies to offset, and one is about interracial marriage). Later set stories recount difficulties for second and third generation immigrants during the riots (called 'uprisings' by the editor Kavita Bhanot) of 1985 and 2005. A couple (including mine) look at life for white working class during the ravages of Thatcherism, or student life in Selly Oak, and the last wonderful piece is an account of a day in the life of the Birmingham Surrealists of the 1950s.
October 13, 2018
It feels wrong to review a book to which I contributed. But as a lover of short stories and a Birmingham resident I want to write about this anthology.
First - and most important - I enjoyed it. It's a relatively slim volume. There are just ten pieces of fiction here when hundreds of stories could be written about the city. It's like being seated at one long table where all the fictions can talk to each other.
What struck me most is the way in which fiction can illuminate new aspects of a place that we thought we knew. Kavita Bhanot has picked stories which show just how many different communities live side by side in this city. People may fail to know one another. The streets may be unpredictable, even hostile. Love and desire drive characters to make new connections. Yet in doing so, they make themselves vulnerable.
I found myself immediately drawn to the work of female contributors. In Sharon Duggal's 'Seep', the teenager Bina finds herself drawn to Suresh, the new lodger in her father's house. It's a beautifully observed story about personal and political awakening. I also admired Jendella Benson's 'Kindling'. Again the heroine, Lauren, is a teenager, doing her growing up at a time and place where suspicions and rumours abound. It's a poignant understated piece which leaves us in no doubt, that it is going to be very hard indeed for her and Zee - who's Asian - to be together.
Melancholy and hope are also finely balanced in Alan Beard's 'Taking Doreen Out Of The Sky'. I admired the late Joel Lane's fantastic dystopian story, 'Blind Circles' about dogs and right-wing extremism.
These last two pieces were by writers whose work I already knew. But there is also the pleasure of encountering new authors. In 'A Game of Chess' Malachi McIntosh writes with a deceptively light touch, evoking journeys round the city which ultimately lead his hero to face a buried past.
It took a few years for 'The Book of Birmingham' to emerge. But it was worth the wait.
First - and most important - I enjoyed it. It's a relatively slim volume. There are just ten pieces of fiction here when hundreds of stories could be written about the city. It's like being seated at one long table where all the fictions can talk to each other.
What struck me most is the way in which fiction can illuminate new aspects of a place that we thought we knew. Kavita Bhanot has picked stories which show just how many different communities live side by side in this city. People may fail to know one another. The streets may be unpredictable, even hostile. Love and desire drive characters to make new connections. Yet in doing so, they make themselves vulnerable.
I found myself immediately drawn to the work of female contributors. In Sharon Duggal's 'Seep', the teenager Bina finds herself drawn to Suresh, the new lodger in her father's house. It's a beautifully observed story about personal and political awakening. I also admired Jendella Benson's 'Kindling'. Again the heroine, Lauren, is a teenager, doing her growing up at a time and place where suspicions and rumours abound. It's a poignant understated piece which leaves us in no doubt, that it is going to be very hard indeed for her and Zee - who's Asian - to be together.
Melancholy and hope are also finely balanced in Alan Beard's 'Taking Doreen Out Of The Sky'. I admired the late Joel Lane's fantastic dystopian story, 'Blind Circles' about dogs and right-wing extremism.
These last two pieces were by writers whose work I already knew. But there is also the pleasure of encountering new authors. In 'A Game of Chess' Malachi McIntosh writes with a deceptively light touch, evoking journeys round the city which ultimately lead his hero to face a buried past.
It took a few years for 'The Book of Birmingham' to emerge. But it was worth the wait.
December 10, 2018
Check out my review here: http://www.rewritelondon.com/portfoli...
October 16, 2025
A lovely short story collection about the city I have come to call home. 'Necessary Bandages' by C.D. Rose is the best-written, in my opinion; other standouts include Kit de Waal's 'Exterior Paint', 'A Game of Chess' by Malachi McIntosh, and 'The Call' by Sibyl Ruth. Huge thanks to the Birmingham Resistance Library for lending me a copy of this book!
March 9, 2023
I was obsessed when I found out that there was a collection of short fiction set in my city! This collection covers a wide range of different cities and I am looking forward to seeking some others out when I spot those I've visited.
That said, some of the stories were a bit of a miss for me. That's always the case with a collection, I guess. There were stories in here about immigrant communities which were really interesting and enlightening- I learnt about tensions within my city which I was not even aware of.
The best part for me was the forward- it contained a brief history of Birmingham which you don't see a lot of, capturing the industrial past and waves of immigration. I loved reading about the changes I had seen in the city in the ten years I've been here reflected back onto the page.
That said, some of the stories were a bit of a miss for me. That's always the case with a collection, I guess. There were stories in here about immigrant communities which were really interesting and enlightening- I learnt about tensions within my city which I was not even aware of.
The best part for me was the forward- it contained a brief history of Birmingham which you don't see a lot of, capturing the industrial past and waves of immigration. I loved reading about the changes I had seen in the city in the ten years I've been here reflected back onto the page.
May 16, 2020
"Blind Circles" (Joel Lane) is my favourite. I liked "A game of chess" (Malachi McIntosh) too, though I'm puzzled by the game itself. And "Taking Doreen out of the sky" (Alan Beard) was good. "Amir Aziz" (Bobby Nayyar) has a neat ending. Some of the other pieces seemed too keen to include historical events and period detail. An attempt is made to channel the action through a character to bring the history to life. It doesn't always work, as some of the inconsequential endings show.
More details are on http://litrefsreviews.blogspot.com/20...
More details are on http://litrefsreviews.blogspot.com/20...
February 18, 2023
beloved Birmingham
This captivating collection was a joy to read, full of places familiar to real and adopted Brummies. I loved it
This captivating collection was a joy to read, full of places familiar to real and adopted Brummies. I loved it
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February 10, 2023A collection of stories about Birmingham - some more memorable than others, interesting to learn of Malcom X’ visits and the Handsworth riots. A book to dip back into from time to time.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews