The London Dream: Migration and the Mythology of the City

by Chris McMillan

The London Dream tells the story of a city that promises opportunity, excitement and the possibility of prosperity. It is a mythology has launched millions of migrant journeys. No one benefits more from the flow of willed and willing workers than London’s employers. And still, they come. They come to a city propelled by a newly cool capitalism and hungry for workers to serve it. From actors to cleaners, academics to café workers, The London Dream explores the stories of Londoners chasing the dreams offered by the city and the economy within which their precarious hopes become profits.

360 pages, Paperback

Published August 30, 2020

Reviews

[Rianna]

35/55 books read in 2020.
Provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Full review to come soon.
In short: I really like this & I think it is a good read, especially for those who actually are thinking about moving to London. So far I'm thinking 4 stars.

[Siobhan]

The London Dream is a look at the mythology around London as a city and the dreams of success that people have for living there. McMillan looks at a range of jobs and dreams and the ways in which myths have been structured to bring people to London, to contribute to its economy and to its 'cool' status, and how these use certain versions of capitalism and precarious work. Various Londoners have been interviewed and their experiences sit alongside the analysis of the image of 'cool capitalism' and how the labour of precariously employed and badly paid people keeps the cool, creative image of London going.

This is an engrossing book, not because the symbiotic relationship between the 'cool' image of London, which comes with dreams of making it big, and the underpaid, not-officially-employed labour that is needed to make London this way is a revelation, but because McMillan lays out these ideas in a clear, interesting way and combines them with the real stories of people who believe London is their place to be, but have also had to deal with many of its downsides. What feels particularly important is the fact the book covers both the dreams of aspiring creative types trying to break into industries due to the opportunities in London and the dreams of people looking to do often service industry jobs to support themselves and their families, and both groups have 'migrated' to London in some way from somewhere else, on the hope of work and experiences. The history of London in these areas is charted at relevant points, but the book feels very focused on the present, a kind of warning about the labour and personal realities of the dream of the big city.

As someone who did move to London for a couple of years and found some of the content very relatable (I worked alongside aspiring and out-of-work actors in hospitality), The London Dream was particularly satisfying, as a kind of proof that the image of London isn't all it is cracked up to be. The book's specific focus on particular areas of labour, notably the gig economy and the creative industries, means that it leaves you wanting more of a look at other broader and more specific issues, to tear down the 'London dream' and leave behind a reality where things could be better for thousands of people living in the city.

[Francesco]

London is the place to be, the place where with a little fortune you can make it big. This is the idea that has soaked imaginations in millions of students or migrants in search of a better future. But the reality is much more complicated and it is made of precarious working conditions, zero-hour contracts, hard work and resilience. With a deep analysis, Chris McMillan demonstrates the intimate connection of the London dream with the brutal logic of capitalism that has at its core a great sense of inequality (accumulation of wealth on one side and misery on the other side). And London is not an exception, because, generally, the most attractive cities are also the most unequal.
London is a place where all migrants are welcome and this openness has made London an attractive hub for businesses and people willing to work above anything else. The City is hungry for new bodies and new dreamers, of people still believing that things can get better because London will provide them with opportunities unavailable elsewhere, of workers desperate to be exploited, even if their salary is well below the London Living Wage. The London dream is the narrative that has motivated Londoners and newcomers for centuries and helped them to justify their suffering. The story of London as the place to be has been continually revived, and even today there is a healthy supply of human material ready for exploitation by the city’s employers hoping for a better life.

[Nuha]

Thanks to John Hunt Publishing and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy!

Now available!

From gentle amusement to bewilderment, Chris McMillan's The London Dream explores what continues to draw so many wide eyed college graduates to the gloomy city streets. Tracing the precarious lives of "creatives" like museum workers, actors, writers and influencers through interviews, McMillan shows how London creates a "cool capitalism" that relies on a sea of talented, unemployed, and thirsty workers, Even more so, McMillan shows the policies and structures that allows cool capitalism to flourish and predate on those vulnerable dreamers. Most interestingly, he pulls the layers back on modern London to show the always hungry worker at the bottom rung, ready to do whatever it takes to make it up another ladder while those at the top watch on with bemusement. A chilling and eye opening read!

[Dora Okeyo]

Isn't it funny that The London Dream vividly captured what the Nairobi dream is...through the eyes of the workers, of those who are hanging by a thread of hope and like 'New York' the feeling of if you make it here then you can make it anywhere?
This book has just reminded me of a path I started pursuing but gave up on- the path of understanding and advocating for policies in cities, on housing and more so on minimum wages for casual laborers and a part of me truly thinks that I can still look into it.
Thanks Netgalley for the eARC.

[Suzanne Bhagan]

The London Dream was an interesting read for me, having been a previous resident of the city. It pulled the shiny veneer off the city of dreams, claiming that it is essentially still Victorian-era London today with its mass levels of inequality, exploitation, and surplus of labour for few choice jobs. Great read if you're a fan of nonfiction migration stories.

[Grace Cummings]

This is a brilliant book. It is full of fascinating histories and shows a completely different side of modern London. Funny at times too!