“A vision of the little house in Soho flickered across his mind’s eye, his mother at a desk, writing in her journal, with hazy sunlight streaming through the morning windows. The woman inhabited a world he had once thought his own – a world of publishers and reliable suppliers. A London that was confident and competent amid its grey, puddle-strewn streets.”

Sara Sheridan is a British journalist and author of the 1990s and 2000s. She is known for her sharp, witty essays on modern life, particularly in *The Guardian*, where she covered culture and society with a keen, often irreverent eye. Her work often blends social commentary with personal observation, offering a distinctive perspective on contemporary issues.