“Her eyes betrayed no shock at the sights of the quay as they unfolded – not the sweating deckhands, the prostitutes crowding the ship, the hubbub of stalls, including one where three slaves were for sale, their ankles manacled. She might as well have been walking through a country garden as she moved inexorably away from the water.”

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.