UK immigration 'fertilises literature' in London

June 03 2009 by Bryan Palmer

White Teeth, cultures clash in UK

Migrants who have moved to the UK and chosen London as their homes have made literature about the city much richer, writes Emma Duncan in a report for the London Evening Standard.

Many novelists basing their plots in the capital have found that telling the stories of immigrants living in the UK and arriving in the Big City is often far more interesting and evocative than telling the story of UK-born characters.

Books such as White Teeth by Zadie Smith and Brick Lane by Monica Ali have highlighted the stories of immigrants from the East settling in the UK and finding their feet in London communities. These books bring these stories of UK immigration to life and have been enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of UK citizens and immigrants.

Duncan argues that the influx of immigrants into the UK, and particularly the large communities of immigrants from India and Pakistan, has created a re-emergence of literature with stories based in London bringing to life the new arrivals’ experiences, the changing face of England’s capital and how UK citizens are dealing with increased UK immigration. Duncan’s article states, ‘London has never seen anything like it — either the immigration or the literary flowering.’

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