Gloucester Crescent

Shortlisted for the 2019 PEN Ackerley PrizeGloucester Crescent is a curving, leafy street, tucked between Camden Town and Primrose Hill. It's unremarkable in many ways, unless you notice the lady in the van, and the familiar-looking residents crossing the road ... This is the story of the Miller family and their circle of brilliant, idealistic and intellectual friends in London in the 60s, 70s and 80s. We follow William through the ups and downs of childhood, as he explores the homes of his famous neighbours, attends dramatic rehearsals with his dad Jonathan Miller, gets drugs and advice from the philosopher A. J. Ayer's wife, and tries to watch the moon landing with Alan Bennett and a room full of writers. Hilarious, and at times heart-breaking, this is also about how we grow up and move on - and what happens when we come back. Not only a picture of an extraordinary time in Britain's cultural history - and a hitherto unseen portrait of some of the brightest minds of a generation - this book tells the funny, tender and moving story of a young boy trying to carve out his own identity.