The Lowlife

I was lucky enough to pick up and read Alexander Baron's The Lowlife close to a year ago. It's hard to emphasize enough just how much of a definitive Hackney classic it is. Among lost and forgotten London writers, Baron stands among the most intriguing. Many of Alexander Baron's titles had been out of print for years, but have now recently been republished by Five Leaves Publications. Baron's writings about Jewish and working-class East London life, both pre and post-war, are deep-rooted throughout so much of his work. Now his novels are thankfully being rediscovered by all new audiences. 

Perhaps more than anything, Baron's own personal experiences as a soldier in Sicily and Normandy during the Second World War left the deepest imprint, which resulted in his series of inter-related war novels such as From the City, From the Plough, There's No Home, and The Human Kind. I'm still just starting to explore other works from his collective oeuvre, but when I found myself in London for a brief visit towards the end of last year I was able search out more and dig a bit deeper.