London Classics: Rediscovering Lost London Novels

John King in conversation with Martin Knight - Both authors in their own right, John and Martin are on a mission to bring back into print a forgotten / marginalised tradition of London fiction. An imprint of their London Books independent, the London Classics series focuses on the working-class culture of the capital, social-realist works that are both vibrant and honest. Starting with “Night And The City” by Gerald Kersh and “The Gilt Kid” by James Curtis, they have released fourteen London Classics to date.Each book is reset rather than copied, released in hardback not paperback, comes with a stylish cover and an introduction by a contemporary author such as Iain Sinclair, Jonathan Meades or Cathi Unsworth. John and Martin will be talking about the maverick authors of these novels as well as the books themselves, their adventures along the way, the people they have met and the stories they have heard, touching on the changing nature of London and the conformism of mainstream publishing. Against the odds, London Books has established itself as a much-loved, highly-respected independent that flies the flag for free-thinking literature. The London Classics are the jewels in its crown.Martin Knight is an author who has partnered footballers George Best, Peter Osgood, Charlie Cooke, Dave Mackay and the Bay City Rollers on their autobiographies. He co-authored Nefarious with Ronnie. He’s also the author of several novels, the latest of which is “Justice Killer”. It’s a book that prompted Irvine Welsh to write, “This gritty novel has a true-crime feel and a big heart beating all the way through it. Highly recommended.”John King is the author of ten novels, of which “The Football Factory” is probably his best-known. He has also published three novellas and a collection of short stories.