The Housing Lark
The Housing Lark by Sam Selvon is a reprint edition published by Penguin on January 14, 2020, featuring 160 pages in English. This novel humorously yet poignantly captures the experiences of West Indian migrants in London during the 1960s, a time when the UK welcomed Commonwealth citizens to address post-war labor shortages. The story follows a group of friends navigating the challenges of a difficult rental market as they attempt to buy a home together, blending comedic elements with serious themes of race and identity.
Readers will find a rich exploration of the Caribbean migrant experience, as the characters—hailing from Trinidad and Jamaica—grapple with the realities of emigration and the quest for upward mobility. The narrative presents a unique mix of humor and seriousness, reflecting on the aspirations and struggles of these diverse individuals. With contributions from Caryl Phillips in the foreword and a contextual introduction by Dohra Ahmad, this edition offers insights into the historical and social backdrop of the characters’ journey.
Official synopsis Publisher
The humorous yet poignant novel of West Indian migrant life in London that adds an iconic voice to the growing Caribbean canon
A Penguin Classic
Set in London in the 1960’s, when the UK encouraged its Commonwealth citizens to emigrate as a result of the post-war labor shortage, The Housing Lark explores the Caribbean migrant experience in the “Mother Country” by following a group of friends as they attempt to buy a home together. Despite encountering a racist and predatory rental market, the friends scheme, often comically, to find a literal and figurative place of their own. Will these motley folks, male and female, Black and Indian, from Trinidad and Jamaica, dreamers, hustlers, and artists, be able to achieve this milestone of upward mobility? Unique and wonderful, comic and serious, cynical and tenderhearted, The Housing Lark poses the question of whether their “lark,” or quixotic idea of finding a home, can ever become a reality. Kittitian-British novelist and playwright Caryl Phillips contributes a foreword, while postcolonial literature scholar Dohra Ahmad provides a contextual introduction.
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