The Lowlife (Faber Editions)

Set in a Hackney boarding house, The Lowlife follows Harryboy Boas, an independent Jewish bachelor who spends his days gambling, womanising, and philosophising while repressing his traumatic wartime past. His life takes a dramatic turn when a new family moves in, triggering a downward spiral marked by financial ruin, emotional turmoil, and existential despair. As Harryboy descends into a murky criminal underworld filled with debts, violence, gangsters, and revenge, the novel captures the contradictions and raw realities of Hackney life. Praised for its extraordinary portrayal of place and character, The Lowlife has gained an underground cult status and is regarded as a truest account of postwar British urban life, blending literary fiction with a dark, existential edge.