Description

‘A lyrical meditation on landscapes and cities, vivid reportage and a memoir. And also a beautifully realised and moving read.’ Financial Times

‘A beguiling mix of history, geology, folklore and memoir that captivated me from the first page.’ Lara Maiklem, author of Mudlarking

‘Tom Chivers brings a poet’s sensibility to this book about the hidden parts of the capital, mixing the past with the present, the known with the unknown and his personal story with social history and geology.’ Bernardine Evaristo, author of Girl, Woman, Other

What secrets lie beneath a city?

Tom Chivers follows hidden pathways, explores lost islands and uncovers the geological mysteries that burst up through the pavement and bubble to the surface of our streets. From Roman ruins to a submerged playhouse, from an abandoned Tube station to underground rivers, Chivers leads us on a journey into the depths of the city he loves.

A lyrical interrogation of a capital city, a landscape and our connection to place, London Clay celebrates urban edgelands: in-between spaces where the natural world and the metropolis collide. Through a combination of historical research, vivid reportage and personal memoir, it will transform how you see London, and cities everywhere.

‘Tom Chivers, with the forensic eye of an investigator, the soul of a poet, is an engaging presence; a guide we would do well to follow.’ Iain Sinclair, author of The Last London

Publisher Review

Will open readers' eyes to what is around and below them ... Its delight in exploration is matched by a thoughtful meditation on grief. * Economist * Periodic surprises even for the most dedicated student of this subject ... movingly written. -- Caroline Crampton * Spectator * Incredible ... More than a simply a cracking read, it's a book that will inspire you to go out and make your own discoveries. You'll never look at the city in the same way again. * Londonist * [Chivers] combines the modern phenomenon of psycho-geographer with the ancient trade of poet ... Action-packed, erudite... an audiobook to savour slowly. -- Christina Hardyment * The Times * London, investigated through the medium of psycho-geology, is revealed as a nexus of energies, interconnections, memories and resurrections. Tom Chivers, with the forensic eye of an investigator, the soul of a poet, is an engaging presence; a guide we would do well to follow. -- Iain Sinclair, author of London Orbital