The Book of Sheffield

Catherine Taylor ed

An eclectic collection of stories by writers well known and new, reflecting how much this city of contrasts has become even more divided after the decline of the steel industry and decades of neglect, undermining the solidarity of its working class community. It's no longer the place I knew when South Yorkshire people were the friendliest in Britain, but these snapshots of a city in flux will be a valuable resource for future local historians.

Extract

Even as Britain began to show morbid political symptoms, even as the weather abandoned all moderation, we felt safe. Sheffield was a gentle city under its rough exterior. Divided, yes, but held together by the centrifugal core of its symbols and stories. People addressed one another in the street, on the buses and trams. They knew what it was to be abandoned by power, to be disposable to the powerful (but power knew this and was beginning to turn resentment to its advantage).

Parallels