“London’s Discriminatory Gentrification Inspired My YA Fantasy Novel”

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‘What if Rapunzel was black with a shaved head?’

It was through this thought that I came up with the subverted versions of popular fairy tale characters who lived in this hidden and fantastical part of London, Folkshore. Finding Folkshore is my ode to London and the diverse communities I grew up in.

I lived in Camberwell; was always in Peckham and my secondary school was close to Brixton. I have since moved away, but I come back frequently and I see how much has changed in these areas, which some tagged as ‘unsavoury’ back in the day. As an adult, I can’t afford to live in the area I grew up in.

In a similar…