Jacqueline Crooks, the Women’s Prize-shortlisted author of Fire Rush, joins Aditi Jaganathan at Brixton Library to discuss her latest novel, Sky City.
Set in the 1990s, the novel follows Jaycee, a young woman who has spent years living in a hostel before securing a room of her own in Sky City, a north London housing estate. A new home offers the possibility of a fresh start, but her past remains difficult to escape.
Meanwhile, her best friend Ella-G has moved to New York in pursuit of its music scene. Both women are searching for their fathers, and when a rare record offers a possible clue to Ella-G’s father, their search takes them to Atlantic City.
There, Jaycee makes discoveries that challenge her understanding of herself and force her to confront earlier trauma. The story explores her search for justice and the possibility of healing.
Presented as part of Lambeth Libraries’ Black History Month programme, this conversation offers readers an opportunity to hear Crooks discuss a novel connecting friendship, music, family history and the search for belonging.