It’s easy to forget that two years ago, most of us would have done absolutely anything to be out in the world — it’s something I try to remember as I avoid sharing oxygen with fifty people on the tube. Ana Kinsella’s debut is a love letter to city life, people-watching and a whole lot of walking. Growing up in Dublin, moving to New York for six months, and then settling in London for a decade, Kinsella started her career as a fashion writer. Her background as a journalist shines through, though – the book includes stuff on places of interest in London as well as interviews with residents from all walks of life. Upon realising that it was everyday people that made her care about clothes — not high-fashion designers and celebrities — she wrote this book in lockdown about the pleasures of slowing down and taking a break from fast-paced city life to observe the people and places around you. MG

Daunt Books