Dramas and Dissent – ‘Stokey’ distilled

Dramas and Dissent: a Stoke Newington anthology

Fans of cultural studies will know that places of any standing have ‘myths of descent’  – stories the denizens of these parts tell themselves about who they are and how they got to be that way. One would probably not be far off to say that the words ‘drama and dissent’ aptly summarised Stoke Newington’s own myth of descent.

Although there is perhaps more drama than dissent in contemporary N16 as pushchair-armed middle classes have gradually displaced its edgy artists and impoverished poets, the area’s self-image is still closely linked to the dissident intellectuals who have inhabited Stokey from the time of Mary Wollstonecraft and Daniel Defoe.

And since 1999, the eateries and drinking holes of this ancient parish have been sprinkled every three months or so with a magazine called N16 which can be said to embody this self-image. Readers of the publication will rejoice at the appearance of Dramas and Dissent, a collection of the magazine’s ‘greatest hits’ edited by founder and decade-long editor Rab MacWilliam.

MacWilliam says of his endeavour: “I hope I have managed to distil the essence of Stoke Newington life – its achievements, disputes, celebrations, spirited and often cantankerous mutterings – into a book which will be read, enjoyed and referred to for some while to come by everyone interested in the affairs and foibles of this eccentric little parish, as it has stumbled its way from a down-at-heel, ramshackle outpost of civility to today’s buzzing, sought-after and often achingly trendy heart of north London life.”

Readers of the book are perhaps best placed to judge how ‘achingly trendy’ Stoke Newington is these days, but it cannot be denied that this large-format volume covers many different aspects of the neighbourhood’s recent history.

The book is divided into two main parts; the first includes discreet sections on history, people and music whilst the second part contains an eclectic mix of material on various topics, from features on the 73 bus and Stokefest to readers’ letters on property prices and beggars.

Some may be surprised by the advertisements (for an estate agent and a restaurant) that adorn the inside front and back covers – for others this might be seen as an appropriate reflection of the local business community’s historic ties with N16 Magazine.

In any event, Dramas and Dissent will be welcomed by many in Stoke Newington as an addition to the area’s cultural heritage.

Dramas and Dissent is published by Clissold Books.
ISBN: 978-0-9572088-1-0, RRP: £10