Smith’s debut novel White Teeth was published to great success and acclaim in 2000 and she’s been establishing herself as a creative powerhouse ever since. Her writing is political and provocative, cunning and funny.

There’s nothing as obvious as a singular genre or theme to connect the short stories in her latest collection, Grand Union. At times this feels a bit like whiplash, but it also allows Smith to show off her diverse skills as a writer, slipping into all manner of styles, genres and voices. The speculative and sci-fi stories are hit and miss, but ‘Escape from New York’ – in which three friends escape Manhattan in a rental car – is brilliant, as backseat bickering plays out against a backdrop of impending apocalypse.

Stories like ‘Miss Adele Amidst the Corsets’, in which an ageing drag queen is sent running through New York; and the autofictional ‘For the King’, pack serious bite. Others, like ‘Lazy River’ and ‘Downtown’ are self-aware to the point of caving back in on themselves; somewhat strained and bloated.

Though not all the elements land, Grand Union is an energising collection, vibrant and rebellious and definitely worthwhile.

Reviewed by Emma Harvey