NW (2012), Zadie Smith’s fourth novel, documents the lives and experiences of four people who come from the same area in north-west London: Leah Hanwell, Felix Cooper, Natalie (née Keisha) Blake and Nathan Bogle. The narrative is divided into five sections, each told through the perspective of a different character. Their various life experiences and personalities are represented not only through the content, but also in the structures, of their narration. What emerges is a complex portrait of NW6 and how it has shaped, and continues to shape, the intersecting lives of those who have grown up in it.
Cite this: “[scf-post-title].” Postcolonial Writers Make Worlds, 2017, [scf-post-permalink]. Accessed 28 January 2022.