The Room of Lost Things

Under his railway arch in Loughborough Junction, south London, Robert Sutton is taking leave of a lifetime of hard work. His dry-cleaning shop lies at the heart of a lively community, a fixed point in a changing world. And, as he explains to his successor, young east Londoner Akeel, it is also the resting place for the contents of his customers’ pockets – and for their secrets and lies.

As he helps Akeel to make a new life out of his old one, Robert also hands on all he knows of his world: the dirty dip of the Thames; the parks, rare green oases in a desert of high-rises and decaying mansion blocks; and the varied lives that converge at the junction. There is restless Australian nanny Helen, trapped in London for love; tight-sweatered, high-heeled health visitor Marylin; ex-dancer and commitment-phobe Stefan on the cusp of middle-age; fixer, runner and all-round bad lad Dean. And then there is Robert himself, who holds back his own terrible story, a secret he may never surrender.

Stella Duffy

is the author of Parallel Lies, State of Happiness, Singling out the Couples, Eating Cake and Immaculate Conceit and the Saz Martin crime series. She also writes short stories and articles and for radio and theatre. She won the 2002 CWA Short Story Dagger Award for her story ‘Martha Grace’. Stella was born in the UK, grew up in New Zealand and now lives in London. As well as writing, Stella also works as an actor and improviser.

Stella Duffy's q & a

What sparked The Room of Lost Things?
About five years ago, our dry cleaner said “You should write about a dry cleaner. We know people’s secrets.” I realised he was right and began this book, about the secrets of a group of people, a place, and their city.

Where and when is the novel set?
Loughborough Junction – the bit that taxi drivers seem not to know about, between Brixton and Camberwell in south London. It’s set now, though there are a few brief flashbacks to post war London, the 50’s and 60’s, and a few train rides.

Do you have a favourite character in the novel?
I really like both Robert Sutton and Akeel Khan who are the central focus, but there are also a collection of smaller characters threading through the novel, of them I’m particularly fond of Patricia Ryan, the older Irish woman, who walks Ruskin Park every day - and the homeless guys, Charlie and Dan, make me smile.

What's your favourite children's book and why?
The Magician’s Nephew (CS Lewis) - is a far more exciting Narnia book than The Lion the Witch and The Wardrobe, Jadis is an amazing character, and while the rings and the pools and the world-between-worlds have been done countless times, but they’re done very well here. Most impressive, even back in 1955, Lewis was writing both a boy AND a girl hero. It’s also just a great title.