The Muffin Man

You are walking in town. The contents of a beggar’s mind spill out in a chaotic muddle on the busy pavement in front of you. Simultaneously fascinated and revolted, you are not sure how – or whether – to help. The beggar shrieks. You realise that it is your old English teacher. This story is a partial decryption of a tiny portion of the rage and frustration in that inchoate scream. George is a Big Issue vendor in London’s Soho. Driven to write about his experience, while unsure whether allegory, brutal realism or metaphor will best help people understand, he has conjured an intimate mindscape of Soho. Offering a unique insight into the people who live, work and visit there, and a stark analysis of social attitudes, you will never look at a rough sleeper, a beggar or a Big Issue vendor in the same way again. The underbelly of London’s Soho has not seen much change in the last century. The disadvantaged face the brunt of society’s corruption, and this is becoming more common in the current climate of increasing fascism. Rostant’s frank exploration into the lives of those at the heart of bohemian Soho sheds much needed light onto the most pressing issues in society today and the desperate need for change. The honest depiction of the lives of street beggars and bag ladies highlights the side of London that readers don’t often see and the protagonist, a Big Issue vendor who suffers delusions and commits suicide, is at the heart of the novel. A novella that examines and contests commonly accepted narratives of exclusion, gender, sexuality and mental health. This is a transgressive piece of work that challenges cultural and religious hypocrisy, encouraging readers to reflect on their own views and perceptions, in particular surrounding poverty and homelessness, and to consider the ways in which they can incite change.