This book, my only excursion into non-fiction, came out of my concern about the growing problem of homelessness. During the first decade of the Thatcher government beggars and homeless people appeared in large numbers on the streets of London. Families were usually given temporary housing in hotels. In order to see what conditions inside the hotels were like, I volunteered to run a toy library in a drop-in centre for homeless women in Bayswater. I interviewed homeless women and politicians and the book consists of their words, with an introduction by Elaine Sheppard and an afterword by Sheila McKechnie, former Director of Shelter.

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