Becoming Somebody Else: Blackouts, Addiction, and Agency amongst London's Homeless

by Joshua Burraway

300 pages, Paperback

Published October 20, 2024

Reviews

[Laurel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This 2014-15 account of a sixteen month study of the homeless in London by anthropologist Joshua Burraway provides first-hand interviews describing the conditions that inspire addicts to lose themselves. He clarifies these are not merely tactics to escape their situation but rather a means to become somebody else. The stories of the participants are heartbreaking and at the same time illuminating. The book includes description of the terribly long precedent of unresolved homelessness and focuses on areas such as Itchy Park where many of the interviews took place.