The Hole in the Wall

Written by Arthur Morrison

Narrated by Peter Joyce

Arthur Morrison grew up in the East End of London and was familiar with life on the dockside. He tells the story of ‘The Hole in the Wall’ through the eyes of young Stephen Kemp, taken to live with his grandfather after the death of his mother. Nat Kemp is determined to keep his grandson apart from the seamier side of the Docklands but Stephen has a natural inquisitiveness that will not be quelled. What is the secret behind the collapse of the shipping firm Viney and Marr? What are the sins Stephen speaks of when he says, “My grandfather was a Publican and a sinner as you will see. His public house was ‘The Hole in the Wall’ on the river's edge at Wapping and his sins, all of them that I know of, are recorded here”. Listen and find out as the yarn, full of skulduggery, rattles along to the finish.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Assembled Stories
• Release date: Jan 8, 2006
• ISBN: 9781860153044

Arthur Morrison

Arthur Morrison (1863-1945) was an English writer and journalist known for his authentic portrayal of London’s working class and his detective stories. His most popular work is A Child of the Jago , a gripping work that fictionalizes a misfortunate area of London that Morrison was familiar with. Starting his writing career as a reporter, Morrison worked his way up the ranks of journalism, eventually becoming an editor. Along with his work as a journalist and author, Morrison was also a Japanese art collector, and published several works on the subject. After his death in 1945, Morrison left his art collection to the British Museum, with whom he had a close relationship with.