The 32 Stops: The Central Line

2013 | Essays

Geographer Danny Dorling tells the stories of the people who live along "The 32 Stops of the Central Line" to illustrate the extent and impact of inequality in Britain today - part of a series of twelve books tied to the twelve lines of the London Underground, as Tfl celebrates 150 years of the Tube with Penguin Like the trace of a heartbeat on a cardiac monitor, the Central Line slowly falls south through west London, rises gently through the centre and then flicks up north through the east end of the capital. At the start of the journey life expectancy falls by two months a minute. Between the first four stations every second spent moving on the train is exactly a day off their lives in terms of how long people living beside the tracks can expect to live. By telling the personal stories of the very different people who live along the Central Line, the people who really make up The 32 Stops, geographer Danny Dorling explores the class and wealth divides that define our lives. His work shows the widening gap between rich and poor in the UK, and how where you live determines so much about your chances in life. The city is filled with stories. In twelve books, twelve writers tell their tales of London life, each inspired by a different Underground line. Some are personal, some are polemical; every one is unique. "Geographer royal by appointment to the left". (Simon Jenkins). Danny Dorling is Professor for the Public Understanding of Social Science at Sheffield University. He is the honorary president of the Society of Cartographers. In 2009 he was awarded the Gold Award of the Geographical Association and the Back Award of the Royal Geographical Society. He has advised government and the Office for National Statistics on matters relating to the census. His previous books include "So You Think You Know About Britain?" and "Fair Play".

Danny Dorling (Author)