Flat 9, a recently launched collection of short stories, captures the essence of Indian people living in Grey Street. Grey Street has been the core of the Indian community in Durban for more than a century. To this day, “town”, as it is referred to, is a place where anything can be found – at a cheaper price, of course.

Mariam Akabor (22), a postgraduate in English and Media & Communication from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, penned this collection of short stories from her own experiences of living in Grey Street. The author first began writing the collection as a project for her Honours creative writing course and was encouraged by her professor to complete the cycle of short stories for possible publication.

Flat 9 is a moving yet humorous perspective of current day Indians living in the bustling city of Durban. AK Mansions, the fictional dilapidated building where all the chaos occurs, is home to the many eccentric and quirky characters in the stories.

Published by UmSinsi Press, Flat 9 is available in paperback (ISBN 1-86900-728-X) at R80.