Acclaimed fi rst-time novelist David Whitehouse sheds some light on four other bright young things getting ready to set the world on fi re
1 The crusader
Lidija Mavra [The Sock Mob and Unseen Tours]
Lidija Mavra is revolutionising perceptions of the homeless. First, she founded The Sock Mob, a London-based group whose aim it is to connect with people living on the street, using a simple gift – a pair of warm socks. Then in August 2010, the group began the revolutionary Unseen Tours, a not-for-profi t project where homeless people guide walking tours around London. After all, who better to talk about the city than those who have spent 24 hours a day on its streets? ‘In my eyes, they are the guardians of the city,’ says Lidija. Each guide helps to run their own tour as a business and
keeps the lion’s share of ticket sales. The project not only helps to shatter prejudices but also builds confi dence among the homeless – an important step towards getting off the streets. And success has been swift: Unseen Tours shared top honours at the 2011 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards and a replica of the project has been trialled in Melbourne. ‘The fact is,’ Lidija says, ‘it’s sad that The Sock Mob has
to exist, but people on the streets experience loneliness and isolation, and we’re working with them, responding to an instinct that is in all of us – to be together.’
Unseen Tours run in London Bridge, Covent Garden, Mayfair, Brick Lane and Shoreditch, £10. sockmobevents.org.uk
>David Whitehouse’s fi rst novel,Bed (Canongate, £11.99), won the To Hell With Prizes award in 2010 bydavidwhitehouse.com<