Mary Lawson's Homes: A Life in Residences

Novelist Mary Lawson, known for her Booker Prize-nominated books set in small Canadian towns, has charted her life through the homes she has inhabited since moving to London in 1968. Her journey spans from a "wretched boat" on the River Thames to a "filthy boat and noisy boarding house," culminating in her current riverside home in Kingston upon Thames, which she calls her favorite place.

Lawson, now 80, grew up in Blackwell, a remote farming village in southern Ontario, Canada, where summers were spent in a cabin accessible only by canoe. The stark contrast of London's noise and bustle was initially overwhelming. She recalls being unable to use Clapham Junction Station due to the train noise, opting instead for a bus that took three times as long.

Her early London experiences included a brief stay on a "wretched" 27-foot sailboat owned by her brother. The vessel, lacking running water, offered little comfort, and Lawson departed after only a few weeks. This was followed by a move to Leeds in the autumn of 1968, where she rented a room in an artist's house. The artist, Neville Boden, later gained recognition for his steel sculptures, but at the time, the house lacked heating, leaving Lawson constantly cold.

Financial constraints led Lawson to a "wretched" boarding house in Wandsworth, where she shared accommodation with approximately eight laborers. Despite the cramped conditions and a bothersome alarm clock in the adjacent room, she appreciated the gentlemanly conduct of the other residents and the landlady's cooking. However, the inadequate bathroom facilities prompted her departure after two weeks.

A more comfortable period followed when Lawson rented a bedsit on Ravenslea Road in Wandsworth. This top-floor apartment offered views of the common and included a small kitchen. She described this period as "heaven."

After marrying Richard in 1973, Lawson and her husband purchased a two-bedroom maisonette in Hampton Hill. This marked their first home as a couple, and they furnished it with items like a large leather sofa and flowery curtains, some of which proved challenging to install.

The couple later moved to a three-bedroom semi-detached house in Kingston upon Thames when Lawson became pregnant with their first son. This home featured a substantial garden and was situated on a cul-de-sac where their children played with other neighborhood children. Lawson remembers this period as idyllic for her sons.

In 1988, to facilitate their sons' attendance at Wallington Grammar School, the family relocated to a four-bedroom house in Cheam. Lawson describes cultivating the garden, including digging a pond that attracted dragonflies, as a setting where she wrote her first novel, "Crow Lake."

Their current home, acquired in 2005, is located in Kingston upon Thames, on one of the "river roads" near the Thames. Lawson states this is her favorite place to live, and she intends to remain there permanently. Her latest novel, "Solace in Winter," is set to be published on November 19.