The wise hobo is a common trope in literature. In George Orwell’s classic Down and Out in Paris and London, the writer meets a street-dwelling artist named Bozo on the Embankment. As they cross the Thames, Bozo teaches him about the different constellations in the night sky, and shares what he’s learned from being away from the trappings of society. “If you set yourself to it, you can live the same life, rich or poor,” Bozo explains. “You just got to say to yourself, ‘I’m a free man in here’.” But is it really that simple not having a home in London? It’s a question of some urgency.
Homelessness in our city went up by around a fifth to more than 10,000 people last summer. During winter, and around the Christmas holidays, many people often feel for those sleeping outside even more than usual. And yet the reality of what it’s like to live outdoors is rarely explored.
