The latest addition to my website is Ali Smith‘s Gliff. This is on Ali Smith’s favourite theme – broken Britain. It is set sometime in the future where UVs (Unverifiables), i.e. undesirables are driven out of their home – a red band is painted round a condemned home – and often sent to labour camps. We follow two children – Bri and Rose – whose mother has to leave to look after her sick sister and are initially are looked after by a young man who also has to leave. They get in with a group opposed to the system and even adopt a horse (future dog food) but inevitably the system catches up with them. Bri survives further into the future where he continues his struggle. While Smith makes her point about surveillance, corporatisation, marginalisation and the like, the novel is bit patchy and much is not explained. However her intent is clear – it is getting worse.