What Lies Beneath

In Hot Stew, Fiona Mozley's bewitching follow-up to her dark fable of a debut, Elmet, a disparate cast—a sex worker and her companion, an ambitious developer, an underground cult—vie for space in London's Soho. Here, Mozley tells V.F. her cultural touchstones.

QUEEN & SLIM

directed by Melina Matsoukas

"Hot Stew also presents a (seemingly) lost cause and courageous last stand; I paid special attention to how the film subverted familiar narratives."

OLIVER TWIST

by Charles Dickens

"I found myself thinking about the ending—the mud reclaiming the slums and Bill Sikes being pursued by a baying crowd, led by his once-loyal dog."

HUMAN CONTACT

by The Howl &The Hum

"The album title was chosen long before COVID-19 gave it a cruel resonance. The music elicits feelings of nostalgia, camaraderie, and hope."

FOR DETAILS, GO TO VF.COM/CREDITS.