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Brixton man delighted after his café features in JK Rowling’s crime novel

Summary:

Phoenix Cafe is described in ‘The Cuckoo’s Calling’.

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By Douglas Patient

The owner of a Brixton café has expressed his delight at his establishment being featured in JK Rowling’s latest novel.

Phoenix Café, on Coldharbour Lane, is mentioned in ‘The Cuckoo’s Calling’, published in April under the pseudonym of Robert Galbraith.

The owner of the café, Soner Hassan, nearly ran out of superlatives describing his pleasure at his café being mentioned.

“A lot of customers have come in and told us we’re in Rowling’s book,” he said.

“I feel very flattered, honoured and privileged about it. It’s in chapter six. It’s on display in the café right now.”

The level of detail that went into the description of the café lends Mr Hassan to believe Rowling’s researcher or even the multi-millionaire herself attended the café recently.

“Her or her researcher must have been in only a few years ago because they mention a clock which was put in recently.”

Mr Hassan is in his 20th year at Phoenix Café, which he used to attend before he started working there.

The book describes the café as ‘cosy, snug and dingy’.

“A tiny brown-painted, shed-like place where you could eat large and delicious cooked breakfasts, with eggs and bacon piled high, and mugs of tea the colour of teak,” writes the Harry Potter author.

Photo courtesy of BrixtonBlog, with thanks.

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