'The stylists, all from northern Italy, would complain about their husbands in their dialect. I spent my early years eavesdropping.'

I had a Saturday job at a hair salon in London’s Soho. The stylists, all from northern Italy, would complain about their husbands in their dialect. Many of the customers were prostitutes; they’d exchange news in a secret code. I spent my early years eavesdropping.