Book: Departures

Parsons spent a week at London's Heathrow Airport as a writer in residence. This small collection of seven very short stories is the result. They make for fascinating reading, giving a unique insight into the workings of this city, populated by 75 million travellers each year, and by numerous staff in various specialised jobs.

The stories reveal fascinating details - the number and variety of birds and animals people try to smuggle into the UK, and the even more extraordinary ruses adopted by people trying to enter Britain illegally. They range from the cunning and imaginative to the stupidly naive.

Traffic controllers, pilots, passengers, security staff and others have stories to tell - and any story by Parsons is well worth reading.

Title: Departures

Author: Tony Parsons

Publisher: HarperCollins, $20