Born in England to an Irish mother and an Indian father, Aubrey Menen—a brilliant yet underrated writer far ahead of his time—navigates the contradictions of identity, nationality and belonging with his trademark irony and insight in his two classic autobiographical books.

The essays in Dead Man in the Silver Market, first published in 1953, dissect jingoism, class and the absurdities of national pride, blending personal anecdotes with incisive social commentary. Written not long after the Second World War, his irreverent observations on English society, colonial history and human nature remain strikingly relevant today.

The Space Within the Heart, written in 1970, is a more intimate, philosophical meditation on life, love and self-discovery. Woven with humour and gentle satire, reflecting on the nature of the soul, the Upanishads and European literature, Menen’s deceptively simple yet profoundly moving prose urges us to look beyond rigid identities and embrace the fluidity of the human experience. At once a memoir, a critique of empire, and an exploration of the self, this omnibus edition is a literary treasure—insightful, entertaining and endlessly thought-provoking.