Roland Camberton, vlastním jménem Henry Cohen, byl britský autor známý svým pronikavým pohledem na židovský život v londýnském Hackney ve třicátých letech. Jeho tvorba, ačkoliv rozsáhlá, se soustředí na zachycení specifické atmosféry a společenských poměrů. Camberton vynikal v popisování každodenní reality s jemným citem pro psychologii postav. Jeho díla jsou ceněna pro svou autentičnost a schopnost evokovat ztracený svět.
As well as the elegant squares of Bloomsbury, Ivan Ginsberg walks the decaying back-streets of Soho, haunting cafes and pubs in company with an array of bohemian characters. As he wanders, his hopes of literary success seem further away than ever. With no capital and no backing, will he ever manage to produce 'Scamp', the literary magazine which gives this book its title?
Roland Camberton's second novel, first published in 1951, is a coming of age portrayal of 'down Hackney', home of David Hirsch, who steadily leaves behind his Jewish upbringing in adolescence to explore the wider world of London. Typically there is a wide array of humorous characters in his portrayal of Hackney and the more cosmopolitan world Hirsch is drawn towards.