When a woman in her early twenties writes a first novel and the celebrated author Salman Rushdie calls it "an astonishingly assured début," then it will almost certainly attract the interest of most of Europe’s literary critics.

Zadie Smith was born in London in 1975, where she still lives today. Her novel ‘White Teeth’ is a delightfully cacophonous tale that traces 25 years in the lives of two families’ assimilation into Northern London.

The Joneses and the Iqbals are an unlikely pairing of families, but their intertwined destinies, the British Empire’s history and hopes are combined in a book that is a dazzling multiethnic melange and a pure joy to read.

Since its publication, ‘White Teeth’ has won numerous awards. Among them were the Guardian First Book Award and the Whitbread Prize for a first novel in 2000. ‘White Teeth’ also took the prizes for Best Book and Best Female Newcomer at the BT Emma Awards (Ethnic and Multicultural Media Awards).