Atkinson, James (b. 1984) is a British-born, New York–based writer and urban planning researcher whose work explores how neighborhoods tell stories. Raised in Leeds, he studied sociology at the University of Manchester before moving to Queens in 2010 to work with community organizations on pedestrian safety and public space projects. His essays and reportage have appeared in regional magazines and small press anthologies focused on cities, food, and place. He has led free writing workshops at branch libraries across the five boroughs and once mapped every storefront cat in western Queens for a zine that would not stop being photocopied. He lives in Jackson Heights with his partner and an aging ficus, and he is very serious about dumpling crawls along the 7 train.
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