Welcome to Litsy!

In 1947, James Hickman shot and killed the landlord he believed was responsible for a tragic fire which took the lives of four of his children on Chicago's west side. Prosecutors sought a death sentence for Hickman, but a vibrant defence campaign - which included the famous actress Tallulah Bankhead and acclaimed artist Ben Shahn - exposed how poverty and racism led to his crime and ultimately helped Hickman win his freedom. In the best tradition of true crime drama and narrative non-fiction, Joe Allen unearths the compelling story of that campaign.