This book offers a rare and comprehensive look at Banksy’s elusive visit to New Orleans in August 2008, examining the city’s post–Hurricane Katrina landscape and the subsequent stories surrounding the 17 artworks he left behind. Written by the long-time caretaker of Banksy’s “Umbrella Girl,” who has spent over a decade protecting and maintaining the piece, it draws on extensive research, numerous conversations, and a wide range of often anecdotal accounts and photographs.

Banksy’s New Orleans works, including Umbrella Girl, are widely interpreted as commentary on the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and on the government’s response. The author’s hands-on role offered an unusual vantage point, enabling connections with a diverse cross-section of the city and its stories.

The book also recognises the inherent challenges of verifying information about Banksy, given his enigmatic nature, and makes clear that the images included should not be taken as definitive evidence of authorship — or even of Banksy himself.

Ultimately, this is intended as an engaging and insightful exploration of Banksy’s New Orleans legacy, set against the backdrop of the city’s ongoing recovery, and as a tribute to the 20th anniversary of the disaster.