Later in the same year, Smith published "Martha and Hanwell", a book that pairs two short stories about two troubled characters, originally published in "Granta" and "The New Yorker" respectively. Penguin published "Martha and Hanwell" with a new introduction by the author as part of their pocket series to celebrate their 70th birthday. The first story, "Martha, Martha", deals with Smith's familiar themes of race and postcolonial identity, while "Hanwell in Hell" is about a man struggling to cope with the death of his wife. In December 2008 she guest-edited the BBC Radio 4 "Today" programme.