Pigeon English, By Stephen Kelman
Meet the gangs 'cause the boys are here
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Stephen Kelman's bestselling, Booker-shortlisted debut is narrated by 11-year-old Harrison Opoku, a Ghanaian immigrant who becomes embroiled in a gang war taking place on his south London estate. Harri's voice, with its sprinklings of slang ("dey touch", "dope fine") is beautifully captured, and adult readers will notice a wry edge to his matter-of-fact observations ("grown-ups love sad news ... it gives them something special to pray for").
The "pigeon" on which the title puns – a sort of feathered guardian angel who speaks in the form of italicised platitudes – is a magical conceit that never really comes off. But the violence that surrounds Harri, and his own tragically belated awareness of it, seems all too real.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments