Pigeon English

Pigeon English

Author	Stephen Kelman
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Published	2011 (Bloomsbury Publishing)
Media type	Print (hardback)
Pages	288
ISBN	978-1408815687

Pigeon English is the debut novel by English author Stephen Kelman. It is told from the point of view of Harrison Okupu, an eleven-year-old Ghanaian immigrant living on a tough London estate. It was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2011.

Plot

The novel begins with the death of a young boy on the fictional Dell Farm estate in an unspecified area of London. Harri Okupu, a recent Ghanaian immigrant living with his mother and sister, becomes an amateur detective and tries to solve the murder. His experiences also illustrate the problems of gang warfare, immigration to the United Kingdom and poverty. As well as investigating the murder with his best friend, Dean, Harri shares with the reader his thoughts, impressions and experiences of growing up in an environment beset with pressures and threats, and the novel explores his valiant attempts to remain good despite the corrupting forces around him. It is a coming-of-age story told from an outsider perspective, and through Harri's innocent eyes an exuberent portrait is painted of life in modern day multi-cultural Britain.

The book was partially inspired by the murder of Damilola Taylor on a Peckham estate in 2000,^[1] as well as by the author's own experiences of growing up on a council estate.

Publication

It was first published in March 2011 by Bloomsbury in the United Kingdom.

Reception

The novel was critically acclaimed on publication ^[2] and was shortlisted for the 2011 Man Booker Prize.^[3] It went on to be shortlisted for ten awards, including the Guardian First Book Award, The Desmond Elliott Prize, and a Galaxy National Book Award. The book became a bestseller, and has featured in a national campaign launched by the National Literacy Trust and the Booker Prize Foundation to encourage prisoners to read.^[4] It is also widely studied in schools and universities.

Stage Adaptation

The novel is being adapted into a play by Fringe First winner Gbolahan Obisesan. The play is a co-commission between Bristol Old Vic Young Company and National Youth Theatre, and is directed by Miranda Cromwell.^[5] The play will perform at the Bristol Old Vic and 2013 Edinburgh Festival.^[6]

References