England is Mine: An Observer Best Debut Novel 2024

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'Nicolas Padamsee's subtle, satirical debut smartly explores the reasons frightened teenage boys become dangerous men' Financial Times'A politically engaged, urgently plotted coming-of-age thriller with a wicked satirical streak' Observer 'Darkly humorous and highly topical' Spectator'A brilliant dissection of race, identity, masculinity and extremism' Monica Ali'Heart-breaking . . . captures modern times in the UK perceptively' Peter Doherty, The LibertinesDavid hates school, where he has been bullied, and has reached sixth form without any friends. Music is the only thing that keeps him going. Inspired by his hero, Karl Williams, he becomes vegan, wears eyeliner and writes song lyrics. But one night onstage Karl Williams accuses Muslims of homophobia and is cancelled. Conflicted by his feelings for his favourite artist and compelled by the conversations he has while playing Call of Duty, David becomes more and more fascinated by the far right's narratives of masculinity in conflict with liberal society.Living in the same East London borough as David, Hassan has his own problems. He is drifting apart from his childhood friends, Mo and Ibrahim, who drink, blaze skunk and mock him for hanging out at the Muslim youth centre, where he is older than everyone else. Determined to make something of himself, he volunteers for his local mosque and works hard to try to get the grades he needs to go to university.As these second-generation immigrants struggle for a sense of identity and belonging - amid a wave of online radicalisation and extremism - their fates become inextricably, catastrophically entwined.

Reviews

'Thrilling ... a darkly humorous and highly topical novel' - Spectator

'A brilliant dissection of race, identity, masculinity and extremism. Skilfully plotted and wholly convincing in its evocation of alienation, and the sub-culture that leads to the inevitable, heartbreaking, ending' - Monica Ali, author of Brick Lane

'A subtle, satirical debut smartly explores the reasons frightened teenage boys become dangerous men. Padamsee's handling of this enduring theme, more than his novel's topicality, is what marks it out as a debut of subtle intelligence and artistry' - Financial Times

'A politically engaged, urgently plotted coming-of-age thriller with a wicked satirical streak' - Anthony Cummins

'Deeply astute and devastating in its commentary on immigrant communities ... Padamsee tackles difficult issues with a deftness rare for debuts' - Guardian

Author Bio

Nicolas Padamsee grew up in Essex. He holds a Creative Writing MA and a Creative & Critical Writing PhD from the University of East Anglia, and is the editor of Arts Against Extremism, which promotes literature as a means of investigating, understanding and countering extremism. He splits his time between Norwich and Upton Park, London.