Pigeon English

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

This article is about the 2011 novel. For the language topic, see Pidgin English. For the 2007 album, see Pigeon English (album). For pigeons of England, see List of pigeon breeds.
Pigeon English
AuthorStephen Kelman
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Published2011 (Bloomsbury Publishing)
Media typePrint (hardback)
Pages288
ISBN978-1408815687

Plot

The novel begins with the death of a young boy on the fictional Dell Farm estate in an unspecified area of London. Harri Opoku, 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. The novel explores his attempts to remain good despite the corrupting forces around him. Harrison then befriends a pigeon, which narrates part of the book.

Eventually, he traces the murderers as a gang of teenagers, only to be murdered at the end.

Publication

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

Reception

The novel was critically acclaimed on publication [1] and was shortlisted for the 2011 Man Booker Prize.[2] It went on to be shortlisted for ten awards, including the Guardian First Book Award, Desmond Elliott Prize, and 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.[3] 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.[4] The play performed at the Bristol Old Vic and 2013 Edinburgh Festival.[5]

References
  1. Aspden, Rachel (13 March 2011). "Fiction (Books genre), Knife crime (News), Damilola Taylor, Gangs (Society), Books, Culture, Stephen Kelman". The Guardian. London.
  2. "Man Booker Prize award ceremony". UK: BBC News. 16 October 2012. Retrieved 16 October 2012.
  3. "Man Booker shortlisted author to inspire prisoners to read".
  4. Morris, Tom. "Shows At Bristol Old Vic: Pigeon English".
  5. Underbelly, Cowgate. "Edinburgh Fringe | Underbelly". Archived from the original on 2013-06-20.
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