Published to critical acclaim, Pigeon English follows the story of Harri, a recent 11-year-old Ghanaian immigrant to London. Harri's childhood naivety makes it so he doesn't always comprehend the dangers of his environment as he and a friend try to solve a local murder. The novel explores themes such as the loss of innocence, the immigrant experience, and cyclical violence.
Pigeon English is Kelman's literary debut. He was inspired to write the novel after Damilola Taylor's murder case shook the United Kingdom. Kelman grew up in the same type of estate housing as Taylor, which is also where Harri and his family reside. Several scenes in the text are taken directly from Kelman's lived...
