Fast by the Horns

SHORTLISTED FOR THE SUNDAY TIMES CHARLOTTE AITKEN YOUNG WRITER OF THE YEAR AWARD

'With the sharp and delectable music of its dialect, the book grabs you by its teeth from the first page and never quite lets go . . . This is an urgent novel of ideas, constantly propelled by the narrator's wildfire voice' SAFIYA SINCLAIR, GUARDIAN

'Raw, witty and exuberant' - THE BEST PAPERBACK BOOKS OF 2025 - JANUARY'S PICKS, The Times

From the Hawthornden Prize-winning author of An Olive Grove in Ends, a powerful story of broken dreams and divided loyalties

Bristol, 1980. In the tight-knit neighbourhood of St. Pauls, 14-year-old Jabari is proud of his position as the only son of revered community leader Ras Levi. Raised in a world of sus laws and council neglect, Jabari finds hope in his Rastafari faith, which offers the comforting vision that one day he and his fellow believers will repatriate to the motherland, where they will at last be free from oppression and prejudice.

But in St Pauls a local firebrand activist has been arrested, and violence soon overflows, pulling both father and son into its maelstrom. As Jabari rages against the iniquity, a chance encounter with a young Black child gifts him an opportunity for justice - or is it revenge?

Praise for An Olive Grove in Ends:

'Tough yet tender' Observer - 10 Best Debut Novelists of 2022
''Luminous' Cherie Jones
'Moses' talent is off the scale' Donal Ryan
'Remarkable' Nathan Harris
'Consummately crafted' Patrick McCabe