Afbeelding auteur
8 Werken 52 Leden 3 Besprekingen

Werken van Gavin Knight

Tagged

Algemene kennis

Geslacht
male
Nationaliteit
UK
Beroepen
journalist

Leden

Besprekingen

Cornwall is one a popular holiday destination for those wishing to stay in the UK. The coves and beaches are beautiful, the land and seascapes are breath-taking and being in the far west of the country, can claim to have some of the best sunsets going and is full of cosy cottages and quaint fishing villages. Where the land ends the Atlantic Ocean starts, bringing in the warmth of the Gulf Stream, it makes Cornwall’s quite balmy at times. It can though be at the receiving end of the might that all the ocean can throw at it, as winter storms sweep in pummelling the coast and cliffs.

There is still a fiercely independent local population who are doing their absolute best to ensure that they can still live in their county even though it has one of the highest second home ownership levels in the country, forcing house prices through the roof. Knight introduces us to the rich and varied characters that populate this place. We hear about the fisherman who battle against the seas month in month out, frequently putting their lives at risk to earn an income. They don’t always return. Those that do then have to battle the bureaucratic tangle that is the fisheries quotas and the families that dominate the markets. They guys who do this tough high-risk job day in and day out fight their own battles with drink and drugs as a coping mechanism. Artists have always been drawn to Cornwall s elemental coast, the quality of the light and the isolation that gave them the tools to focus on their work. Thankfully with broadband now there is a growing community of digital animators keeping the traditions alive.

Knight has written an honest and frank book peering behind the pasty’s and cream teas and surfboards to get under the skin of the county. It is one of the UK’s deprived areas, that most of the time couldn’t give a monkies about the rest of the UK, let alone Europe. He is not afraid to mix with the inhabitants chasing the snippets heard in the Swordfish and the Star pubs until he has a coherent story to tell us. Some of these stories of the rough justice and dangerous moments will scare you and captivate you.
… (meer)
 
Gemarkeerd
PDCRead | Apr 6, 2020 |
This is a brilliant and insightful example of the "new journalism" at its best, a work of narrative non-fiction in which the writer observes and is a silent presence to the reader, letting the main characters whose lives and experiences he is chronicling tell their own stories in their own words. In this case, Gavin Knight spent two years following in the footsteps of those dealing with the problem of youth violence in Britain -- a problem that dramatically exploded last summer, only weeks after the book was published, in riots in Britain and other major British cities.

But not in Glasgow, which is one of the three cities that Knight writes about -- and to understand what might have made the difference, you'll need to read this moving, terrifying and sobering book. Knight allows us to feel the frustration of those on both sides of the divide -- of the young men who feel trapped by the culture of violence (one young boy is given a machete by his parents for his 13th birthday, so that he can defend himself) -- and of the police, social workers and other who so desperately want to halt the violence. It becomes clear that all our glib explanations -- it's race, it's poverty -- are nothing more than quick lies we tell ourselves. The real issue may be a poverty of the imagination of those on both sides. I sensed the immensity of the challenge, but also the need to find ways to address it.

The book is on the shortlist for this year's George Orwell prize; it's a nuanced and thoughtfully eloquent book that richly deserves the award.
… (meer)
½
2 stem
Gemarkeerd
Chatterbox | 1 andere bespreking | May 3, 2012 |
I enjoyed reading this book, a lot but I think it needs a lot doing to it to support an interesting premise. Firstly, the cover needs serious attention. It is dull and grey and certainly wouldn’t stand out for me in a shop – which is how a lot of books do catch my eye, meaning I might just pass it by. Secondly, the style of writing took a little bit of getting used to. What I did was research Gavin Knight and spent time reading his webpage which helped me to appreciate the New Journalism (the style in which it was written). I do think, in order to not put people off because of the way it is written, that there should be something mentioned in the book to either offer an explanation or to link back to Gavin Knight’s blogs. I don’t like beginning a review with what seems to be negative comments but they are two big factors for me.

Back to the book itself; it is sectioned into three areas of the country (London, Manchester and Glasgow) with a focus being on gangs and gang culture. It is the result of two years and (according to Knight) over 100 hours or recordings. This alone is what merits it a worthy read. It is difficult to read the book because of the style of journalism, in that it appears to be fiction but is actually non-fiction simply for the reason that you keep forgetting it is real and that everything he has recorded here is said to be true.

The first section on London felt somewhat rushed although the detective focussed on here (Svensson) was great to follow. It seemed a bit lengthy though. The second section on Manchester was actually about to spoil the book for me and I was pleased to move on the fantastic Glasgow. Manchester just seemed like one long interview and just didn’t go anywhere for me. It was interesting to read about Pilgrim’s life and how he arrived at the life described but in reality this can be read about in any autobiographical material of the same nature. Glasgow described something different, it showed what could and can be done and was good to read through and felt again like something that is a world apart from anything I have experienced.

What would have been a great addition is a small chapter outlining the research that went into the book, how Knight got into working with the police anti-gang units. Other than this, it is a well-presented book (apart from the awful cover!!).
… (meer)
 
Gemarkeerd
SmithSJ01 | 1 andere bespreking | Sep 4, 2011 |

Prijzen

Statistieken

Werken
8
Leden
52
Populariteit
#307,430
Waardering
½ 3.3
Besprekingen
3
ISBNs
19
Talen
2

Tabellen & Grafieken