England is Mine, Nicolas Padamsee (Named Best Debut Novel 2024, Observer magazine)

Nicolas Padamsee takes his readers on a backstage tour through the day-to-day life of a disaffected 17 year old who’s desperately trying to make sense of the fragmented community he is part of.

This astonishing book reveals the struggles that many young people confront as they seek to find their voices and their place in a world where convictions and reputations can be wiped out in a heartbeat and the swipe on a screen. David, the hero of this novel, is bright and bored and bullied and utterly lost.

Set in an East London borough, Padamsee steers his characters through the obstacles that so many mixed race, immigrants are facing. Islamophobia, homophobia, misogyny, the failed education system — these headline-grabbing issues are made human and poignant in this important book.

If the violent events that have erupted in the UK over the summer seem inexplicable, this novel goes a long way in elucidating how we got to where we are.