With equal fascination for the local gang - the Dell Farm Crew - and the pigeon who visits his balcony, 11-year-old Harri absorbs the many strange elements of his new life in England. But when a boy is knifed to death and a police appeal for witnesses draws only silence, Harri decides to start a murder investigation of his own.Longlisted for the 2011 Man Booker Prize.Longlisted for the Guardian First Book Award 2011.
Told from the perspective of Harri, an eleven year old who recently moved from Ghana to an inner city council estate, Pigeon English perfectly depicts the horrifying reality of gangs and knife-crime in London. When a boy is murdered outside a fast food restaurant, Harri and his CSI-obsessed friend Dean take it upon themselves to investigate the crime themselves. However in an estate which is run by the Dell Farm Crew and where the police can't be trusted, Harri's innocent investigations lead him into dangerous territory with devastating consequences.
The book draws you in to Harri’s world and to contrasts that exist between his views on life and the realities of the world around him. Harri's descriptions of his day-to-day life are often ‘laugh-out-loud’ funny and it is easy to relate to some of the events he describes.
The life of Harri’s family is radically different here in the UK in comparison to his old life in Ghana. Kelman does a brilliant job of setting up the differences between Harri's culture (especially when describing his mother's beliefs that he picked up and his father's situation back in Ghana) and the culture he is plunged into while in London. Most of his friends are also from different countries and are going through similar things as Harri. Kelman captures the idea of London as a complete cultural melting pot and perfectly depicted this, with humourous and sometimes shocking consequences.
One of the things that I found difficult about English Literature when I was at school was being told by me teachers that I had to read books that didn’t interest me. With Pigeon English now a GCSE text it would be easy for it to be seen in the same light by today’s students, but I hope that this will never happen to such a great book. So if you are a student, don’t wait to be told to read it – go and see for yourself. I guarantee that you will enjoy it!