#british-literature

#british-literature

Jean is, in the words of its author, a novel about "alienation, told from the inside out". Set at a reform school over the sweltering summer of 1976, the heat rises as Jean fights (and fucks) the other boys, conflict and desire coalescing until the novel reaches its conclusion: his decision to walk out of his life for good. Dunnigan explores the ethics of early sexual experiences, British class dynamics and the crushing weight of - particularly masculine - conformity.

In the five decades between 1910 and 1960, more than half a million people in England and Wales became Catholics. Among them were a clutch of literary stars: Oscar Wilde, Evelyn Waugh, Muriel Spark and Graham Greene. But there was a whole host of poets, artists and public intellectuals less known to us today, whose going over to Rome provoked envy and dismay.

"beloved and inspirational mother"

unexpected death has come as a complete shock.

Trainspotting's success illustrates a rare literary event where a critically acclaimed, stylistically adventurous book becomes a cultural sensation, selling over a million copies.