Who They Was Gabriel Krauze by Gabriel Krauze 9780008374990, 0008374996 instant download after payment.

An urgent and electrifying work of autofiction from Gabriel Krauze, the first-hand account of a young man who has lived a life of violent crime. An astonishing, visceral autobiographical debut novel.

Gabriel came of age among the high rises and back streets of South Kilburn. He was not an observer on the periphery of violence. He was - personally - heavily involved in gangs, drugs, guns, stabbing and robbery - all while completing an English degree at Queen Mary College, London.  In a distinct, lyrical urban slang all his own, author Gabriel Krauze brings to vivid life the underworld of his city and the destructive impact of toxic masculinity. Who They Was comes directly from that experience and, as such, is confrontational, exhilarating, morally complex and utterly unique. It is the story of inner cities everywhere, and of the lost boys who must find themselves in their tower blocks.

"Who They Was is a powerful, challenging, and fearless debut from an author with a story to tell and the talent to tell it. And if you let yourself get swept away by this narrator, you may just find yourself reconceptualizing your reading process."  -  Michael Welch, Chicago Review Of Books

Gabriel Krauze grew up in London in a Polish family. Who They Was is his debut novel.  He was drawn to a life of crime and gangs from an early age. Now in his 30s he has left that world behind and is recapturing his life through writing. He has published short stories in Vice.