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Back from a mini tour of Yorkshire and Stockport and cheering for supporting act Indignation Meeting
Another Kind of Concrete by Koushik Banerjea
Hard realities of 1970s racism explored in outstanding debut novel
ALISTAR FINDLAY is mesmerised by this multiple ‘Visions of Scotland’ assault on the audience’s eyes and senses
The Star's critics ANGUS REID, ANDY HEDGECOCK and MICHAL BONCZA reviews I Am Love, The Penguin Lessons, Freaky Tales, The Thicket
MAYER WAKEFIELD has reservations about the direction of a play centered on a DVLA re-training session for three British-Pakistani motorists
New releases from Steve Knightley, Jupiter & Okwess, Jason Palmer, Lisa Knapp and Gerry Driver, Kin'Gongolo Kiniata, Ingrid Laubrock/Tom Rainey, Dan Sealey, Simin Tande, PAZ
Peter Mitchell's photography reveals a poetic relationship with Leeds
A uncomfortably misogynistic authorial voice that sometimes seems to lack insight troubles FIONA O’CONNOR
IN THE 1970s, when concrete was king, the people of Britain had a brutalist streak to match.
[[{"fid":"23365","view_mode":"inlineright","fields":{"format":"inlineright","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false},"link_text":null,"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"inlineright","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false}},"attributes":{"class":"media-element file-inlineright","data-delta":"1"}}]]While these days the taking of offence is virtually a national sport, back then there was little need to search for insult. Abuse, in its multiple forms, came straight to your face — and often with a slap for good measure.
Koushik Banerjea’s debut novel is set in those far-off and harder times, when nastiness seemed to be baked into the system and the best survival option was to toughen up, keep your head down and take whatever was thrown at you.
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