{"title":"Gabriel Krauze","description":"\u003cp\u003eGabriel Krauze is a compelling voice in contemporary literature, known for his raw and gripping storytelling. His work, primarily set in the gritty underbelly of London, provides an unflinching look at the complexities of urban life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHis debut novel, \u003cem\u003eWho They Was\u003c\/em\u003e, stands out as a piercing narrative that draws from his own experiences living in the city's often turbulent neighbourhoods. This book, listed in the General Fiction category, captures the essence of life's dualities: crime and survival, loyalty and betrayal, and love and loss, offering readers an intense and eye-opening journey.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eKrauze's writing is noted for its vivid detail and authenticity, creating a visceral reading experience that challenges perceptions and invites reflection on broader social issues. As you explore Gabriel Krauze's work, prepare to be immersed in a world that is both disturbingly real and captivatingly complex.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"who-they-was","title":"Who They Was","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\nLonglisted for the Booker Prize 2020\n\nA Spectator Book of the Year\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eWho They Was\u003c\/em\u003e by Gabriel Krauze is a gripping and unflinching tale set in the underbelly of modern-day London. Through the eyes of the protagonist, Snoopz, we are introduced to a world rife with crime, ambition, and existential dread. Snoopz is caught between his university life, where he's pursuing a degree in English Literature, and his loyalty to the violent street culture that has defined much of his young life. It's a vivid exploration of the seductive allure of gang life, the fight for survival, and the struggle for identity amidst chaos.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\"This life is like being in an ocean. Some people keep swimming towards the bottom. Some people touch the bottom with one foot, or even both, and then push themselves off it to get back up to the top, where you can breathe. Others get to the bottom and decide they want to stay there. I don’t want to get to the bottom because I’m already drowning.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith unparalleled honesty, Krauze lays bare the stark realities of urban existence in contemporary Britain. This book plunges deep into the hearts and minds of those growing up amid the hidden war zones of big cities, painting a raw and emotional portrait of youth struggling to carve out their identities in a world that often seems determined to drag them down.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a story about what it's like to exist in the moment, with boys too eager to become men, navigating a life where reputations are made and lost in the blink of an eye. It delves into the relationships that define this existence—the brotherhoods built on precarious trust, the betrayals that are never far behind, and the girls who chart their own paths through these fraught landscapes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eConcrete towers, blank-eyed windows, and endless nights in police stations and prison cells form the gritty backdrop to this powerful narrative. The book captures the volatility of street life, where violence and vengeance are constants, and where every decision has the potential to reshape destinies.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eWho They Was\u003c\/em\u003e is not just a story of despair and destruction; it's also a tale of ephemeral hope, the fleeting moments of joy, and the relentless striving for something better. It's about the boredom that drives people to the edge, the rush that keeps them there, and the reckoning that inevitably follows.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAbove all, this is about what’s left behind—what happens after the parties are over, and the friends are gone, and all that remains are the choices that define us.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"HarperCollins New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45687255597292,"sku":"9780008375034","price":22.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/6fa16397e0a69c895731f4aff672ccd1.jpg?v=1794518900"},{"product_id":"who-they-was-by-gabriel-krauze-9780008374990","title":"Who They Was","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eLonglisted for the Booker Prize 2020\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA Spectator Book of the Year\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e‘A literary rendering of the Top Boy generation… I cannot conjure another work which captures this culture in such depth – or with such brutal honesty – as only lived experience can tell’ - Graeme Armstrong, author of \u003cem\u003eThe Young Team\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e‘An astonishingly powerful book’ - Cathy Rentzenbrink, author of \u003cem\u003eThe Last Act of Love\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis life is like being in an ocean. Some people keep swimming towards the bottom. Some people touch the bottom with one foot, or even both, and then push themselves off it to get back up to the top, where you can breathe. Others get to the bottom and decide they want to stay there. I don’t want to get to the bottom because I’m already drowning.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a story of a London you won’t find in any guidebooks.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a story about what it’s like to exist in the moment, about boys too eager to become men, growing up in the hidden war zones of big cities – and the girls trying to make it their own way.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a story of reputations made and lost, of violence and vengeance – and never counting the cost.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a story of concrete towers and blank-eyed windows, of endless nights in police stations and prison cells, of brotherhood and betrayal.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis is about the boredom, the rush, the despair, the fear and the hope.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis is about what’s left behind.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePerfect for fans of Diane Cook, Douglas Stuart and Colum McCann.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Arotahi Agency","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46350320238828,"sku":"9780008374990","price":39.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/26669803482190.jpg?v=1744183082"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.live\/collections\/gabriel-krauze.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}