Fast by the Horns
The hotly anticipated second novel from the prizewinning author of An Olive Grove in Ends
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Headline Publishing Group
Published:9th May '24
Should be back in stock very soon
Set in 1980 Bristol, Fast by the Horns explores themes of identity and justice through the eyes of young Jabari, navigating a world of turmoil.
In Fast by the Horns, the narrative unfolds in Bristol during the tumultuous year of 1980. The story centers around 14-year-old Jabari, who takes pride in being the only son of the respected community leader, Ras Levi. Growing up in the close-knit neighborhood of St. Pauls, Jabari navigates a world filled with systemic neglect and social injustice. His Rastafari beliefs provide him with hope for a future where he and his community can return to their roots, escaping the oppression they face daily.
As tensions rise in St. Pauls following the arrest of a local activist, Jabari finds himself caught in a whirlwind of violence and unrest. The community's struggles become deeply personal as he grapples with his feelings of anger and helplessness. A pivotal moment occurs when Jabari encounters a young Black child, presenting him with a moral dilemma that blurs the lines between justice and revenge. This encounter challenges his understanding of righteousness and loyalty, forcing him to confront the harsh realities of his environment.
Fast by the Horns is a poignant exploration of broken dreams, divided loyalties, and the quest for identity amidst chaos. The author’s sharp prose and vivid dialect create a compelling narrative that resonates with urgency, inviting readers to reflect on the complexities of community and personal responsibility.
Vivid, witty, exuberant . . . an electric novel about black boyhood * 80 BEST BOOKS TO TAKE ON HOLIDAY THIS SUMMER, The Times *
[The] quicksilver sense of ingenuity and battle-worn verve born of necessity to Caribbean people is at the heart of this compelling new novel by Moses McKenzie.Fast by the Hornsis a fascinating depiction of Black immigrant life and Rasta boyhood in 1980s England. With the sharp and delectable music of its dialect, the book grabs you by its teeth from the first page and never quite lets go. At its best, this is an urgent novel of ideas, constantly propelled by the narrator's wildfire voice, written almost exclusively in beautiful Rastafari vernacular . . . Here is a love letter to the Windrush generation who came to fight and build and labour for a nation who then left them the bleak, shelled remnants of the city after the second world war, and the scorn of their fellow citizens. Fast by the Hornsis a rallying cry for these immigrants. But at its most tender, it's also about their unsutured wounds . . . I only wished to stay with the captivating spirit of Jabari, in his familiar loneliness and the dark torch of his boyish questioning, for just a bit longer. -- Safiya Sinclair * Guardian *
Full of lyrical energy and restless invention * The Sunday Times *
Moses McKenzie was only 21 when he wrote his vivid, lyrical debut novel, An Olive Grove in Ends (2022), about a young black Bristolian boy. Fast by the Horns goes back to 1980, to an explosive moment in Bristol's history, when Afro-Caribbean residents of St Pauls clashed with the police. It's narrated in a propulsive patois by 14-year-old Jabari, whose father, a revered Rastafarian community leader, has been thrown in a police cell. Raw, witty and exuberant, Fast by the Horns is nominated for this year's Sunday Times Charlotte Aitken Young Writer of the Year Award. * BEST PAPERBACKS OF 2025, The Times *
Moses McKenzie represents the exciting future of Black British literature and his influence is fast rippling across the South East . . . McKenzie's stories resonate strongly with Kent's growing audience of diverse readers and writers, holding up a mirror to the Black British experience that feels as poetic as it does necessary. * InsideKENT *
ISBN: 9781472283160
Dimensions: 160mm x 234mm x 46mm
Weight: 452g
256 pages