Who They Was - Reading Guide
Background and discussion points for Gabriel Krauze’s confrontational and relentlessly intense debut novel
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.
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. Who They Was comes directly from that experience and, as such, is confrontational, exhilarating, morally complex and utterly unique.
Gabriel Krauze
About the Author
Gabriel Krauze was longlisted for the Booker Prize in 2020. He grew up in London in a Polish family. Who They Was is his debut novel.Everything in the book actually happened in one way or another, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to tell this story
