29 Locks

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The message I took away from the novel was that despite all the inequalities of this world there is always hope for justice. We lived right by it in Ware, and I just loved the idea of walking down the towpath and seeing Donny, Zoe and Ziggy the dog cruise by on Zuma Jay! I think because of the slang and language used its better for a British audience but its been written well and despite having some gangs and violence at the beginning it does have more uplifting moments after Donny leaves London and he is able to grow. When Donny's posh new friend Zoe is offered a dubious modelling audition in London, the pair decide to 'borrow' a canal barge and navigate the 29 locks down to Kings Cross.

Donny is a great narrator – his voice feels so fresh and real and engaging that I refuse to believe he does not exist in real life. It was chosen by Suzi Feay, books editor of The Financial Times, as one of the ‘Best Books of 2021’ It is also on the longlist for the prestigious Branford Boase Award for outstanding first-time novelists.Tackling issues of racial injustice, child poverty, gang violence and knife crime, this powerful coming-of-age novel was inspired by my fifteen years of teaching teenage boys at a comprehensive school in inner-city London.

The _ga cookie, installed by Google Analytics, calculates visitor, session and campaign data and also keeps track of site usage for the site's analytics report. It has been written to feel current with a lot of British slang so it feels the way teenagers would speak. Payments made using National Book Tokens are processed by National Book Tokens Ltd, and you can read their Terms and Conditions here. HopeRoad’s founder, Rosemarie Hudson, said: ‘Nicola is a fantastic new talent, and I’m so proud that HopeRoad will be publishing her debut. After all, it's all he knows from early childhood and having a single mum addicted yo crack and God knows what else.However, I liked Donny and rooted for him, and would've liked to have seen more depth to his character development. It's far from gentle, it's certainly not a fairytale and it doesn't have a single prince (or princess) charming.

Her first novel, 29 LOCKS , was shortlisted for the Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize ; Mslexia Children’s Novel Competition; Financial Times Best Books of 2021 and longlisted for the 2022 Branford Boase Award.

I was rooting for Donny from the off, and the unwavering love he had for his mother despite the crappy life she gave him, was heart warming. Navigating the 29 locks of the Union Canal system, Donny’s mission to the city is so he can reunite with his mother who is due to be released from prison, while Zoe’s mission is to meet with a modelling agency and pose for strip photos.