Joshua Nawras

Brighton Funk Full disclosure - I will admit to inherent bias, Nofel is my father, but I also studied English Lit and am a lover of words in all their forms. So with that said - Brighton Funk has stayed with me in the weeks since I finished reading it in a way that I did not expect. It is a brilliant first novel, with moments that sing from the page - images of youth and rebellion and love and fear that come from a place of wisdom and experience. Naz is a young immigrant to the UK who could be a poet if only he could climb out of the horrors of his early life. Through the course of the book we watch him grow from an adolescent living in the shadow of his home life, prejudice and a society in which he feels lost into a young man confident in his path though unsure where it will lead, the reflection of his growth in the style and language of his narration is a beautiful and fresh take on finding a voice. The world feels well crafted and the narrative tangy - moments of light and shade subverting the darkest and most uplifting images in the book. At times the imagery and narrative become almost dream-like, is this a memory? Or a fantasy? Or something else? But more than anything it is underpinned with truth and playfulness. It asks difficult questions without offering simple conclusions. I would highly recommend it to all, young and old, to anyone finding their place in the world, looking for love and their voice. Well done dad.