Who They Was

Longlisted for the Booker Prize 2020

This is a story of a London you won't find in any guidebooks.

This 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.

This is a story of reputations made and lost, of violence and vengeance - and never counting the cost.

This is a story of concrete towers and blank eyed windows, of endless nights in police stations and prison cells, of brotherhood and betrayal.

This is about the boredom, the rush, the despair, the fear and the hope.

This is about what's left behind.

A moving, unflinching depiction of the perpetual violence of London’s streets, Who They Was explores the unending cycle of honour, violence and revenge, as well as brotherhood and betrayal. Balancing its dark themes with beautifully piercing language and emotional honesty, Krauze’s searing debut reveals a powerful new talent.

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.