Book: ENGLAND IS MINE

Author: Nicolas Padamsee

Published by: Serpent's Tail

Price: Rs 899

Nicolas Padamsee’s debut book is politically engaging. Divided into five parts, the book is about two individuals, David and Hasan, who try to adjust themselves to the changing social milieu of contemporary England. David is an Iranian exile; his father is struggling economically while his mother has thrived since her separation. David, the novel shows, is torn by the gulf that separates his parents. Meals prepared in David’s father’s home and his mother’s residence are emblematic of the chasm. In his father’s home in Newbury Park, the meals are prepared often in a microwave while in Hackney — his mother’s home — the meals, accompanied by debates and discussions, are more sophisticated affairs. Hackney is more gentrified when compared to Newbury Park.

Hasan faces several issues in England as well. But unlike David, Hasan is not an exile; he was born and bred in England. The narrative throws light on the changing relationship between him and his childhood friends, Mo and Ibrahim. The manner in which Hasan drifts away from his friends is discussed in detail. While Hasan’s friends are able to adjust themselves easily to the changes that are unfolding in England, Hasan finds it difficult to do the same. He, in fact, is left to fend for himself in England.

The ways devised by these two individuals to address their loneliness as well as issues of identity and belongingness form the crux of the narrative. While David finds solace in music, Hasan spends time in a Muslim youth centre. David, we are informed, closely follows the music of Karl Williams. However, in a twist of fate, his idol abuses Muslims and accuses them of homophobia. Consequently, David is torn between his adoration for Williams and his radical interactions during online games like Call of Duty. He finally drifts towards the ideas of the far-Right, especially its views on masculinity and honour.

Meanwhile, Hasan, once he distances himself from his friends, begins to volunteer for his local mosque. Additionally, he works hard to get good grades in order to enter any of the universities in England. Given his advanced age, he is mocked by his friends and his colleagues for going to the Muslim youth centre but Hasan does not forsake his chosen path.

England is Mine, which brings out the everyday humiliations that individuals like David and Hasan face, makes for engrossing reading. Set against the backdrop of a rising wave of online radicalisation and extremism, Padamsee shows quite succinctly that the fates of different people like Hasan and David can get catastrophically intertwined.