An exciting new voice in fiction presents his latest book. McKenzie’s debut An Olive Grove in Ends was Guardian Novel of the Year 2022. Fast by the Horns is set in Bristol, 1980, in the tight-knit neighbourhood of St Pauls. Fourteen-year-old Jabari is proud of his position as the only son of revered Community leader Ras Levi. Raised in a world of sus laws and council neglect, Jabari finds hope in his Rastafari faith, with the comforting vision that one day believers will at last be free from oppression and prejudice. But a local firebrand activist has been arrested, and violence soon overflows, pulling father and son into its maelstrom. A chance encounter with a young Black child gives Jabari an opportunity for justice – or is it revenge? McKenzie talks to writer and TikTok creator Ben Mercer.
