Bad Friday

by Norman Samuda Smith

Delroy Bell is about to leave school. The prospects for him and his friends look grim. Will he be able to make it as a professional basketball player or will he end up hustling and gambling on the streets like his cousin Peter says?

Genres: Novels

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

Norman Samuda Smith was born in Birmingham, England of Jamaican parents who came to Britain in the early 1950s. He was the British-born black novelist published in the UK with his novel BAD FRIDAY (Trinity Arts, Birmingham, 1982; republished New Beacon Books London/Port of Spain 1985), which was short-listed for the 1982 Young Observer Fiction Prize. His short-stories have been featured in award winning anthologies Whispers in the Walls; (Tindal Street Press, Birmingham 2001), The Heart of Our Community; (Timeless Avatar Press U.S.A 2006). His poems are included in the collection, Songs of Hope; (Timeless Avatar Press U.S.A 2006). In 2013 he self-published two of his books, BRITANNIA'S CHILDREN and to celebrate its 30th Anniversary BAD FRIDAY (Samuda Smith Publications, Birmingham, 2013). He is currently the Writer/Editor/Publisher of the online cultural review PANTHER NEWSLETTER and its mother site SAMUDA SMITH PUBLICATIONS.

Buy BAD FRIDAY (Third Edition) @
https://www.feedaread.com/books/Bad-F...

Buy BRITANNIA'S CHILDREN - A Collection of Short-Stories @ https://www.feedaread.com/books/Brita...

Buy BRITANNIA'S CHILDREN - Volume II - A Collection of Short Stories @ https://www.feedaread.com/books/Brita...

Watch the Bad Friday Book Trailer @: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0A6jw...

Watch the Britannia's Children Book Trailer @: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzOQn...

Watch Britannia's Children - Volume II Book Trailer @ https://panther-newsletter.blogspot.c...

Reviews

[Norman Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Around 16 years ago, when I was starting to write my first novel, I was eager to find past examples, or ‘blueprints’, which would provide inspiration for what I was about to do. Although I found many noteworthy stories from across the African Diaspora, I was looking for something set in Britain. And then I was gifted Bad Friday – a novel I have to this day. It was instrumental in letting me know that what I envisioned was achievable, and that a rich Black British AND working class literary culture had been realised by others before me. It was liberating to read, and I’m heartened to know this book will be made available for others. It’s a long unsung milestone, and I hope that, with this reprint, that will change.’

Courttia Newland (Author/Screenwriter/Playwright)

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do know Norman (in fact saw him today which prompted this review) so maybe I'm biased but I read this well before I met him and felt it was good then: a novel about school leavers set in inner city Birmingham (UK) among the Afro-Caribbean community in the 70s. It uses the dialogue of the community skilfully to tell an affecting story. What's amazing (to me) about it is the author's youth when he wrote it - must have been in his early twenties but shows a mastery of narrative.