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London Kills Me
Hanif Kureishi already has introduced Americans to new fictional territory in his two films, My Beautiful Laundrette and Sammy and Rosie Get Laid, and in his novel, The Buddha of Suburbia. His latest screenplay, London Kills Me, which he describes as "a story about two guys looking for these shoes," returns viewers and readers to London streetlife and culture that only Kureishi could reveal. This collection includes his three screenplays as well as essays about the background of each film or life on the set or the hilarity of the Academy Awards in Hollywood. In addition, Kureishi has written about the Beatles--a comic commentary on class and culture in England.
Together these essays and screenplays illuminate the remarkable imagination and wit of an extraordinarily acute and irreverent social analyst who has secured his place at the forefront of both the film and literary worlds with his uniquely recognizable voice.
Together these essays and screenplays illuminate the remarkable imagination and wit of an extraordinarily acute and irreverent social analyst who has secured his place at the forefront of both the film and literary worlds with his uniquely recognizable voice.
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1991
2 people are currently reading
120 people want to read
About the author
Hanif Kureishi
132 books1,134 followersHanif Kureishi is the author of novels (including The Buddha of Suburbia, The Black Album and Intimacy), story collections (Love in a Blue Time, Midnight All Day, The Body), plays (including Outskirts, Borderline and Sleep With Me), and screenplays (including My Beautiful Laundrette, My Son the Fanatic and Venus). Among his other publications are the collection of essays Dreaming and Scheming, The Word and the Bomb and the memoir My Ear at His Heart.
Kureishi was born in London to a Pakistani father and an English mother. His father, Rafiushan, was from a wealthy Madras family, most of whose members moved to Pakistan after the Partition of India in 1947. He came to Britain to study law but soon abandoned his studies. After meeting and marrying Kureishi’s mother Audrey, Rafiushan settled in Bromley, where Kureishi was born, and worked at the Pakistan Embassy.
Kureishi attended Bromley Technical High School where David Bowie had also been a pupil and after taking his A levels at a local sixth form college, he spent a year studying philosophy at Lancaster University before dropping out. Later he attended King’s College London and took a degree in philosophy. In 1985 he wrote My Beautiful Laundrette, a screenplay about a gay Pakistani-British boy growing up in 1980’s London for a film directed by Stephen Frears. It won the New York Film Critics Best Screenplay Award and an Academy Award nomination for Best Screenplay.
His book The Buddha of Suburbia (1990) won the Whitbread Award for the best first novel, and was also made into a BBC television series with a soundtrack by David Bowie. The next year, 1991, saw the release of the feature film entitled London Kills Me; a film written and directed Kureishi.
His novel Intimacy (1998) revolved around the story of a man leaving his wife and two young sons after feeling physically and emotionally rejected by his wife. This created certain controversy as Kureishi himself had recently left his wife and two young sons. It is assumed to be at least semi-autobiographical. In 2000/2001 the novel was loosely adapted to a movie Intimacy by Patrice Chéreau, which won two Bears at the Berlin Film Festival: a Golden Bear for Best Film, and a Silver Bear for Best Actress (Kerry Fox). It was controversial for its unreserved sex scenes. The book was translated into Persian by Niki Karimi in 2005.
He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2008 New Year Honours.
Kureishi is married and has a pair of twins and a younger son.
Kureishi was born in London to a Pakistani father and an English mother. His father, Rafiushan, was from a wealthy Madras family, most of whose members moved to Pakistan after the Partition of India in 1947. He came to Britain to study law but soon abandoned his studies. After meeting and marrying Kureishi’s mother Audrey, Rafiushan settled in Bromley, where Kureishi was born, and worked at the Pakistan Embassy.
Kureishi attended Bromley Technical High School where David Bowie had also been a pupil and after taking his A levels at a local sixth form college, he spent a year studying philosophy at Lancaster University before dropping out. Later he attended King’s College London and took a degree in philosophy. In 1985 he wrote My Beautiful Laundrette, a screenplay about a gay Pakistani-British boy growing up in 1980’s London for a film directed by Stephen Frears. It won the New York Film Critics Best Screenplay Award and an Academy Award nomination for Best Screenplay.
His book The Buddha of Suburbia (1990) won the Whitbread Award for the best first novel, and was also made into a BBC television series with a soundtrack by David Bowie. The next year, 1991, saw the release of the feature film entitled London Kills Me; a film written and directed Kureishi.
His novel Intimacy (1998) revolved around the story of a man leaving his wife and two young sons after feeling physically and emotionally rejected by his wife. This created certain controversy as Kureishi himself had recently left his wife and two young sons. It is assumed to be at least semi-autobiographical. In 2000/2001 the novel was loosely adapted to a movie Intimacy by Patrice Chéreau, which won two Bears at the Berlin Film Festival: a Golden Bear for Best Film, and a Silver Bear for Best Actress (Kerry Fox). It was controversial for its unreserved sex scenes. The book was translated into Persian by Niki Karimi in 2005.
He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2008 New Year Honours.
Kureishi is married and has a pair of twins and a younger son.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
June 9, 2011
As I love reading plays, and love London-set books, this should have been a winner. Too bad I couldn't even get through the introduction!
The writer seems to have a huge chip on his shoulder and whine about the unfairness of life way too much (although his three plays here were all made into movies!) He kept talking about the 80's and used the term "Thatcherism" about 10 times per page and spewed bile all over the page.
Someone with this many anger issues made me disgusted with him, so I gave up. I hope his success in writing affords him some therapy.
The writer seems to have a huge chip on his shoulder and whine about the unfairness of life way too much (although his three plays here were all made into movies!) He kept talking about the 80's and used the term "Thatcherism" about 10 times per page and spewed bile all over the page.
Someone with this many anger issues made me disgusted with him, so I gave up. I hope his success in writing affords him some therapy.
April 6, 2016
Sceneggiatura di film ambientata nella Londra della Tatcher, tra ragazzi di strada, droghe psichedeliche, case occupate, e una enorme disperazione.
Testo estremamente londinese, non trasportabile altrove, a il cui sottofondo è la musica dei rave party.
Interessantissimi i due saggi che chiudono il libro, uno sulla costruzione dela colonna sonora, e l'altro di Kureishi stesso, che parla dell'influenza dei Beatles sulla curtura dei giovani middle class inglesi.
Testo estremamente londinese, non trasportabile altrove, a il cui sottofondo è la musica dei rave party.
Interessantissimi i due saggi che chiudono il libro, uno sulla costruzione dela colonna sonora, e l'altro di Kureishi stesso, che parla dell'influenza dei Beatles sulla curtura dei giovani middle class inglesi.
January 11, 2009
If you liked the movie "My Beautiful Launderette," you will love this book of essays.
July 25, 2020
The essays are fantastic! His writings of being a British Paki in the 1980s really help understanding why British Muslims are more radicalized than in the States. After reading, I reached out to my Indian friends who spent time in Britain during that period and we had some fantastic conversations.
I am also a big fan of his movies. What kept me from rating the book a four or five is the difficulty in reading a screenplay as a novel. After reading London Kills Me screenplay I found the movie online and watched. The visual experience was immensely better. I remember watching My Beautiful Launderette waaay back when and thinking it was eye opening. That does not come across as well as a screen play.
I'm a fan of his novels and movies, but reading the screenplays just isn't the same.
I am also a big fan of his movies. What kept me from rating the book a four or five is the difficulty in reading a screenplay as a novel. After reading London Kills Me screenplay I found the movie online and watched. The visual experience was immensely better. I remember watching My Beautiful Launderette waaay back when and thinking it was eye opening. That does not come across as well as a screen play.
I'm a fan of his novels and movies, but reading the screenplays just isn't the same.
December 17, 2025
drogues, drogues, drogues, unes sabates i més drogues.
perquè no es tan facil aconseguir unes sabates quan no tens res.
retrat de la realitat dura i cruel de la societat marginal i perifèrica de londres.
perquè no es tan facil aconseguir unes sabates quan no tens res.
retrat de la realitat dura i cruel de la societat marginal i perifèrica de londres.
January 10, 2018
London kills me (1991)
Sceneggiatura del film (in italiano Londra mi fa morire), che ora sono curiosa di vedere. Che voglia di mandare tutti a cagare, drogarmi e vivere in case occupate
Sceneggiatura del film (in italiano Londra mi fa morire), che ora sono curiosa di vedere. Che voglia di mandare tutti a cagare, drogarmi e vivere in case occupate
December 11, 2012
A NECESSARY read for any Modern England history buff who wants more insight into the racially motivated rifts and self discovery of one's own sexuality in England during the later part of the 20th century.
April 12, 2011
recently re-read, and recently re-loved. sorry you became such a right winger, Hanif.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews