The Hounding of David Oluwale

by Kester Aspden

A year after David Oluwale’s death, rumours that the Nigerian man had been abused by police led to a criminal investigation. This imaginative reconstruction of the life and death of this obscure man is an exposé of police racism in Britain.


From the Hardcover edition.

Genres: Nonfiction

256 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2008

Reviews

[Sam]

I think if you live in Leeds you owe it to yourself and the black community here to read this. One of the best narrative history books I’ve read, mostly based on original research as well. REMEMBER OLUWALE

[Patrick Dennehy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an important book. Depicting the Leeds of its time, but leaving you wondering if that is / could still be, the Leeds of today? Racism, police brutality and the hounding of minorities, the dispossessed and those less fortunate. Plus ca change?

[Kit Longden · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of how David Oluwale came to the UK from Nigeria and died after being hounded by the police. Simple direct sentences, with thoughtfully put together sections that pull the story's threads into tension. For example, the counterbalancing of David Oluwale's story with and Albert Johanneson's, who came from Johannesburg to play winger for Leeds United, was like a damascene inlay, very cutting and affecting. There's a tangible sense of the author trying to do right by the story, trying to let each testimony keep its voice. In this period of public action over police brutality, totally recommended reading. I wanted to read more by the author; I saw that Caryl Phillips' Foreigners: Three English Lives came out at a similar time - I am looking forward to reading that.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating/depressing story of the life and death of Nigerian immigrant David Oluwale. Let down again and again, and as the title says, ultimately hounded to his death on the streets of Leeds in 1969. The detailed research behind this book shines through and paints an absorbing picture of the life of immigrants at that time, the inadequate mental health care and the Police brutality from a time before the phrase "institutional racism" was coined. So many resonances for today and a powerful piece of narrative. Remember Oluwale.

[Alice Macpherson · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing, important book. a must-read for Leeds residents

[Tanja Railo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Without exaggeration I declare this book to be the best non-fictional piece of literature that I have read. Why?

👍 The main topic – the persecution of a homeless Nigerian immigrant by two British policemen who didn’t think all humans have the right to human treatment – is still today 50 years later a relevant issue to be addressed in all countries facing immigration, racism and social injustice.

👍 Aspden writes beautifully as a novelist with a rich vocabulary and a true interest in his characters. (As English is not my first language I didn’t know all the words, but luckily in such cases the context revealed the content.)

“Millgarth Street [site of Leeds main police station] was a big man’s nick. The ideal Millgarth bobby was substantial as its front doors, as hard as its counter. At one time Central Division only took officers who were six feet and over and sent the smaller ones to the outer divisions, because it was in the heart of the city that a physical statement had to be made, ….” (p. 135)

“Oluwale was an intangible subject. Those who dealt with him in an official capacity knew and cared little about him: he was a problem to be sorted as the saw fit. He appeared to the world mainly through the lens of public authorities: (…) rarely as someone with feelings or human needs beyond the most basic. Because of this void he was proved a serviceable vessel into which people have poured their anxieties, fears, prejudices, ideals. To some he became an icon, to other he was worthless”. (p. 8)

👍 The narrative is splendid: it unfolds with certain suspense and gives room to description and analysis of a broad area of social and political questions such as the change of the Commonwealth idea of British citizenship, history of Leeds and its police force.

👍 Kester Aspden has done an extensive job interviewing people, reading all that was written and documented about the case, and much was as the policemen finally were brought to court 18 months after that David Oluwale was found dead in the Rive Aire. Did the defendants get what the deserved? That’s up to you, dear next reader.

[Patricia Scaife · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember this case in the newspapers at the time it happened. I don't know why David's name stuck in my mind all these years. I no longer lived in Bradford at the time it happened but perhaps it was because I came from there and knew Bradford and Leeds I felt horrified that this could happen to an innocent man. I feel that even more now I have read this book. Happily and hopefully, we now live in a more tolerant and enlightened era, though I sometimes doubt this.

[Gin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kester Aspden takes up the difficult but necessary task of documenting and contextualising the life and death of a man who spent most of his life on the margins of Leeds civic life. I don’t think there are words for the horrific violence and indifference David Oluwale faced as he was cycled through the streets and punitive institutions, but I am very grateful to Aspden for laying it out so cohesively.

[Zee · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was really interesting to find out a part of black British history that was unknown to me.

I really felt sorry for David, he like so many had dreams and his dreams never flowered. I'm very interested in reading the book that this play was adapted from.

[Simon Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

REMEMBER OLUWALE

[ElenaSquareEyes · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Hounding of David Oluwale is an incredible true story. Not only does it look into what happened to David Oluwale but it looks at the broader context of Britain in the 1950’s and 60’s, the immigration from colonial countries to Britain, British people’s racism, the police’s bigotry and generally life in and around Leeds and how people thought of their city. While the book follows David Oluwale and retraces his steps from Nigeria to Britain, how he found work but eventually ended up in a mental hospital it elaborates on how Oluwale’s experience was part of a broader context of Britain at that time.

Considering I’m a Brit, I don’t really know much about modern British history so The Hounding of David Oluwale was great at showing a side to my country that I hadn’t known about before. Racism and police brutality in America is (unfortunately) something that hits the news nearly every day and it’s easy to think that here in the UK we’re not like that. To some extent we’re not, but there is still institutionalised racism and The Hounding of David Oluwale shows how police attitudes can be just the same here as in America.

The Hounding of David Oluwale is a bit of a tough read as it is so sad and frustrating the experiences that David Oluwale was put through at the hands of the police and medical professionals that are supposed to look out for him and treat him fairly. For instance on one of the forms when he was arrested his nationality was changed from “BRIT” to “WOG”. I got into a bit of a reading slump because of this, I mean, The Hounding of David Oluwale is only 272 pages but it took me almost two weeks to actually get through it.

The book is made up of interviews, reports and media coverage that pieces together David Oluwale’s life and how he ended up dying and in a river. I liked how it was set out and while it does cover a lot it managed to walk the line between dull and interesting well.

The Hounding of David Oluwale is an important story that shouldn’t be forgotten and in today’s climate it’s good to look at history and learn from it or we’ll continue to repeat it. It’s a fascinating read but the tough subject matter led to the side-effect of it being a very slow read for me.

[Martin Empson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely stunning investigative social history. An account of the way that institutionalised violence and racism met with the failings of the social system to leave a vulnerable and sick man to be the victim of racist and brutal police.

The book poses many difficult questions - but most of all, it asks why, in the 1950s did a system so utterly fail, and then destroy David Oluwale.

My full review is here

http://resolutereader.blogspot.com/20...

[Lostinabook · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in a couple of day. It was an intersting read for me as I am only just discovering David Oluwale who died a few weeks before I was born. I would definately recommend this book.

[Karoline · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is something extra chilling about evil acts described this soberly.