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That Peckham Boy
For fans of Poverty Safari and Skint Estate , That Peckham Boy is a reallife manifesto calling for positive change for those on the fringes of society.
'When you're writing the story of your life, make sure you're holding the pen. In this life you can be whoever you want to be.'
Two days after his eighteenth birthday, Kenny Imafidon was charged with the murder of a seventeen-year-old boy in south-east London. The middle child of a single mother with ambitions for her children, Kenny grew up near an estate in Peckham where deprivation and hopelessness were rife, and gang culture flourished in his community. Kenny faced a minimum of thirty years behind bars - longer than the life he had lived.
When the case against Kenny collapsed, he quickly realised that his name was still inextricably linked with a horrific crime he hadn't committed. He decided to rewrite his story. It began with The Kenny Report, which he delivered to the House of Commons and which detailed the experiences of marginalised young people who drift into gangs, and has led to extensive work with charities, communities and policy-makers that is helping to change the narratives of other young people just like Kenny.
A candid and unfiltered take on some of the most challenging topics that define our times, That Peckham Boy is a personal manifesto exploring what it means to be young, Black and poor in the city. It is shaped by Kenny's difficult childhood, his transformative time in prison, and the people and conversations that took him from being on trial for murder into the company of some of the most successful people in the world.
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'When you're writing the story of your life, make sure you're holding the pen. In this life you can be whoever you want to be.'
Two days after his eighteenth birthday, Kenny Imafidon was charged with the murder of a seventeen-year-old boy in south-east London. The middle child of a single mother with ambitions for her children, Kenny grew up near an estate in Peckham where deprivation and hopelessness were rife, and gang culture flourished in his community. Kenny faced a minimum of thirty years behind bars - longer than the life he had lived.
When the case against Kenny collapsed, he quickly realised that his name was still inextricably linked with a horrific crime he hadn't committed. He decided to rewrite his story. It began with The Kenny Report, which he delivered to the House of Commons and which detailed the experiences of marginalised young people who drift into gangs, and has led to extensive work with charities, communities and policy-makers that is helping to change the narratives of other young people just like Kenny.
A candid and unfiltered take on some of the most challenging topics that define our times, That Peckham Boy is a personal manifesto exploring what it means to be young, Black and poor in the city. It is shaped by Kenny's difficult childhood, his transformative time in prison, and the people and conversations that took him from being on trial for murder into the company of some of the most successful people in the world.
.
304 pages, Hardcover
Published June 1, 2023
57 people are currently reading
1703 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 147 reviews
September 7, 2023
An autobiographical story that discusses themes of generational trauma, visa struggles, pride in one's area, and the mistreatment of black young people in London. I enjoyed the story; however, I felt that at times, the author was evangelising himself and potentially being a bit self-indulgent.
April 7, 2025
Everyone should read this book
December 13, 2023
Inspiring, humbling and a story that I am so grateful Kenny has told so honestly.
Gripping and personal story. Stuffed full of his own experiences of drug selling, gangs, poverty, racism, the criminal justice system, entering politics and, overall, breaking through social economic expectations.
His discussion and statistics are so readable and fascinating. Shocking too.
Gripping and personal story. Stuffed full of his own experiences of drug selling, gangs, poverty, racism, the criminal justice system, entering politics and, overall, breaking through social economic expectations.
His discussion and statistics are so readable and fascinating. Shocking too.
February 6, 2024
Know this is going to probably be an unpopular review, but I just couldn’t give this more than three stars. Writing technique is paramount for me and this book fell short. The repetitive/redundant writing style was something I couldn’t look past, and the string of disconnected cheesy quotes throughout lowered the writing quality a tier.
On a more positive note; the author’s voice was strong throughout and the story did pull at the heart strings and shed light on the inequities of the justice system on black youths. Kenny’s story is undoubtedly moving and the work he’s done for the black community profound. Kenny did an excellent job of showing how any one of us in his circumstances could have made the choices that he did which led to a life of disruption. He highlight that it is ultimately the system that failed, not Kenny himself.
Questioning whether I would’ve enjoyed it more had I read the book instead of listening to it on audiobook.
On a more positive note; the author’s voice was strong throughout and the story did pull at the heart strings and shed light on the inequities of the justice system on black youths. Kenny’s story is undoubtedly moving and the work he’s done for the black community profound. Kenny did an excellent job of showing how any one of us in his circumstances could have made the choices that he did which led to a life of disruption. He highlight that it is ultimately the system that failed, not Kenny himself.
Questioning whether I would’ve enjoyed it more had I read the book instead of listening to it on audiobook.
February 14, 2024
Such an important and powerful memoir! Idk how Imafidon is still standing but thank God he believed in himself! Should be on everyone's reading lists to understand precisely how a persons socioeconomic status / racial and class stereotypes can determine the decisions a person makes, and how it control societies treatment of them.
A big fat lesson on the UK's failure of a justice system, & how knife crime/ black on black violence/ increased incarceration etc. is our governments fault and they're turning a blind eye.
if you don't know get to know!!!!
A big fat lesson on the UK's failure of a justice system, & how knife crime/ black on black violence/ increased incarceration etc. is our governments fault and they're turning a blind eye.
if you don't know get to know!!!!
March 11, 2025
- A really insightful and inspiring story
- An equally harrowing picture of the state of the UK, systemic racism and the criminal “justice” system
- A bit repetitive at times, and definitely not the best piece of writing I’ve ever read, but I would still recommend it for the story alone, and the fact it even exists
- An equally harrowing picture of the state of the UK, systemic racism and the criminal “justice” system
- A bit repetitive at times, and definitely not the best piece of writing I’ve ever read, but I would still recommend it for the story alone, and the fact it even exists
April 11, 2025
I couldn't put this down. I may be bias from where I live and my area of work, but the themes, the writing style and the honesty were all put forward so incredibly well. I recommend this to everyone
February 18, 2024
Then I realised: I had become one of the invisibles, no longer a member of society. I'd gone from being seen - someone who was looked up to at college and beginning a life in politics - to becoming just another sorry statistic; a soon-to-be prisoner and an outcast.
Kenny Imafidon had just celebrated his 18th birthday, when two days later he was arrested under the controversial ‘joint enterprise law’ and charged with one count of murder, two counts of both attempted murder and grievous bodily harm, and possession of a firearm and an offensive weapon. The next six months were a traumatising and destabilising period spent remanded in custody with a very real prospect of decades incarcerated.
That Peckham Boy is a masterclass in memoirs of this kind - a modern true life story that has a wide readership; from someone who has experienced trauma so transformative that it has been published as a personal manifesto not only for a generation of readers, but also for political partisans too.
Imafidon approaches his storytelling with a remarkable self-awareness. Throughout, his writing is balanced and reflective, taking you on a journey from his complicated childhood living a double life - that as the high achieving son of an immigrant mother and absent father; and ‘Peckham Boy’ who had a booming business selling weed across London, shamefully engaging in intimidation, theft and physical altercations. It would have been easy to have written him off as ‘just another statistic’. But of course, against the backdrop of this, are the socioeconomic factors that so often become the markers of young Black adolescence. It was no shock to read references of both Damilola Taylor and, of course, Stephen Lawrence - a name I was almost waiting to surface. Imafidon writes: 'all of the younger Peckham Boys had to fight battles we had inherited from the generations before us, plus the new ones we started ourselves.' I couldn’t help but question what this does to the psyche of a young Black man growing up in a country where its civilised beginning - and current public services - are rooted in systemic racism.
Of course, there is the topic of his wrongful arrest, (which may contain some spoilers if you would rather wait until you read this yourself.)
Joint enterprise is a legal doctrine created more than 300 years ago which was initially used to combat illegal duelling between aristocrats. Alongside the shooter, all those involved in aiding, supporting or encroaching the duel could be held jointly liable. In modern times, this often means people are convicted under joint enterprise based on prejudicial evidence, information that could be inaccurate, or racial stereotypes.
Spoiler: In Imafidon’s case, the “evidence” was almost nonexistent. Mobile phone site data placed him in the general vicinity of the murder, although it offered no exact location, and he’d been in touch with some of the other defendants on that day. And that was it. 'But I lived in Peckham,' Imafidon writes. 'We were friends. And I also hung out near the area where Sylvester’s murder took place, which also wasn’t too far from my own home.'
There were some truly heartbreaking passages, and moments I wanted to throw the book across the room in frustration; such as when his one request from the prison psychologist was to help him find a way to sit his A Level exams. I was shocked and disgusted to read that, not only was there no process in place to foster the education of inmates, but that Imafidon’s college was initially hesitant to support this venture. What could they possibly have to lose in supporting his education? How can we expect to rehabilitate offenders - and those that have wrongful criminal records - if the systems in place won’t cooperate?
But what about the other ‘Young Black Peckham Boys’ who don’t have aspirations to go to university? Who aren’t interested in politics and perhaps who’s mistrust and resentment towards a system that has been so clearly failing them since birth fosters fertile ground for disillusionment, anger and even vengeance? Imafidon states a case for them too - because there simply is no “us vs them”; those that want to get on in life, and those that ‘don’t’ (Have you truly ever met anyone that doesn’t have some ideals of self-improvement? Of course not, because it’s right wing theory peddled to support the crumbling class narrative that has become the scaffolding of so many British institutions.) Those that come from supportive backgrounds, and those that are raised in poverty where, in Imafidon’s case, he could earn more selling weed part time than his mother ever could working multiple jobs within the public sector (now more benevolently referred to as ‘key worker’ roles) as an immigrant with no right to remain and no assets within the community. Without agency, without self esteem and without the infrastructure in place to find the confidence within to aim for a ‘better’ life, who amongst us can say they wouldn’t have made the same choices?
I read this book in a little over two sittings as part of a reading group at work, chosen alongside Black History month. It’s a must read for all, but especially those that are policy makers, forces for change and anti-racists alike. It is remarkable what Imafidon was able to go onto achieve, in spite of the treatment he received and the understandable ruinous mindset he could have fallen into; a powerful message to all of us about the role we can play, no matter how small, in helping those around us and stepping into our own power.
I’ve included a link and quote from an interview Imafidon shared with the Guardian, that I feel underpins exactly the message we should be taking from his story:
Kenny Imafidon had just celebrated his 18th birthday, when two days later he was arrested under the controversial ‘joint enterprise law’ and charged with one count of murder, two counts of both attempted murder and grievous bodily harm, and possession of a firearm and an offensive weapon. The next six months were a traumatising and destabilising period spent remanded in custody with a very real prospect of decades incarcerated.
That Peckham Boy is a masterclass in memoirs of this kind - a modern true life story that has a wide readership; from someone who has experienced trauma so transformative that it has been published as a personal manifesto not only for a generation of readers, but also for political partisans too.
Imafidon approaches his storytelling with a remarkable self-awareness. Throughout, his writing is balanced and reflective, taking you on a journey from his complicated childhood living a double life - that as the high achieving son of an immigrant mother and absent father; and ‘Peckham Boy’ who had a booming business selling weed across London, shamefully engaging in intimidation, theft and physical altercations. It would have been easy to have written him off as ‘just another statistic’. But of course, against the backdrop of this, are the socioeconomic factors that so often become the markers of young Black adolescence. It was no shock to read references of both Damilola Taylor and, of course, Stephen Lawrence - a name I was almost waiting to surface. Imafidon writes: 'all of the younger Peckham Boys had to fight battles we had inherited from the generations before us, plus the new ones we started ourselves.' I couldn’t help but question what this does to the psyche of a young Black man growing up in a country where its civilised beginning - and current public services - are rooted in systemic racism.
Of course, there is the topic of his wrongful arrest, (which may contain some spoilers if you would rather wait until you read this yourself.)
Joint enterprise is a legal doctrine created more than 300 years ago which was initially used to combat illegal duelling between aristocrats. Alongside the shooter, all those involved in aiding, supporting or encroaching the duel could be held jointly liable. In modern times, this often means people are convicted under joint enterprise based on prejudicial evidence, information that could be inaccurate, or racial stereotypes.
Spoiler: In Imafidon’s case, the “evidence” was almost nonexistent. Mobile phone site data placed him in the general vicinity of the murder, although it offered no exact location, and he’d been in touch with some of the other defendants on that day. And that was it. 'But I lived in Peckham,' Imafidon writes. 'We were friends. And I also hung out near the area where Sylvester’s murder took place, which also wasn’t too far from my own home.'
There were some truly heartbreaking passages, and moments I wanted to throw the book across the room in frustration; such as when his one request from the prison psychologist was to help him find a way to sit his A Level exams. I was shocked and disgusted to read that, not only was there no process in place to foster the education of inmates, but that Imafidon’s college was initially hesitant to support this venture. What could they possibly have to lose in supporting his education? How can we expect to rehabilitate offenders - and those that have wrongful criminal records - if the systems in place won’t cooperate?
But what about the other ‘Young Black Peckham Boys’ who don’t have aspirations to go to university? Who aren’t interested in politics and perhaps who’s mistrust and resentment towards a system that has been so clearly failing them since birth fosters fertile ground for disillusionment, anger and even vengeance? Imafidon states a case for them too - because there simply is no “us vs them”; those that want to get on in life, and those that ‘don’t’ (Have you truly ever met anyone that doesn’t have some ideals of self-improvement? Of course not, because it’s right wing theory peddled to support the crumbling class narrative that has become the scaffolding of so many British institutions.) Those that come from supportive backgrounds, and those that are raised in poverty where, in Imafidon’s case, he could earn more selling weed part time than his mother ever could working multiple jobs within the public sector (now more benevolently referred to as ‘key worker’ roles) as an immigrant with no right to remain and no assets within the community. Without agency, without self esteem and without the infrastructure in place to find the confidence within to aim for a ‘better’ life, who amongst us can say they wouldn’t have made the same choices?
What I lacked was agency. I was so used to a narrative being painted about me, that I fell into it without even realising. When you have low self-esteem you're less likely to feel that you are in control of your life, and less likely to take responsibility for your choices. It took me a while to realise I had control over my own decisions.
I read this book in a little over two sittings as part of a reading group at work, chosen alongside Black History month. It’s a must read for all, but especially those that are policy makers, forces for change and anti-racists alike. It is remarkable what Imafidon was able to go onto achieve, in spite of the treatment he received and the understandable ruinous mindset he could have fallen into; a powerful message to all of us about the role we can play, no matter how small, in helping those around us and stepping into our own power.
I’ve included a link and quote from an interview Imafidon shared with the Guardian, that I feel underpins exactly the message we should be taking from his story:
“I feel I’m actively contributing to society, but that so easily could have been taken away. We waste a lot of potential in our society because we make assumptions about what greatness looks like and where it comes from. But greatness comes from places like Peckham, too.”
February 17, 2024
Peckham Boy - two words that meant crime, violence, poverty and hopelessness but could represent progress, success, joy and fulfilment. What would make the former turn into the later?
This is a memoir about a young man who lived a double life as a talented student with a side hustle on the streets of Peckham. Kenny was accused of a murder he did not commit. He was a lot of things but a murderer wasn’t one of them. How does he convince a jury of his innocence though?
I first read about Joint Enterprise in the novel Hope and Glory by Jendella Benson, I found myself researching the topic after that. Reading about someone’s experience of this hits differently.
While reading, I saw the name of my former colleague’s son in the book. I had chills as I remember visiting his mum 12 years ago, how do you comfort someone who has lost her 17 year old son in the most brutal way?
The writing of this memoir is so accessible, it’s engaging and I sometimes forgot I was reading about real life events. True life is really stranger than fiction sometimes.
Kenny started each chapter with some great quotes and I found a few in his own writing. I do love a good quote and I’m feeling generous so I’ll share a couple with you.
“Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future.”
Oscar Wilde, A Woman of No Importance
“If you don’t know who you are at 9 a.m, by dinner time someone’s going to tell you who you are.”
John Hope Bryant, The Memo
“Love is a beautiful thing they say. But what they don’t tell you is- or maybe you don’t listen when you’re a teenager - is that love is only beautiful if you fall for the right person.”
“Why this big war on drugs, I thought, and not a big war on poverty?”
This is a memoir about a young man who lived a double life as a talented student with a side hustle on the streets of Peckham. Kenny was accused of a murder he did not commit. He was a lot of things but a murderer wasn’t one of them. How does he convince a jury of his innocence though?
I first read about Joint Enterprise in the novel Hope and Glory by Jendella Benson, I found myself researching the topic after that. Reading about someone’s experience of this hits differently.
While reading, I saw the name of my former colleague’s son in the book. I had chills as I remember visiting his mum 12 years ago, how do you comfort someone who has lost her 17 year old son in the most brutal way?
The writing of this memoir is so accessible, it’s engaging and I sometimes forgot I was reading about real life events. True life is really stranger than fiction sometimes.
Kenny started each chapter with some great quotes and I found a few in his own writing. I do love a good quote and I’m feeling generous so I’ll share a couple with you.
“Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future.”
Oscar Wilde, A Woman of No Importance
“If you don’t know who you are at 9 a.m, by dinner time someone’s going to tell you who you are.”
John Hope Bryant, The Memo
“Love is a beautiful thing they say. But what they don’t tell you is- or maybe you don’t listen when you’re a teenager - is that love is only beautiful if you fall for the right person.”
“Why this big war on drugs, I thought, and not a big war on poverty?”
August 11, 2023
Kenny Imafidon's memoir follows his journey from the streets of Peckham (where he sold weed to lift himself out of poverty), through a guards' room in Feltham prison (where he sits his A-levels) and the court benches (where he prays not to be accused of a murder he didn't commit), to the benches in Parliament (where, aged 19, he presents The Kenny Report).
Written by the brother of an old friend of mine, I was excited to read Kenny's detailed account of everything. His experiences were interesting to read, important to have on paper, and a powerful way to start a debate about racial and socioeconomic injustices in the UK. I only wish that it was structured differently - writing chronologically meant that the book had a slow start and picking up from the middle and hopping back and forth would have been more captivating. I also thought there were too many rhetorical questions and exclamatory sentences which, while making the book read in Kenny's true voice, signaled a lack of assertiveness and boldness of the text. The statistics that were included on a few occasions felt a bit out of place and could have been added differently. Kenny passionately paints a picture of injustice, where Sodiq and David are wrongfully accused of murder, but we never find out who the real murderer is or get enough facts to dismiss S & D's cases completely (as easily as Kenny does) which, from the point of a reader, feels like an attempt to manipulate us into thinking that the Justice System is a complete failure that can't be trusted at all (even though I'm sure it wasn't intended as such). Nevertheless, the second half of the book was quite strong.
Written by the brother of an old friend of mine, I was excited to read Kenny's detailed account of everything. His experiences were interesting to read, important to have on paper, and a powerful way to start a debate about racial and socioeconomic injustices in the UK. I only wish that it was structured differently - writing chronologically meant that the book had a slow start and picking up from the middle and hopping back and forth would have been more captivating. I also thought there were too many rhetorical questions and exclamatory sentences which, while making the book read in Kenny's true voice, signaled a lack of assertiveness and boldness of the text. The statistics that were included on a few occasions felt a bit out of place and could have been added differently. Kenny passionately paints a picture of injustice, where Sodiq and David are wrongfully accused of murder, but we never find out who the real murderer is or get enough facts to dismiss S & D's cases completely (as easily as Kenny does) which, from the point of a reader, feels like an attempt to manipulate us into thinking that the Justice System is a complete failure that can't be trusted at all (even though I'm sure it wasn't intended as such). Nevertheless, the second half of the book was quite strong.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 17, 2024
Listened to as an audiobook narrated by Chuku Modu 🎧📖
This was hands down the best thing I've listened to in a long time. An interesting and emotive insight into Kenny Imafidon's inspiring journey, reminding us that we are not just a product of our environment.
Although I haven't walked in Kenny's shoes or lived the same experiences, there were parts of this story that really resonated with me and my childhood.
Kenny has done, and continues to do some incredible work for our society and the ending of this story legit made me shed a tear. So glad I picked this one up, I wholly recommend it.
This was hands down the best thing I've listened to in a long time. An interesting and emotive insight into Kenny Imafidon's inspiring journey, reminding us that we are not just a product of our environment.
Although I haven't walked in Kenny's shoes or lived the same experiences, there were parts of this story that really resonated with me and my childhood.
Kenny has done, and continues to do some incredible work for our society and the ending of this story legit made me shed a tear. So glad I picked this one up, I wholly recommend it.
February 7, 2025
One of the most stirring and inspiring autobiographies I have ever read. Kenny is a strong-willed and reflective man who really earns your love throughout the book.
His resilience in the face of imprisonment alongside his strength in vulnerability makes me think of some of the children I have taught and all of those who are on the same path. I truly hope they see the greatness of life like Kenny has.
I want to meet this guy!
His resilience in the face of imprisonment alongside his strength in vulnerability makes me think of some of the children I have taught and all of those who are on the same path. I truly hope they see the greatness of life like Kenny has.
I want to meet this guy!
September 24, 2023
Jesus. What a life! From the streets, to Parliament to prison. Gripping, inspiring and heartbreaking. Thankyou Kenny!
January 5, 2025
3.5 ⭐️
This explored some difficult yet important topics, a decent read
P.S. thanks Adelya for telling me to write reviews for my 2025 resolution x
This explored some difficult yet important topics, a decent read
P.S. thanks Adelya for telling me to write reviews for my 2025 resolution x
May 5, 2025
4.5*, really enjoyed this one. Writing style felt like the author was sitting next to you and telling you about their life
April 22, 2024
That Peckham Boy, a memoir by Kenny Imafidion.
I risked my life to read this book bc it was so good I nearly missed my stop on the train and had to dash for the doors at the last minute 😂
The book is a real raw account of Kenny's life in Peckham and his time in prison. It's technically non-fiction, but reads like a story. If you're from South East London parts will be nostalgic, and if you're not, you'll find them eye opening. It's a hard read, but a necessary one. It reminds us of the racial and social injustice we have in the courtrooms in a way that really gets you riled on Kenny's behalf. At points I was flicking through the pages out of frustration, angry at how the story played out, hoping there was a happy ending. There is real privilege in being able to read this story, only imagining what it would have been like to experience this in real life, to not be able to skip ahead, to have to sit and wait for a verdict when the odds are stacked against you.
As well as being brave enough to put ink to paper to tell people this story, Kenny has worked real hard outside of the book ensure that his experience helps others, through reports, research, and work in parliament. A proper G.
I risked my life to read this book bc it was so good I nearly missed my stop on the train and had to dash for the doors at the last minute 😂
The book is a real raw account of Kenny's life in Peckham and his time in prison. It's technically non-fiction, but reads like a story. If you're from South East London parts will be nostalgic, and if you're not, you'll find them eye opening. It's a hard read, but a necessary one. It reminds us of the racial and social injustice we have in the courtrooms in a way that really gets you riled on Kenny's behalf. At points I was flicking through the pages out of frustration, angry at how the story played out, hoping there was a happy ending. There is real privilege in being able to read this story, only imagining what it would have been like to experience this in real life, to not be able to skip ahead, to have to sit and wait for a verdict when the odds are stacked against you.
As well as being brave enough to put ink to paper to tell people this story, Kenny has worked real hard outside of the book ensure that his experience helps others, through reports, research, and work in parliament. A proper G.
September 25, 2024
Kenny Imafidon gives an unfiltered and genuine look into the life of young boys who get trapped in a life of crime.
Peckham is now known as a creative hub and is environmentally benefiting from the effects of gentrification, while the residents are suffering the consequences of increased prices and divided communities, however it's association with gang violence and crime still looms on every street corner. Imafidon is living proof that positive change is possible, and there is hope for a life not limited to survival but open to thriving.
Having studied criminology, the issues within the CJS discussed were poignant and seemingly blatant to a criminologically trained eye but unfortunately governments aren't diverse and representative of lower-income communities that are actually impacted by the issues at hand and therefore lack the understanding to institute real change. Work such as Imafidon's gives hope of a future where boys and girls from deprived areas can achieve more than what is offered to them in their limited access.
RIP Sylvester Akapalara.
Peckham is now known as a creative hub and is environmentally benefiting from the effects of gentrification, while the residents are suffering the consequences of increased prices and divided communities, however it's association with gang violence and crime still looms on every street corner. Imafidon is living proof that positive change is possible, and there is hope for a life not limited to survival but open to thriving.
Having studied criminology, the issues within the CJS discussed were poignant and seemingly blatant to a criminologically trained eye but unfortunately governments aren't diverse and representative of lower-income communities that are actually impacted by the issues at hand and therefore lack the understanding to institute real change. Work such as Imafidon's gives hope of a future where boys and girls from deprived areas can achieve more than what is offered to them in their limited access.
RIP Sylvester Akapalara.
March 25, 2025
Wow !!! Kenny is an inspiration ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
September 8, 2024
A troubling read, and one that made me so angry for what some have to face.
Our main character writes about his life growing up in Peckham. Older brother to someone who admires him, and son to a Nigerian mother who is determined to uphold standards, Kenny is a character that you can’t help but admire. Personable and intelligent, Kenny has a strong sense of pride for his background but is also keen not to be shaped by his home situation.
From early on he leads a double life. Talented student but also someone prepared to do what is necessary to make a bit of extra cash. Dealing drugs but trying hard to make something of himself it is clear that Kenny is not quite the same as his peers. However, when he is arrested by the police for the murder of a young boy on his estate and charged under the Joint Enterprise law, its hard to see how he’ll break free from the expectations that others seem to have of him.
Our main character writes about his life growing up in Peckham. Older brother to someone who admires him, and son to a Nigerian mother who is determined to uphold standards, Kenny is a character that you can’t help but admire. Personable and intelligent, Kenny has a strong sense of pride for his background but is also keen not to be shaped by his home situation.
From early on he leads a double life. Talented student but also someone prepared to do what is necessary to make a bit of extra cash. Dealing drugs but trying hard to make something of himself it is clear that Kenny is not quite the same as his peers. However, when he is arrested by the police for the murder of a young boy on his estate and charged under the Joint Enterprise law, its hard to see how he’ll break free from the expectations that others seem to have of him.
December 6, 2025
I’m not someone who usually gravitates towards non-fiction, but honestly this was such a fantastic read. That Peckham Boy is a really honest, grounded and powerful memoir. Kenny takes you through his childhood in Peckham, the challenges he faced, the moments that shaped him and how he fought his way into a completely different life. It’s raw, reflective and very human, and I loved how he balances the heaviness with hope.
It’s also a great insight into the British justice system and what life can be like for a Black boy growing up in London. If you enjoy memoirs about resilience, community, injustice and breaking cycles, this is definitely one to pick up!
It’s also a great insight into the British justice system and what life can be like for a Black boy growing up in London. If you enjoy memoirs about resilience, community, injustice and breaking cycles, this is definitely one to pick up!
February 10, 2025
i picked it up because it was for sale and I liked the cover and the info in the back was interesting. I wasnt aware this was kind of a memoir or something, but I liked it so much. I did not go through what Kenny Imafidon went through - beeing accused of murder (wrongfully so) but I grew up being very, very poor. So I could relate to that. But what selled this book to me is the view I got from him - being a black person in the UK, groing up "in the hood" and seeing how broken the system is but he prevailed and is doing so much good work. I am amazed. Really good book.
September 15, 2024
This book was well written in an easy to read personable style. I found it interesting to learn about the injustices faced by young black men in society and the open racism and prejudices they experience in the judicial system. Although it was perhaps a little self-promoting at times It was nonetheless inspiring and humbling to read how Kenny turned his life around and achieved such remarkable things. Definitely worth a read.
April 29, 2025
wow! what an inspiration Kenny is. From being accused and arrested of murder under joint enterprise at the age of 18 to then being acquitted and building a lasting foundation to shine the light on the injustices of the criminal justice system in particular for people of colour in impoverished areas of the UK. Truly an amazing man!
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January 20, 2024
Really grateful that Kenny shared his story! Super inspiring. He could’ve easily gone down such a different route after his wrongful conviction, but he completely changed his path! Such an eye opening book, very raw and honest
May 9, 2024
Such a powerful read! Without giving too much away, it’s a true story about a young man from London who finds himself in the wrong crowd growing up. As a result, he ends up in prison for a murder he played no part in and recounts how he has rebuilt his life following these tragic circumstances.
July 8, 2024
It’s hard to imagine what Kenny went through as an adolescent, and his story of perseverance is very impressive! Very inspiring and worth the read. I’m curious to learn more about his current work in different communities around the country
January 6, 2025
another amazing book club read! thank you phoebe!
April 23, 2025
Inspirational, big up Kenny!
July 29, 2025
Soooo good. An inspiring memoir !!
October 7, 2023
Growing up in Peckham with everything stacked against you, Kenny takes you on his journey through life, but like no other life. An exceptional man who inspires others. Love where people triumph over adversity.
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