Buy Jerusalem now!
Jerusalem
My new novel, Jerusalem, is published by Fig Tree/ Penguin. It is the conclusion of the loose trilogy begun with Musungu Jim and continued in Twelve Bar Blues. In the simplest terms, Jerusalem is my last attempt to address British colonialism in Africa and its aftermath ... or, at least, my last attempt in this particular voice, which seems to be a mixture of fairly broad satire and somewhat nebulous nostalgia. So, while Musungu Jim addressed Africa and Twelve Bar Blues the African diaspora, this is about the experience of colonialism for the English. That doesn't make it sound like much fun, but it is ...
For anyone who's interested in such things, I got the idea from pages of a journal I discovered in the Empire Museum in Bristol. Though incomplete, it seems to be the diary of an anonymous 'country gentleman' written in 1901. If you click on the image to the left, you ought to be able to see a scan of a sample. If you look down the page, you can listen to me reading a bit. Cool, eh?
It would be great if you could support this book. When I say 'support', I really mean 'buy'. You can do that through Paypal below.
What the blurb says:
In the first year of the 20th Century, a young Englishman returns home from the Boer War. Disillusioned with Empire and fearful for the soul of Albion, he sets out on a pilgrimage into the West Country, determined to identify the key elements of the English character that they may be forever preserved.
In the present day, a young London entrepreneur, owner of the ‘cultural consultancy' AuthenticityTM, defines his contemporaries through their consumer choices with bewildering accuracy, wallows in money and contemplates his growing sense of dissatisfaction.
His father, meanwhile, a junior minister in a failing government, is sent to Africa to deal with the continent's latest tin pot despot. He is as confident of success as he is ambitious of what that success will mean for his career.
Unfailingly relevant, politically astute, moving and funny, Jerusalem is a loving portrait of Englishness as it never was, isn't now and, hopefully, never will be.
What the critics say:
‘An excellent writer, a marvellous novel. A thrilling read’ Daily Telegraph
‘Wildly inventive, funny and superbly original’ The Times
‘A corrosive and blistering satire on colonialism and an eloquent, angry and relevant novel that speaks its own truth to power’ Sunday Telegraph
‘A multi-layered, jam-packed and often satirical novel rich in ideas and argument. Neate’s most inventive book to date . . . invites comparisons with David Mitchell’s genre-busting Cloud Atlas’ Guardian
‘Wonderful, impressive, fascinating. Neate is always an engaging and sharp writer’ Independent on Sunday‘Witty and acerbic dialogue, an unflagging comic plot, upbeat entertainment’ Independent
‘Entertaining, relevant, bold, spiky, wonderful’ Scotland on Sunday
‘This funny, emotional and beautifully observed tale looks at family, friendship and justice courtesy of colourful characters that sing right off the page’ Bella
‘Extraordinary; ambitious; bitingly, laugh-out-loud satirical, politically sharp, absolutely on-the-money in portraying social class niches, Jerusalem is, quite simply, a must-read’ Daily Mail
‘Neate brutally satirizes contemporary politics and culture and examines the long shadow Britain has left in its former colonies’ Word Magazine
‘A curious, ridiculous and insightful exploration of Englishness’ Esquire
Use the neat little player above to listen to an extract as streaming audio (13m 33s).
Alternatively, download an MP3 for your iPod or whatever here (10mb).
Recorded at The Lab with Drew Horley. Additional production by Joshua Chigwendere.
What the video to accompany the book looks like:
We made a video to accompany the book. This is what it looks like ...
Buy it online:
You can buy a signed copy of Jerusalem direct from this website via Paypal by choosing your shipping region, and clicking on the Add To Cart button below.
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