NOMINATED FOR THE LAMBDA AWARD FOR GAY FICTION
WINNER OF THE BEST SHORT FILM AT THE RUSHES SOHO SHORTS FILM FESTIVAL
WINNER OF THE BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT AT THE TORONTO REELWORLD FILM FESTIVAL
Adapted from John R. Gordon's award-winning short film of the same name, which was directed by Rikki Beadle-Blair, Souljah is 'a visually arresting masterpiece' (The Huffington Post).
When violent thug Evill and his drug-dealing South London crew menace Stanlake, a young African refugee, and his mother Poppy, little do they realize that this effeminate youth is a former child soldier, capable of the most extreme responses. Forced to meet violence with violence, Stanlake stands up to his tormentors, only to find himself drawn into a darkly erotic and passionate relationship with the damaged, closetted Evill. As love begins to bloom between the two deeply-scarred young men old evil erupts, threatening to consume them both and compelling Stanlake to face – and move beyond – his past.
Souljah is a gripping, disturbing tale of love and war, religious bigotry and gay defiance, of battling against the odds, and the power of the human heart to overcome the worst of terrors.
'A breathless, cinematic thrill-ride of a novel… Sweeps you up and envelops you in its unique world… this is what novels are for. Stunning.'
– Rikki Beadle-Blair
'...a novel that defies categorization. It's a mashup of the immigrant saga, a chilling gangster thriller, a state-of-the-nation novel, a coming-of-age story and an intimate family portrait with a harrowing war crime at its heart. The fact that Gordon never once drops the ball makes Souljah a sprawling, visually arresting masterpiece.'
- The Huffington Post
You can buy this text via the following outlets:
UK: Waterstones / Amazon
US: Barnes & Noble / Amazon
You can watch the stunning, award-winning short film of Souljah here: