Polly Courtney is a British writer of novels and screenplays. Her books focus on contemporary social issues such as sexism in the city, Eastern European migration and the London riots, while her latest feature film project focuses on women’s football in WWI. More on Polly here.

“A shocking and unsentimental account of generation recession” — Independent on Sunday

“Feral Youth is as compelling as it is horrifying. It lifts the lid on the lives of marginalised young people that the media demonises and the rest of us prefer to ignore.” — Fiona Bawdon, Guardian / Reading the Riots

“Feral Youth is as life-affirming as Trainspotting and will connect with teenagers and adults alike.” — Lambert Nagle

“Feral Youth gives an insight into life on London’s streets beyond the negative stereotypes, provoking us to address the underlying causes of the riots.” — Patrick Regan OBE, XLP

“Feral Youth gives a unique insight into the very real problems encountered in some of our most deprived areas.” — Gary Trowsdale, Damilola Taylor Trust

“At last, a new writer of note – reminds me of the greatest of Doris Lessing.” — C. J. Terry

“Her biting descriptions neatly expose the banality of a macho culture addicted to its own mythology.” — Metro

“A thought provoking work which begs the question, are golden handshakes really as glittering as they seem?” — CityLife

“It’s about ambition, resilience and shattered dreams, and what it means to sell your soul to the City.” — Guardian

Polly Courtney is author of six novels as well as a regular commentator on TV and radio. She made her name in 2006 with Golden Handcuffs, a semi-autobiographical account of life in the Square Mile. Subsequent books have tackled sexism, racism, lads’ mags, immigration, fame culture and the wealth divide.
In late 2011, on the publication of her fifth novel, Courtney famously walked out on her publisher, HarperCollins, frustrated by the ‘chick lit’ covers assigned to her books. She went on to self-publish Feral Youth, a compelling story set during the London riots and told from the perspective of a disenfranchised 15-year-old girl.

Audiobook versions out now!