I am the product of a blank generation. I live for kicks. I live for me.

Birkenhead, 1979. The Pack, a violent mob of Stanley-knife-wielding football hooligans, follow their team across the Northern wastelands to their away games - earning a reputation as the nastiest crew in the Third Division. For the young working-class men with no way out, their lives revolve around the fashion, the music and the mayhem. But for two of them, Carty and Elvis, escaping towards a different future might mean leaving each other behind.

Quickly gaining cult status when first published, Awaydays is both a powerful evocation of a time and a culture, and a poignant coming-of-age story about finding your identity, escaping your circumstances and the unspoken intensity of male friendships.

About the Author

Kevin Sampson is a British novelist and screenwriter, best known for his novels Awaydays (1998), Powder (1999), Stars Are Stars (2006) and The Killing Pool (2014). He began his career in the music industry by writing gig reviews for NME in the 80s and has written for i-D, Arena, Sounds, Time Out and the Observer. He was part of Produce Records, who had a string of Top 40 hits in the 90s including The Farm's 'Groovy Train' and 'All Together Now'. His screenwriting credits include Anne (ITV, 2022), The Hunt for Raoul Moat (2023) and the film adaption of Awaydays (2009).

@ksampsonwriter

Reviews
Sampson is a fine storyteller . . . Nasty stuff, brilliantly told * * Guardian * *
The dark side of Nick Hornby's Fever Pitch * * NME * *
Avoids the tiresome pitfalls of hard man posturing, focusing instead on that great working-class bromance of following your team away -- IRVINE WELSH
An acutely observed rite-of-passage story . . . a time and a generation which has too often been reduced to cliche * * Independent on Sunday * *
A gritty novel with wit and humour at every turn * * Maxim * *
What's in a cult novel? A great story, charismatic characters, a powerful narrative voice and an evocative style. If these are the basic ingredients to achieve the perfect cult status, then Kevin Sampson's Awaydays has them all * * Dazed * *
Mind-bending . . . An immersive portrait of the time and authentic coming-of-age documentation, Awaydays, underestimated outside Britain, is a perfect combination of so-called 'low' and 'high' cultures * * Medium * *
Awaydays is cheeky, entertaining and in parts dangerous * * Loaded * *
Razor-sharp rites of passage that buzzes with post-punk energy * * Telegraph * *



Book Information
ISBN 9781837261895
Author Kevin Sampson
Format Paperback
Page Count 224
Imprint Canongate Canons
Publisher Canongate Books
Weight(grams) 159g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 13mm