'Sad, sonorous, occasionally hilarious, an extraordinary first novel' Washington Post

'Striking . . . brings sexism and classism into equal focus' The Paris Review

Adah is a single mother of five, living in a dank, crumbling housing estate for 'problem families', avoiding the rats and rubbish. It's not quite the new start in London she had planned. As she navigates the complicated welfare system that keeps her trapped in poverty, can she cling to her dream of a better life, and find somewhere that feels like home?

Buchi Emecheta's scorching debut novel drew on her own experiences to paint a moving picture of hope, unexpected friendship, and survival.

In the Ditch joins The Joys of Motherhood and Second-Class Citizen in Penguin Modern Classics, with a bespoke cover design from Turner Prize-winning artist Chris Ofili.

'Buchi Emecheta was the foremother of black British women's writing' Bernardine Evaristo

About the Author
Buchi Emecheta (1944-2017) was born in Lagos, Nigeria and moved to London in 1961. A writer and academic, she wrote sixteen novels, three children's stories and numerous articles and television plays.

Reviews
Sad, sonorous, occasionally hilarious, an extraordinary first novel -- Adrianne Blue * The Washington Post *
Striking . . . a world rarely brought to life on the page with the candor and intensity of firsthand experience . . . brings sexism and classism into equal focus -- Lucy Scholes * The Paris Review *
Bold, brave, defiant, and determined, Buchi Emecheta graced the world with her first novel in 1972 -- Eashani Chavda * gal-dem *
A pioneer among Black female novelists . . . Emecheta writes with an appealingly jocular tone . . . In the Ditch remains politically pertinent as well as entertaining . . . its charm comes not only from its basis in fact, but also in its author's skill for capturing the truest quirks of human character -- Ellen Peirson-Hagger * The Observer *
Buchi Emecheta was evidently extraordinarily gifted as well as extremely determined... Adah's story is told with empathy and humour. This is about survival in the face of almost insurmountable odds... In The Ditch is [also] a powerful critique of a stigmatising system, rife with contradictions and replete with negative stereotypes about people who are so urgently in need of support -- Marjorie Mayo * The Morning Star *



Book Information
ISBN 9780241578124
Author Buchi Emecheta
Format Paperback
Page Count 160
Imprint Penguin Classics
Publisher Penguin Books Ltd
Weight(grams) 125g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 10mm