David Peace: Texts and Contexts

David Peace is an emerging British author who is widely read and taught, and whose novels are increasingly translated into commercial film (The Damned United, March 2009), as well as television (the UK's Channel 4 adaptation of the Red Riding Quartet, March 2009). While UK readers seek insight into the socio-cultural contexts of England's regions (and in particular his writing on the Yorkshire Ripper and the 1984-1985 miners' strike), Peace also has a following in the US, where both The Damned United and Red Riding are set to receive a national cinema release. This book provides a challenging but accessible critical introduction to his work through a detailed analysis of his writing, as well as the socio-cultural contexts of its production and dissemination. The book explores Peace's attempts to capture the sensibilities of late 20th-century society and contributes to an ongoing debate in the media about Peace's representations. A broad international appeal and readership are explored and discussed, especially in the context of crime fiction and social engagement. This text is the first critical resource concerning David Peace and will cover the full body of his writings to date, the debates his work has generated, and the often contentious representations offered by his novels. Influenced by critical theory, it will be the first secondary resource concerning this rising star of contemporary British literature.