The Quarry

Halls weaves a chorus of voices that don't shy away from the ugliness of contemporary deprivation - the casual racism, the violence and addiction - but this refusal to romanticise or rose-tint is where the book's power lies. In following these flawed, multifaceted characters as their lives obliquely intersect, we're forced to reckon with a section of our society that is frequently denounced as hopeless, but is actually anything but. Halls' stories show that even in zero-hour, austerity-battered Britain, the tenderness and warmth of human connection exists. The Quarry is, in the end, a testament to this messy truth - how love, hate, hope and fear have always lived on the same street
Halls's arresting debut tackles topics from addiction to toxic masculinity
Halls has a sharp observational eye, exploring both the best and worst of humanity, and how it exists side by side
Equal parts tough and tender, The Quarry is essential reading. Ben Halls has important insights into the challenges faced by men in post-industrial, gig-economy Britain
The Quarry is a powerful read and you won't regret picking it up and flicking through the amazing stories. At this point of my review I'd usually list my favourite short stories from the book, but it's too hard to choose as every one of them struck a chord with me. They're all immensely powerful in their own way and each story merits a medal in its own right
Tender, droll . . . Halls gives his flair for knuckle-chewing agony free rein
In these interconnected short stories, we meet the men living on the Quarry Lane estate in west London. These are men at work, at the pub, at home, with their families, lovers and friends. Men grappling with addiction, sexuality and the corrosive effects of toxic masculinity.

From a bouncer at the local nightclub, to a postman returning to the streets of his youth, and a young man thinking of all the things he'd say and do to the father who left him behind, this startling debut reveals the complex inner lives of individuals whose voices are too often non-existent in fiction. Powerful and impressive, The Quarry marks the arrival of a bold new voice.

'Tender, droll . . . Halls gives his flair for knuckle-chewing agony free rein' Observer

'Equal parts tough and tender, The Quarry is essential reading. Ben Halls has important insights into the challenges faced by men in post-industrial, gig-economy Britain' Alice O'Keefe