Pigeon English (2011) is author Stephen Kelman's debut novel. The text follows the story of Harrison "Harri" Opoku, an eleven-year-old Ghanaian immigrant who tries to solve the murder of a London boy. Kelman was inspired to write Pigeon English after Damilola Taylor's murder rocked the United Kingdom. Kelman, who lived in an estate similar to the one in which Damilola lived, grew up with children who endured similar struggles as those explored in the novel. Several scenes in the text are lifted from Kelman's real-life experiences.
Bloomsbury first published Pigeon English in 2011 to critical and commercial acclaim. The best-seller was shortlisted for the 2011 Booker Prize, the Guardian First Book Award, Desmond Elliott Prize, and the Galaxy National Book Award. National Literacy Trust and the Booker Prize Foundation included Pigeon English in a national program encouraging literacy among incarcerated people.
A theatrical version of Pigeon English, adapted by Fringe First winner Gbolahan Obisesan and directed by Miranda Cromwell, was performed at the Bristol Old Vic and the 2013 Edinburgh Festival.
