Having listened to the BBC R4 dramatisation of the novel (not available for download) , I was intrigued to get the book for Christmas – after some very heavy hints, of course!
And this link will take any readers to Jamila Gavin’s own website and her thoughts on risk, creativity and education. She is at risk of being accused of elititism when she writes
“I’m asking that we are more selective with what we give our children in school. We should recognize that, for a vast majority, it may be the only opportunity to give them contact with the finest achievements of many civilizations. I think a fear of “elitism” has meant that generations of children aren’t hearing the finest music, reading the finest literature, or being given access to the best of human achievement.”
But she does have a point, and I feel Coram Boy is a work that in its bravery and clarity gives her the authority to talk about ‘the finest literature.’
nicktomjoe 