North London. Ten minutes walk from each other. Same demographic of students (mainly working class white and Bengali, with a smattering of West African). In one school, the kids swore at their female teachers (distinctly not the male teachers), their manners were virtually non-existent, and students were self-segregated by gender. Girls and gays on one side, everyone else on the other.
In the second school, piles of rubble outside, and wonky floors inside, literally round the corner from the first school, the students were respectful to all their teachers, they were engaged, polite, almost all of them had read my books, and the whole mood was light and euphoric. I asked the teachers why. How? What was the difference between these two schools, because on paper there wasn’t any. The answer: “Their parents are mostly low-income so they take education very seriously. A lot of them read after school”. But surely they’re the same demographic of parents as the first school. Read into that what you will, I’m not a sociologist. The psychology of working class parents – some use class as a reason to scoff at education, others see a reason to place more value in it. It’s random, I think. But I was given another reason. One more tangible. “The Headteacher has a strong reading culture here, we do a whole school read of the same book (staff included), and especially teenage boys love it that their PE teachers have read the same books as them”. This is profound, and I’m very happy to report that it’s not isolated.
In schools where the librarians/English departments are backed, the reading culture improves. Where there’s a strong reading culture, the gender segregation is magically gone. The toxic male influences are not a palpable energy in the air. The attention spans, and basic good manners, they thrive. I’ve seen it. Not as frequently as the overwhelming intolerance that a lot of schools’ students exhibit, but enough times that I know it works.
And when the school has this reading culture, I like to think (but can’t prove) that it seeps into the parents’ mentality. Which could explain my double school dilemma. Even in those problem schools, within that pesky 14 to 15-year-old demographic who stop reading altogether, there is a sense of play that is still there, that needs to be encouraged.
I see the playfulness, and creativity, and empathy, more clearly in the ones who read books. It’s right there, at every school visit. Annoyingly, but maybe off topic, those creative kids are the ones who are generally given a tough time from other students. The amazing traits that they aren’t celebrated at that age, but I tell them that life will get better around sixth form and definitely in uni.
For the rest of the year 9s, the non-readers, I’ve seen their creativity shine during creative writing workshops. It’s criminal that there’s not more space on the curriculum, but that’s outside my jurisdiction as some guy who just writes books.
I’ll remind the reader that books change lives for the better. It’s a fact. Scientific, anecdotal, sociological fact. And although class plays a part in how much teens read, I think it’s selective to the parents. I’ve seen that too. And I’ve been to every corner of the UK talking about this. When I’m in those Reform voting areas, with England flags hanging from every lamppost and roundabout, I have to remind myself that those kids are not their parents. Not yet, anyway. And the benefits of reading apply to them just as much as anyone. And for the most part, they’re receptive. My skin colour and South London accent has come up once or twice in schools, but kids are thankfully more teachable than adults. And I am grateful, for all of it. My own books, and
Spring-Summer 2026
class, and creativity, my race and ethnicity, and Britishness, and playfulness, all the attributes of my life universe that I’m comprised of. Outside of some specific technology, I wasn’t any different to today’s teenagers. I could have read more books, though. Thankfully, a lot of them are. Not all of them, but some of them. And for those that are, I know they’re going to go on and have amazing lives. And for the rest, there’s still hope. Lots of hope. PEN&INC
OUT NOW
Nathanael’s latest book, Like a Brother (Hot Key Books), is out now.
Owais lives a chill life. He’s well-liked, funny and everything’s a breeze – until his estranged cousin shows up.
Loud, unpredictable and one bad decision away from serious trouble, Abass crashes into Owais’ laidback world like a hurricane: picking fights, ruining parties, disappearing without explanation and clogging toilets in places he absolutely shouldn’t.
But as the boys get to know each other and their bond deepens, Owais starts to see there’s more to Abass than the chaos – and more to himself than just being the popular guy who coasts through life. Because sometimes, the person who turns your world upside down is also the person who helps you figure out where you’re really meant to be…
PEN&INC. 27
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