The Gilt Kid
Encyclopedia
The Gilt Kid is the debut novel
by British
author James Curtis published in 1936. It is a crime thriller set in 1930s London but also deals with working-class themes in a Social realism
style.
. Due to his blond hair he is known as "The Gilt Kid" from which the novel gets its title.
The novel picks up as Kennedy has recently been released from prison having served a sentence for burglary. With no real plans to go straight and with Marxist sympathies he re-engages with the underworld of Soho and its associated culture. On his travels through London he observes and comments on the rituals of the destitute, prostitutes and criminals.
Eventually "The Gilt Kid" finds himself involved in a robbery that doesn't go to plan. Fearing the inevitability that he will return to prison he struggles with the judicial system and attempts to ensure his freedom.
's A Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English (1937).
, and an interview with Curtis' daughter, Nicolette Edwards.
Debut novel
A debut novel is the first novel an author publishes. Debut novels are the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to publish in the future...
by British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
author James Curtis published in 1936. It is a crime thriller set in 1930s London but also deals with working-class themes in a Social realism
Social realism
Social Realism, also known as Socio-Realism, is an artistic movement, expressed in the visual and other realist arts, which depicts social and racial injustice, economic hardship, through unvarnished pictures of life's struggles; often depicting working class activities as heroic...
style.
Plot
The protagonist of the novel is Kennedy, a 25-year-old spivSpiv
In the United Kingdom, a spiv is a particular type of petty criminal, who deals in stolen or black market goods of questionable authenticity, especially a slickly-dressed man offering goods at bargain prices...
. Due to his blond hair he is known as "The Gilt Kid" from which the novel gets its title.
The novel picks up as Kennedy has recently been released from prison having served a sentence for burglary. With no real plans to go straight and with Marxist sympathies he re-engages with the underworld of Soho and its associated culture. On his travels through London he observes and comments on the rituals of the destitute, prostitutes and criminals.
Eventually "The Gilt Kid" finds himself involved in a robbery that doesn't go to plan. Fearing the inevitability that he will return to prison he struggles with the judicial system and attempts to ensure his freedom.
Cultural impact
The novel is notable for its use of colloquial language and cockney picked up by the author's first hand experience. It was referenced as a source in Eric PartridgeEric Partridge
Eric Honeywood Partridge was a New Zealand/British lexicographer of the English language, particularly of its slang. His writing career was interrupted only by his service in the Army Education Corps and the RAF correspondence department during World War II...
's A Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English (1937).
Publication history
The novel was originally published by Penguin Books in 1936. In 2007 London Books republished it having spent years out of print. The reissue features an introduction by Paul Willetts, biographer of author Julian MacLaren-RossJulian MacLaren-Ross
Julian MacLaren-Ross was a British novelist.-Background:Born James McLaren Ross in South Norwood, London in 1912, his father John Lambden Ross was of mixed Scottish and Cuban blood, and his mother, from an Anglo-Indian family, was described as "a magnificent Indian lady and the obvious source of...
, and an interview with Curtis' daughter, Nicolette Edwards.