A very inspiring and important piece of work and I’d encourage people to buy it, to read it and to act on it

Ciaran is the rarest thing: a writer of heart and clarity, who has spent thousands of hours absorbing the rules, codes and heartbreaks of life in some of London’s most vulnerable communities . . . I read everything that Ciaran writes because it feels necessary to understand the city that I live in

Honest, authentic and raw, this book confronts our deepest assumptions about violence, and lays down a transformative path to peace

Pays poignant tribute to the victims of youth violence who so often become statistics . . . A compelling read that covers a difficult subject with nuance and authority . . . more urgent than ever

Cut Short is an assured debut that leaves you in no doubt of Thapar’s talents as a writer. His depictions of the characters he gets to know during his years as a youth worker are full of respect, even love . . . These character studies are complemented by an analytical rigour that means Thapar’s powerful narrative kicks against the state – against the austerity and demonisation that keep so many young black men trapped in cycles of poverty and marginalisation while a discourse of knife crime draws attention away from its root causes

Makes you stop and think

An incredibly important look at the plight of Britain’s youth, delivered with clarity, honesty and an open heart

Ciaran’s work is informed by lived experience at the frontline of social change. It takes a sensitive and respectful look at the truths less often told

A devastating and beautifully drawn tribute to the young boys that the media turns into statistics of knife crime. In telling their stories, Ciaran Thapar brings to the page their dreams, their imaginations and their hearts

A powerful account of teenage lives blighted by violence