Brought to you by Penguin.

Winner of the YA Diverse Book Award 2025, the Two Cities Book Award 2024, the Mal Peet Children’s Award 2024 and the East Anglian Book of the Year 2024, and nominated for the 2025 Carnegie Medal for Writing.

A soaring debut YA verse-novel by novelist, poet, and former secondary school teacher Ashley Hickson-Lovence. A perfect next listen for fans of Jason Reynolds, Dean Atta and Manjeet Mann.

Pen in one hand, on my wrist, a ticking clock
I've got to make this work, just need a little luck . . .

When fourteen-year-old Ronny’s life is struck by tragedy, his mum decides it’s finally time they move out of East London.

In his new city, as a Black teenager in a mostly white school, Ronny feels like a complete outsider and struggles to balance keeping his head down with his ambition of becoming a rapper.

But when a local poet comes into class, Ronny discovers a world he’s never considered before. Rap is like spoken word, bars equal poetry – and maybe the combination of both could be the key to achieving his dreams?


‘A book meant to be heard . . . It's the fresh, “spoken word” style that makes Ronny's story’ The Times

‘A powerful story of resilience, friendship, discovery and growth’ Jeffrey Boakye, author of Kofi and the Rap Battle Summer

‘I loved Ronny's kindness, vulnerability, empathy, tenacity and open-heartedness’ Patrice Lawrence, author of Orangeboy

‘Raw, moving, and so accessible. A powerful spoken-word style verse novel’ Rashmi Sirdeshpande, author of How To Be Extraordinary

‘Welcomes all types of readers . . . Hickson-Lovence has crafted a superb piece’ DD Armstrong, author of Ugly Dogs Don't Cry

‘Heartfelt and up-to-the-minute . . . A reminder that even short lines can take you a long way’ The Sunday Times

‘This empowering verse novel announces the arrival of an exciting new talent in YA fiction’ Waterstones.com

©2024 Ashley Hickson-Lovence (P)2024 Penguin Audio