Gabriel Krauze is a writer from London, known for his Booker Prize nominated debut Who They Was, an autobiographical novel detailing his life of crime and involvement in the gang culture of South Kilburn.
[2] He spent his adolescence living in the notorious South Kilburn housing estate where he was immersed in the gang culture of northwest London, ending up in a young offenders institute, while at the same time studying to obtain a degree in English Literature at Queen Mary University.
[8] The book is controversial, with frequent depictions of graphic violence,[9] and one of the Booker Prize judges, author and poet Lemn Sissay, stated, "I had to have a shower after I read it.
In the reading guide, The Booker Prizes described it as an "urgent and electrifying work of autofiction: the first-hand account of a young man who has lived a life of violent crime, and who expresses it boldly, accurately, and at times even beautifully.
"[17][16] They challenged readers to consider the significance of the novel's description of violence given that it reflected reality, the strong sense of place and how it's achieved, and reasons for why it was written in unconventional prose, incorporating slang on purpose.