Description

Cornelius Washington is brimming with ambition and talent before his life is torn apart by a crack addiction. Taking the form of a diary and written in an arresting stream-of-consciousness style, Iced ponders the gritty realities of Cornelius’s present and past upheavals that have led him here.

Iced paints a portrait of being Black in America and the ways marginalised communities suffer the consequences of shortsighted political policies. First published in 1993, in the wake of the crack epidemic, Iced mixes the syncopated language of the streets with poetry from the heart to take the reader deep into the horrifying world of addiction.

Publisher Review

This book is a powerhouse . . . the man writes beautifully . . . the story is heartbreaking -- MAYA ANGELOU Extraordinary - a modern American tragedy, sharply told. Brilliant -- LENNY HENRY A brilliantly written book about somebody's battle with addiction, and it was really useful for me into the sort of mindset of somebody that doesn't want to be taking drugs but can't stop -- EWAN McGREGOR Its first-person narrative is energised by the power of the speaking voice, which expresses itself in a jagged, syncopated style reminiscent of a rap monologue . . . It's difficult to put down, even during its most violent moments * * New Yorker * * An unconventional, powerful, funny, even important, first novel . . . it is a fully imagined fiction . . . above all, because of Cornelius' original and authentic voice * * Times Literary Supplement * * I love this book. It's everything a novel about this experience should be -- IRVINE WELSH Shell's writing is frighteningly compelling * * Los Angeles Times * * A modern-day tragedy that explores a modern-day ill - a chilling novel * * Time Out * * A tour de force . . . brilliant, just brilliant -- LEE DANIELS This is a tour de force, make no mistake about it . . . The strength of Shell's writing is his ability to pull you into a terrifying, funny, immensely sad and exciting world * * The Voice * *