LSE AAB Book Club Discussion – The Nickel Boys
20 May 2021, 19:00
It is with great pleasure that we announce the launch of the LSE AAB’s first ever book club to encourage intimate discussions on ideas, content and authors.
How does it work? We pick the book and give you 4-6 weeks to buy/borrow and read it. You can tell us of your dream book at info@lsealumni.be. 😉 Afterward, we will come together (virtually, at first, hopefully in person in the not-too-distant future) to discuss some of the major themes, ideas and characters.
When? Our first discussion will be held on Thursday, 20 May, at 19:00 CET via Zoom (register here!)
What? Starting this series is Colson Whitehead’s novel The Nickel Boys, winner of the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction 2020. Set during the Jim Crow-era South, The Nickel Boys tells the story of a young boy whose dreams of going to college are quickly crushed when he is sent to a segregated reform school, the Nickel Academy. Inspired by the true story of the Arthur G Dozier School for Boys in Florida (which closed in 2011), the Nickel Academy is in reality a nightmarish juvenile reformatory, whose staff inflict brutal beatings and chilling acts of violence on students. This is a devastating novel with profound and unforgettable characters that keeps its readers in thrall from the beginning to end, and sheds light on America’s deeply troubled racist past.
Living in New York, Colson Whitehead is also the bestselling author of several novels, including The Underground Railroad. He is a Pulitzer Prize winner and a recipient of MacArthur and Guggenheim fellowships. Whitehead was featured on the cover of TIME Magazine in 2019 and referred to as "America's Storyteller", acknowledging the extraordinary success of his literature.
We look forward to welcoming you to the LSE AAB’s first book club event to discuss this fascinating story and its continued relevance in today’s world.
You can buy the book at, for example:
