Emmanuel De Silva II: Hollow Man

Emmanuel De Silva II, author of Killing Time, chooses our Book of the Month for October:

A must read, a Nick Belsey novel, The Hollow Man by Oliver Harris. This book, along with The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks, was my first fiction read after only reading factual non-fiction books for a number of years. Being a long-term serving prisoner, who was not able to read or write on entry into the prison system, I gained confidence to read fluently and made up my mind never to read fiction.

I joined the Prison Reading Group in HMP Wormwood Scrubs. There I was introduced to The Wasp Factory, a book which immediately grabbed my attention due to the fact that some of the men I was doing time alongside told similar stories, only theirs were psychotic truths. 

The Hollow Man by Oliver Harris held more meaning for me as I could relate more closely to his narrative of life on the streets of London, the dark life of crime and violence. Oliver Harris brings to life his characters with suspense and mystery throughout. There is an excellent flipping of the script with the ultimate twist in the end.   

Upon meeting the author Oliver Harris during a Prison Reading Group session I gained invaluable advice and help on how to begin to structure my own book, Killing Time.

Learning to read and write is a valuable tool which has given me a great vehicle for my self expression whereas previously I would only know how to express myself confidently with the use of violence. As I was good at fighting it became the only way I could express myself therefore the medium of reading was essential for my turnaround in leading a crime and violence free life.

 

Thank you to Emmanuel for sharing his Book of the Month! Have a look at all our previous Book of the Month choices here.