David’s book is one of despair and hope; one that paints a picture of our society that is both dark and broken up by fleeting rays of light. From his plight on the streets in one of England’s richest regions, to the interactions of people he observes and encounters every day, to the impacts of Covid-19 and the changing seasons – this is poetry and prose at its most powerful. It is a book that reveals the double-talk of homeless service provision – a society that consigns people as worthless without knowing their backgrounds; which assumes that homelessness is a choice rather than a predicament. It is impossible not to have read this book and come away changed: to feel the biting need to make a difference and sense of injustice as to why so many individuals – people who could otherwise fulfil their potential, for the benefit of others as well as themselves – are thrown cruelly to the fringes.
David’s book is one of despair and hope; one that paints a picture of our society that is both dark and broken up by fleeting rays of light. From his plight on the streets in one of England’s richest regions, to the interactions of people he observes and encounters every day, to the impacts of Covid-19 and the changing seasons – this is poetry and prose at its most powerful. It is a book that reveals the double-talk of homeless service provision – a society that consigns people as worthless without knowing their backgrounds; which assumes that homelessness is a choice rather than a predicament. It is impossible not to have read this book and come away changed: to feel the biting need to make a difference and sense of injustice as to why so many individuals – people who could otherwise fulfil their potential, for the benefit of others as well as themselves – are thrown cruelly to the fringes.
David Onamade’s primary interest is racial equality in the UK, a field he had dedicated all his working life until recently, partly to pursue his interest in writing. His single-poem collection about the toppling of Edward Colston was published in August 2020. David is helping to get unheard voices, such as those most adversely impacted by COVID-19, into print. He tragically passed away in May 2021.
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