The Fall of Charlie Dixon

‘This is not a racist organisation,' he told himself as he drained his coffee and stood up. He stepped into the drizzle. ‘This is just about fighting extremism. It is a good cause.' He really did try to believe it.

The Fall of Charlie Dixon follows the eponymous Charlie and his friends as they react to the turbulent events of the Noughties. From 9/11, via the War on Terror and the 7/7 bombings in London, history looms large in their lives. As terrorist attacks overshadow the decade, more and more of Britain's youth are pulled into the murky world of anger, violence and Islamophobia.

When Charlie falls for the girlfriend of the leader of The Defence of The Realm League, he is inexorably drawn into the chaos that ensues. As the League becomes ever more violent, it becomes clear that some won't survive the decade. Exploring the various trials of adolescent friendship, betrayal and love against the backdrop of the time, The Fall of Charlie Dixon is both a cautionary tale and a black comedy.

"I was interested in exploring how we, as everyday people, live inside history - or how events of historical significance can impact upon our lives, either directly or indirectly, just in the way we react to the world around us and interact with the people we meet along the way. The prominence of the English Defence League in the media was also influential. I used to see some of the protests online and at uni and I was fascinated by how angry and hateful these guys could get, without ever managing to construct a morally coherent standpoint. I find myself asking, as protests even now sweep through the Muslim world: why is East and West so incapable of living together peacefully? Can we live in harmony in a multicultural Britain - or will there always be EDLs and homegrown bombers constantly antagonising each other until reconciliation becomes a distant dream?" says David, about his inspiration to write the novel.