The BAFTA award-winning English actor, author and journalist, Ross Kemp is bringing out his first children’s book, Ganglands: Brazil. The award-winning TV series Ross Kemp on Gangs, in which Kemp interviewed gang members around the world, was first broadcast in 2006. He rose to prominence in the role of Grant Mitchell in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders, but he has argueably become better known for his award-winning, critically acclaimed documentary series Ross Kemp on Gangs. He has written two non-fiction books based on his TV series and one for the TV series he made Ross Kemp in Afganistan. He is now bringing out his first children’s book based on his experiences.
The transition from British TV actor to hard-hitting journalist is massive. Why did you decide to make such a dramatic career change?
By accident! At the last moment, I was asked to stand in for a documentary about a gang member who had been shot 26 times. He was very bright and his life was not at all glamorous in the way that gangsters are portrayed in films and on MTV. This made me interested in revealing the real side to gang membership in my own documentaries.
What provoked your interest in youth gang culture?
I have made 18 documentaries about gangs all over the world. A lot of the gang members I met whilst researching and filming the documentaries were young… too young.
What have you learned about the young people who join gangs that you didn’t know before?
How bright some of them were and how if they were able to channel their intelligence into something legitimate, they’d probably do a lot better financially and not risk getting killed.
What inspired you to write Ganglands: Brazil?
Puffin liked my adult non-fiction books based on my On Gangs TV documentaries and thought we could show the unglamorous reality of gang membership but in an entertaining format for young adults.
Are any of the characters in Ganglands: Brazil based on people you know?
Yes some of the characters are based on people I met whilst researching and filming the documentaries.
Do you think the media glorifies gangs?
Yes I think the media does glorify gangs but this is not a new thing. Folklore has done the same with characters such as Robin Hood and Dick Turpin as well as Hollywood with Cagney and Bogart. In reality, if there is ever any glamour it is short-lived.
Have you faced any criticism in writing a novel for teenagers that focuses on gangs?
I haven’t received that kind of criticism for my book. I hope this is because like the documentaries, it reveals the harsh realities of gang life making gang membership very unappealing.
What message do you hope your programmes and books on gangs send out?
Rather than hoping to send out a message, I simply wanted to show the reality of the gangster lifestyle and that it isn’t glamorous in the way in which it is often portrayed, and to show this reality to young people, many of whom are affected.
Will you be writing books about gangs in other countries? Which ones?
Yes Ganglands: Russia will be published in summer 2010 and hopefully there will be more to follow all in different locations.
Which children’s authors do you most admire?
A. A. Milne and Robert Louis Stevenson
What was your favourite book as a child?
Treasure Island
Other books by Ross Kemp:
Ross Kemp Gangs
Ross Kemp Gangs II
Ross Kemp on Afganistan
Carol Dixon-Smith reviews all kinds of books for Waterstones and they can be found here
Carol also Twitters @Cidix and you can read more from her at Open To Persuasion
More about Ross Kemp can be found here: www.rosskemp.co.uk
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