Up the Junction

infobox Book |
name = Up the Junction
title_orig =
translator =


image_caption = 1988 Virago Press edition
author = Nell Dunn
illustrator = Susan Benson
cover_artist =
country = UK
language = English
series =
genre =
publisher = MacGibbon & Kee
pub_date = 1963
english_pub_date =
media_type = Print (Hardcover and Paperback)
pages = 110 pp (Hardcover edition) & 112 pp (paperback edition)
isbn = ISBN 9780860689898 (1988 Virago Press paperback edition)
preceded_by =
followed_by =

"Up the Junction" was a 1963 novel written by Nell Dunn depicting contemporary life in the industrial slums of Battersea near Clapham Junction.

The book uses colloquial speech, and its portrayal of petty thieving, sexual encounters, births, deaths and back-street abortion provided a view of life that was previously unrecognised by many people of the time. The book won the 1963 John Llewellyn Rhys Memorial Prize.

Adaptations

Television

In 1965 it was adapted for television by the BBC as part of "The Wednesday Play" anthology strand directed by Ken Loach [imdb title|0059854|The Wednesday Play: Up the Junction] .

1968 film

A film version, directed by Peter Collinson was released in 1968 and was adapted by Roger Smith. It starred Suzy Kendall, Susan George, Dennis Waterman, Adrienne Posta and Maureen Lipman. With a soundtrack by Manfred Mann it vividly captured the feel of what it was like to live in that decade in a similar manner to another film of the era, "Alfie".

Other uses

"Up the Junction" has since been used as the title of:
*A song by British band Squeeze, from their 1979 album Cool for Cats.
*A 2003 David Hare play about railway privatisation.
*A search marketing company [http://www.upthejunction.com/ search marketing company] from Hoylake, Wirral, UK

References