Up the Junction

From Free net encyclopedia

Up the Junction was a 1963 book 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, 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.

In 1965 it was adapted for television by the BBC as part of The Wednesday Play anthology strand directed by Ken Loach. A film version, directed by Peter Collinson, appeared in 1967 and was adapted by Roger Smith. It starred Suzy Kendall, 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.