The Gallows Pole
by Ben Myers
Award History
| Award | Year | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction | 2018 | Winner |
| Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction | 2017 | Shortlist |
About This Book
Ben Myers's novel is based on the true story of the Cragg Vale Coiners — a gang of West Yorkshire wool croppers who in the 1760s ran the most successful counterfeiting operation in British history — led by the charismatic and ruthless 'King' David Hartley. Written in an inventive vernacular prose that mingles dialect, poetry, and myth, the novel won the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction in 2018 and has been adapted for BBC television.
About the Author
Ben Myers is a British novelist, journalist, and poet born in Durham in 1976. He studied English literature at Leeds and has worked as a music journalist and reviewer. His novels include Richard (2010), Pig Iron (2012), Beastings (2014), and Turning Blue (2016), several of which were published by small independent presses before his breakthrough with a major publisher. Read more →
