Main content

"I too could have taken a life" - author Jason Reynolds on teenage gun violence

Jason Reynolds is a 34-year-old author from Washington DC, whose novels and poetry aimed at young adults have won a host of awards and seen him become a fixture on the New York Times bestseller list.

His latest book, Long Way Down, follows Will, a 15-year-old boy out for revenge after his older brother is shot dead. Told in verse, it takes place over a single elevator journey, as various visitors interrupt his journey to the ground floor.

Reynolds explains how his own experiences with gun violence, and his reaction to a friend's death, led him to attempt to humanise those affected by it, and discusses how he attempts to connect with teenage readers though his work.

Produced by Tui McLean for ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Arts Digital.

Release date:

Duration:

4 minutes

This clip is from

More clips from ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Arts