Winner of the Children's Books Ireland Awards Con O’Neill is stuck in a world of brutal gang violence, sectarian vendettas and personal tragedy. The lack of opportunities for him and the rest of his gang is all too apparent. No money. No prospects. A social design that entraps inhabitants of Treacle Towns up and down the country. Connor is desperate to get away, to find another life where he can experience happiness and fulfilment. When he stumbles upon the new world of slam poetry, Con senses a glimmer of hope - a hope that might just lead to his escape from Treacle Town. But it won’t be easy.

Prizes

Winner of KPMG Children's Books Ireland Awards 2024 (UK),Short-listed for Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing (UK).

"An absolute must-read; tough, in your face, and pulls no punches" -- Melvin Burgess
"This story of loss, loyalty and fighting for who you need to be is yet another slice of pure dead brilliance from Brian Conaghan. The writing is breathtakingly powerful. The emotion is deep and raw. It's a book as grim as it is gorgeous" -- Keith Gray
"Uncompromising… Treacle Town is a powerful depiction of dead-end lives, along with its protagonist’s conflicting desires to escape" * The Herald *
"an absorbing and disturbing novel" * Books for Keeps *
"This is Conaghan at his brilliant, heartbreaking best. An absolute must-read." * LoveReading4Kids *

Brian Conaghan was born and raised in the Scottish town of Coatbridge and now lives in Glasgow. He has a Master of Letters in Creative Writing from the University of Glasgow. For many years Brian worked as a teacher and taught in Scotland, Italy and Ireland. His novels have won the Costa Children's Book Award, the UKLA Book Award and the Irish Book Award for Teen & Young Adult Book of the Year.