Polly's press & media appearances
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Self-flagellation and the City
Rediscover your Passion - Go It Alone
Finansmiljøet i London - et Jobbhelvete
Fear and Loathing in the Heart of the city
My Glittering City Career Turned into Golden Handcuffs
Do Women Really Get a Raw Deal in the City?
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August 2008 Polly Courtney's new novel, Poles Apart, tells of an immigrant's struggles to fit into British culture, work and life. It comes out in autumn 2008. Do you have any personal experience of being an immigrant? I’ve never been an immigrant as such. My family moved to the States for two years, but I was young so I don’t remember much. That said, I’ve always made friends with people from different places – Poland, Russia, France, Mexico… I guess I like people’s different backgrounds and perspectives on live. Immigration isn’t just about superficial things like speaking a new language or finding a new home. It’s about fitting in, understanding traditions, braking barriers, thinking differently. To an extent, anyone can relate to those things – immigrant or native. Are you for or against the expansion of the EU? Personally, I love the cultural melting pot that our cities have become. Introducing new types of people into a country brings new opportunities for everyone, not just the migrants – but it also brings challenges. I’m learning Polish and my teacher, Paulina, works part-time as a translator for the NHS. She has some heart-wrenching stories about some of the people she’s seen. A lot of people here don’t speak a word of English, don’t have any friends here, can’t get a job, don’t qualify for benefits… basically, they’d be better off back home.
Polly Courtney with Marta Kowalczyk What do you say to people who claim that immigrants are coming over here and taking British people’s jobs? Poles in particular are known for being ‘hard working’. It is a reputation that is largely deserved – although I hate to generalise. When I first looked into the phenomenon, I thought, ‘Well, if the lazy Brits just got off their *rses and worked a bit harder, they wouldn’t have a problem. But then I realised that in many cases, the problem wasn’t quality of work, it was salary. Immigrants will often accept lower pay than their native counterparts to guarantee themselves a place in the job market. In many cases, they’ll do a better job too, because they’re over-qualified. One of the points I wanted to make with Poles Apart was that nobody thinks about this situation from the immigrants’ perspective. Do they want to do menial jobs for little or no money, or make enemies with the local workforce? Do they welcome the racial abuse? Of course not. A large part of the problem is that UK employers don’t respect foreign qualifications – at least, not from certain countries. So we’re landed with a million-strong influx of plumbers, waitresses, construction workers and nannies. Do you think England is becoming a more or a less appealing place for Eastern European immigrants? Sadly, a lot of Eastern Europeans who came to England in search of an exciting new life have gone back, disappointed with what they found here. One guy I met put it like this: ‘My jail sentence is over.’ Britain hasn’t historically welcomed foreigners, and sadly it still doesn’t, if the racial crime rate is anything to go by. The Polish economy is growing well now, and with the exchange rate continuing to worsen for Poles coming over, fewer will want to come to the UK in future. There are now more Poles returning home than coming over. We may start to see UK workers and businesses moving to Poland. I wouldn’t rule it out for myself. Can you really write from the perspective of a Polish girl, being a Cambridge graduate from England? It may come across as strange, writing a book from the perspective that isn’t mine. I’m not Polish, and I’ve never migrated to another country. But then again, presumably Ms Rowling was never a young wizard boy… Actually, I think most people can relate to being an immigrant. It’s not the superficial things like language that are the real issues; it’s the sense of being surrounded by people but completely alone. It’s the feeling of not belonging, the feeling that you must be doing something wrong because you don’t fit in. And then there’s prejudice, which I think everyone can relate to – whether it’s sexism, racism, homophobia or just not being part of the club. The real Marta has read several drafts of Poles Apart and her first question, on reading the first few chapters, was: ‘How do you get inside her head?’ How much of the novel is based on the real Marta’s experiences? Everyone wants to know the extent to which Poles Apart is a biography. I would say it’s based loosely on the truth. I met Marta (Kowalczyk) through working with her. She was an intern, working unpaid for nine hours a day at our firm and doing six-hour shifts in a bar to earn money. She needed to build up her English CV before she could get anywhere in the workplace. That was a theme that I lifted and put straight into the book. There are other elements of Marta’s experiences here that I chose not to use in Poles Apart, and equally there are threads in the story that didn’t happen to her in real life. I had to use themes that I was happy writing about myself; hence the bias towards workplace and home life in London. In reality, Marta worked for three years as an au pair doing work that she neither enjoyed nor wanted to do, but that was her gateway into Britain. I opted not to write about this as I felt unqualified to do so. What does the real Marta think about the book? Marta (Kowalczyk) was the first person I told when I realised I wanted to write her story. She loved the idea. She read the first draft of the book, chapter by chapter, as it was written. Actually, something quite scary started to happen as I crafted the story. Every few weeks I would hand Marta a batch of print-offs, and she’d tell me what was happening in her life. We’d discover that I’d just written about her recent experiences – but without realising it. That was weird, but I guess it proves that the book has a realistic storyline. Have you had any negative reaction from the Polish community, given that you’re telling their story? It’s too early to gauge the Poles’ reaction to my book. I really hope it will be positive, as I have only warm feelings for those who I’ve met, and the whole point of this novel is to make British people think about things from a migrant’s perspective. I’m bound to get some negative feedback from disgruntled Poles who feel I have no right to tell their story, and I’m prepared for that. Controversial work always gets a mixed reaction. Are there any plans for Poles Apart to get translated into Polish? Translation rights are handled by my agent, but of course I hope that Poles Apart will be published in Polish – and in other languages. The issue of migration is applicable across the world, just with different manifestations in different countries. If you're a Polish publisher and you're interested in the foreign rights, get in touch! |
Polly's TV & Radio appearances
From Engineer to Investment Banker to Novelist
Berliner Zeitung Magazin, 2007
I Know the Pressure Matthew was Under
I Sold My Soul to the City - then Wanted it Back
Banker Novel Shows it's not all Success in the City
Taste of High Life in City can Seduce Interns
City Woman who quit City over Sexism admits Lapdancing
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