Polly's press & media appearances
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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?
My High Flying City Job was not worth a Life of Misery
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unreleased 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 summer 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. 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. |
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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