The Longest Fight

Set in 1950s London amid the gritty and violent world of boxing, this beautiful and brutal debut is the story of one man’s struggle to overcome the mistakes and tragedies of his past

Jack Munday has been fighting all his life. His early memories are shaped by the thrill of the boxing ring. Since then he has grown numb, scarred by his bullying father and haunted by the tragic fate of his first love. Now a grafting boxing manager, Jack is hungry for change. So when hope and ambition appear in the form of Frank, a young fighter with a winning prospect, and Georgie, a new girl who can match him step for step, Jack seizes his chance for a better future, determined to win at all costs. Inspired by the author’s boxing grandfather, the novel is at once a startlingly poignant exploration of love and family loyalty, and a proud evocation of the strength of relationships formed in a violent, ambitious, male-dominated world.

Emily Bullock won the Bristol Short Story Prize with her story "My Girl," her memoir piece "No One Plays Boxing" was shortlisted for the Fish International Publishing Prize, and her short story "Zoom" was longlisted for the Bath Short Story Prize. She also won the National Writers in Education Conference (NAWE) Short Story Competition in 2013.