Unravelling

De: Gamal Turawa

The incredible true story of a man whose life became a BAFTA winning short film 'The Black Cop'.

For fans of I Am Norwell Roberts, My Name is Why and Skint Estate this is the powerful and provocative memoir of the UK's first openly gap Black copper, and his journey from self-hatred to self-acceptance.

Brought up by a white family in leafy Kent, Gamal was known as Vick until he was taken away from his Mum and Dad at eight-years-old by a large Nigerian man who told him he was his father. Transported into a house of confusing customs, traditions and duties, Gamal was never good enough and he experienced abuse and neglect at the hands of his biological parents. In an inner-city London landscape, his Blackness was drawn into sharp focus and he resented how people perceived him.

After some time in care, Gamal returned to his biological family, only to be taken away again at sixteen. This time to the entirely unknown landscape of Lagos, Nigeria. Abandoned without a passport, Gamal fell into a deeper hole as he tried to survive unforgiving environments and eventually he became homeless. His prayers to return to England would finally be answered, but only after every inch of his faith in the world had been destroyed.

Piecing his life back together on British soil would not be easy, and while Gamal felt lost and sought purpose, he saw a Black policeman directing traffic and the authority and respect he held stayed with him. He decided that the Met could be his chance to thrive.

On the frontlines of an incredibly difficult period of British history, as a Black cop Gamal was often greeted with prejudice, ridicule and rejection, and what he saw during his time in the force made him wonder if he'd made the right choice. He refused to quit, and in a changing Britain, he was finally able to confront his past and the many layers of his identity that he had long-hated and kept hidden.

Unravelling is the honest, compelling and unfiltered story of how sometimes you have to unravel completely to weave a new truth for yourself. Honest, moving, and impossible to forget, this is a story of resilience against all odds.©2025 Abdul Gamal Turawa