A to Z Challenge asks bloggers to post every day except Sundays during the month of April on a thematic topic–nothing else. This year, I’ll be covering writing genres.
Today’s genre:
Kitchen Sink
Definition
A British cultural movement that developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s in theater, art, novels, film and television plays, whose protagonists usually could be described as “angry young men” who were disillusioned with modern society. It used a style of social realism, which depicted the domestic situations of working class Britons, living in cramped rented accommodation and spending their off-hours drinking in grimy pubs, to explore controversial social and political issues ranging from abortion to homelessness. (from Wikipedia)
Tips
- Share a particular social message or ideology with readers.
- Bring the real lives and social inequality of ordinary working class people to the book.
- Catch these ‘ordinary’ people between struggles of power, industry, and politics.
- Depict intimate aspects of domestic life.
- The setting is always domestic.
- The characters are always angry young men who are dissatisfied with a world that offers no social opportunities.
- The characters feel working class domesticity keeps them from improving.
- The main character’s anger is usually channeled towards those around him.
- Men often dominate women. When conflicts do arise, the man is often portrayed as the suffering protagonist.
- Women’s suffering is always a result of the suffering of the male.
Popular Books
I couldn’t find any. These are primarily movies.
Click for complete list of genres
Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular Building a Midshipman
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It doesn’t fit exactly, but the description makes me think of “Trainspotting.”
(Yeah, I’m seriously this far behind in catching up on all the blogs I follow…)
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Based on the title, it could be anything, don’t you think? Whatever we writers can come up with!
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How very interesting. I didn’t even know this was a thing. I can’t think of books that directly tie in, but it seems to be the offspring of the type of stuff that Steinbeck and Hemingway wrote.
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This was a desperation find–after far too long searching–but I fell in love with it. There’s a lot to it that’s not found in other genres.
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I hadn’t heard the name, though I know the sort of film you’re talking about. I had to look at this one, because when I saw the title, what came to my mind was “everything but the kitchen sink,” so I wondered if this was books that try to be everything 🙂
Rebecca at The Ninja Librarian
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We do need a genre that that, but this isn’t. I wonder if that expression — “everything but the kitchen sink” — is strictly American so this British genre (kind of British) didn’t pick up on that.
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This sounds more like frustrated genre than kitchen sink genre, lol. I was thinking, well heck I can write about the kitchen sink that I’m so familiar with, but that description doesn’t seem to fit!
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Ah yes. It is one of those dark genres, but no less true in many instances.
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Kitchen sink huh? I think you’re onto something here…
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I was desperate, Ankur. I wondered if I’d get comments like, “Yeah, this is my favorite”. Everyone seems as surprised as me!
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Hi Jacqui – Kitchen Sink Genre – women suffering because their men suffer – huh?! We’re at the kitchen sink … isn’t that enough?! On top of that it generated ‘soaps’ – I can’t stand them … but I don’t watch,so forget it Hilary … and try another genre!! Cheers HIlary
http://positiveletters.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/l-is-for-legendary-beasts-of-britain.html
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Ha–I didn’t think of the title as the setting. That makes perfect sense. I rarely stand at the kitchen sink so no wonder this didn’t resonate with me as much as the others.
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Just wondering if the work of Bret Easton Ellis, especially American Psycho and Less than Zero, might fit this genre? I only know him by reputation, have never read his books.
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I hope someone knows that answer. I haven’t even heard of those two.
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Ellis was the bad boy – new voice of literature at one time.
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Sounds like the Phantom of the Genres, if you ask me. 😀
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Hee–good one, Shari. A cousin to horror.
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Definitely does not sound like something I’d enjoy reading so maybe good that you didn’t find any examples 🙂
Janet
K is for Kihncert
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Maybe it’s a niche genre, like fan fiction but less fun and not as popular. Hmm…
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I didn’t even know this existed until today!
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I’m just full of (useless) knowledge, Steph!
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This is so interesting. Someone mentioned this genre on my post yesterday (was it you?) and I didn’t even know such genre existed.
Thanks so much for sharing this.
@JazzFeathers
The Old Shelter – 1940s Film Noir
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It might have been me–I knew it was coming up today. If not, though, that’s quite a coincidence. I only found it because I was desperate for a K genre!
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Interesting. New to me. Enjoyed reading. Happy A to Z Juneta @ Writer’s Gambit
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It’s the only one I couldn’t find books for. I suppose it belongs in a film writing genre list instead.
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I’m familiar with the term (it was very popular in theatre at the time) but I still kinda hoped you meant it was a genre where they included EVERY theme and trope to make a mad, confusing mess of drama. Mystery, sci-fi, rom-com, horror, musical, you name it. (Everything but… or maybe including… the kitchen sink)
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I actually like that definition, too, but your first one I believe is more accurate. It is closer to theatre, but since we base much fiction off scripts–why not?
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Definitely never heard of this one!
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I had to dig around for a K genre. X–I almost gave up on, and then I found it.
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Oh good, you’re planning ahead! I look forward to seeing what you came up with for x. Or is it just another term for erotica? Don’t tell me. I’ll be surprised.
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Kitchen Sink, yes, a very British film and theatre genre. I’ve heard of it, though not seen much. There’s an opera equivalent, though it was before Kitchen Sink. It was called Slice of Life and Il Pagliacci is an example. No angry young men, but misery and murder among lower class strolling players in then-modern Italy.
I had to put this in “reply” as I couldn’t find a straight “comment”.
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That sounds exactly like this. I do think this applies more to films, but some writing (as Shari points out later).
Odd about the comment field. I’ll have to look into that.
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I’ve not heard of this genre. Very interesting. I think at least the top three apply to my last book. 😁
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That is true. Of course, if you told readers your genre was ‘kitchen sink’, I don’t think it would have as great a reach as your current genre.
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I wonder if Amazon lists it as one of their categories.
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Hi, I’ve just been browsing the a-z comments and your blog theme sounded interesting. The British so-called Kitchen Sink dramas spawned some incredible films and TV dramas. This link will tell you more about them: http://www.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/news-bfi/features/where-begin-kitchen-sink-dramas
But I think you’ll find they’re exclusively films and plays – not books. 🙂
Susan A Eames at
Travel, Fiction and Photos
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I’d never heard of this before. You learn something new every day. 🙂
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This is one of the party tidbits. It grabs most people’s attention.
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Well, this sure makes for some depressing viewing. They went to the pub so they could have some whine with their ale.
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Hee! Ah yes. It’s been a long time since I did that.
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Kitchen sink. Nothing better than to look at a clean sparkling kitchen sink. Nothing worse or more disgusting is to have or see a sink that is not able to be cleaned thoroughly, either due to its material which collects dirt & grime and will not wash clean no matter how much you scrub or wash. I always had a clean sparkling sink until I was evicted out of my house like a bag of trash after 44 years of marriage no money, I had paid for my house but my husband had other ideas for me, he wanted and took every thing I had worked for and did it through lies in a court room, and because his name was on my mortgage which I had paid and bought the house, his name was on it only as we were married. I found out 2 yrs later that was the second house he had stolen from me laughing about it. As I said nothing worse than a dirty sink that smells and you can not clean. Germs grow and thrive on dirt. I prefer clean to dirt.
________________________________
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Now that would fit right in with this genre. Amazing where love ends up.
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I think I’ve seen plenty of movies like this, Jacqui, but can’t think of a book either. The movies take place in dying steel towns with no hope and they often don’t end well. I’ve never heard of it as a genre. Interesting.
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That would fit I think. Or a disintegrating family.
Sounds way too depressing for me.
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Me too. 😦
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Interesting, not one I’ve heard of and I can’t say I’ve read any like that.
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Which means if you submitted to an agent, you wouldn’t have much competition.
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Actually, this may be a an extremely interesting genre to try. I think of sitcoms like All in the Family and Mash.
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It’s dark, dystopian with a family slant. Yes, if you like that sort, it could appeal.
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I can’t say as I’ve heard of this one. I would have thought it would be a crazy mash up of multiple genres.
Discarded Darlings – Jean Davis, Speculative Fiction Writer, A to Z: Editing Fiction
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It should be, but I think the ‘kitchen sink’ is about the family and home.
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Very interesting, Jacqui. I’ve never heard of this genre.
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Next time you get together with fellow writers, throw this little tidbit out. A conversation stopper probably.
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Oh this is an interesting one- I havent heard of this at all.
Theme: Peregrination Chronicles (travel)
J is for Japanese dancers in the hot sands of Pushkar #atozchallenge
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It is the most unusual I found. Even X is more common.
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I’ve never heard of this genre before.
It’s a British cultural movement developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s…so I’m wondering whether it has faded out or is it still prevalent in the theater, art, novels, film world? I’m not much of a television watcher, but I’ve seen some amazing British television shows which provide great entertainment. They have a special breed of humor.
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Everything I saw was quite old, nothing recent I could relate to.
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I had no idea that the ‘angry young man’ made up the ‘kitchen sink’ – a genre completely new to me. I have to say the KS has been done to death by Bollywood films, can’t think of any books I’ve read that could be classified as such, either in English or in my mother tongue. Loved getting to know! Thanks.
Nilanjana
Madly-in-Verse
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I didn’t think of Bollywood, don’t watch any of their stuff. Very interesting.
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I’m sure there are books of the kitchen sink genre though I too can’t think of any within those strictures … thanks Jacqui. If none, then maybe men could take up the challenge, or a woman writing from male protagonist pov.
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Sure hope those angry young men write sprawling historical novels to release their pent-up frustrations. My first thought about “kitchen sink” genre was that it mixed genres, like: romantic sci-fi thriller.
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Which, I think, would be more interesting. Clever problems with creative solutions. New worlds–love it.
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It’s depressing, but lots of people like that approach to entertainment. I was just happy to find a K genre.
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