But things were different for his fourth book, Shy (2023), a plotless squall of teenage rage and swagger unleashed from the mind of its narrator as he absconds from school. Writing a script with Murphy’s voice in mind, Porter shifted the focus from Shy to Steve, the tormented headteacher at his ‘last chance’ reform school. It’s funny, when I see it written down – ‘adapted from the novel’ – I think, well it’s not really. When Little Simz was working on a piece of music for Steve, I was pinching myself. Max PorterIn the book, Shy is a white character.