Jason is a sensitive 12-year-old boy living in the village of Black Swan Green in 1982. He struggles with a severe stammer that he personifies as "Hangman," forcing him to mentally rewrite his sentences to avoid specific letters. Though he secretly writes and publishes poetry under the pseudonym Eliot Bolivar, he spends most of his energy trying to conform to the expectations of his peers, desperately hoping to avoid the relentless bullying that plagues his school days.

Michael is Jason's father, an executive at a company called Greenland. He is a rigid disciplinarian who commands absolute obedience in his household, establishing strict rules like banning his family from entering his home office. He frequently engages in petty arguments with his wife and presents a facade of control, though he is highly submissive to his own boss.

Jason's mother is a woman with a background in art and design who feels suffocated by her domestic life. She harbors growing resentment toward her husband, resulting in frequent, passive-aggressive clashes over household decisions—including a prolonged argument over building a backyard rockery. She eventually begins managing an interior design shop, seeking independence outside the home.

Ross is the primary bully at Jason's school and the ringleader of a group that terrorizes unpopular students. He possesses a vicious temper—reportedly inherited from his own violent father—and relies on physical intimidation to maintain control over the village's social hierarchy. He actively mocks Jason's stammer and organizes group attacks against him.

Julia is Jason's 18-year-old sister who plans to study environmental law in Edinburgh. She frequently calls Jason "Thing" and acts annoyed by his presence, adopting the typical detached posture of an older sibling. Despite her apparent irritation, she understands the difficult dynamics of their household better than Jason does and offers him occasional moments of genuine support.

Dean is a local boy saddled with the cruel nickname "Moron" by his classmates. He serves as one of Jason's closest companions, though their friendship is complicated by Jason's desperate need to appear cool to the popular boys. Dean lives with a difficult home situation, dealing with an alcoholic and abusive father.

Dawn is a fierce, independent girl whom Jason secretly idolizes. She possesses a cruel streak that commands respect from the local boys, effectively making her an honorary member of their group. She lives in poverty with a harsh stepfather, hiding her difficult home life behind a tough, sexually mature exterior.

Madame Crommelynck is an enigmatic Belgian woman residing in the village vicarage. She discovers Jason's poetry and summons him for private conversations, treating him with a level of intellectual respect he has never experienced before. She challenges his artistic sensibilities and pushes him to read challenging literature like *Le Grand Meaulnes*.

The Sour Aunt is a senile, mysterious older woman living in a dark, antique-filled house deep in the local woods. She speaks in confusing riddles about people from the past. Despite her alarming demeanor, she provides Jason with an herbal poultice when he injures his ankle, acting as a bizarre but effective healer.

Tom is a sailor in the Royal Navy and the closest thing the village of Black Swan Green has to a local hero. The younger boys fiercely idolize him, viewing him as the ultimate standard of masculinity and bravery. Beneath this confident exterior, he suffers from severe nightmares about his military service in the Falklands War.

Craig is Michael Taylor's boss at Greenland. He is an arrogant, overbearing executive who demands complete submission from his employees. He actively undermines Michael's authority in front of Jason, illustrating that the cruel dynamics of schoolyard bullying extend directly into the adult corporate world.

Grant is one of the local boys who actively enforces the village's harsh social hierarchy. He is a member of the secret "Spooks" group and participates in the relentless bullying of unpopular students, though he is willing to fight his own friends for dominance.

Gary is a popular student at Jason's school who enthusiastically participates in the daily torment of his weaker classmates. He specifically targets Jason's stammer, loudly mimicking his speech impediment during class to draw laughter from the rest of the room.

Ant is part of the core group of bullies that dominates the social environment at Jason's school. He functions as a loyal follower to the more dominant boys, happily participating in the physical and emotional harassment of unpopular students.

Neal is considered a "golden boy" at school, maintaining a positive public image while secretly running an extortion ring. He demands money from vulnerable students in exchange for "popularity lessons," threatening them with physical violence from his friends if they refuse to pay.

Hugo is Jason's older cousin. He possesses a natural coolness and confidence that instantly impresses the local village boys. However, he exhibits a highly manipulative streak, mocking his younger brother to tears and casually shoplifting cigarettes while making Jason act as an unwilling accomplice.

Holly is a new student at Jason's school who remains unimpressed by the established social hierarchy. She sees through the bullies' tactics and actively encourages Jason to stand up for himself, offering him his first genuine moments of peer support at school.