‘IT WAS A STRUGGLE UP A GLACIER WITH FAULTY EQUIPMENT'
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THE BEST BOOKS. COMICS & EVENTS
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With the second Debut Authors Festival set to launch, Doug Johnstone chats to some fellow maiden voyagers about taking the publishing plunge.
here‘s more than one way to skin a cat. apparently. though I can only think of one. and that‘s with a hunting knife and plenty of elbow grease. Anyway. the phrase certainly applies to the writing of a first book. as there is an almost infinite number of ways in which writers‘ debut offerings
spring into life. For some scribes there are years of
slog. facing hundreds of rejections and honing their craft. while for others there are a few haphazard pages splurged out. slung the way of an agent. quickly followed by a publishers‘ bidding war. And. of course. there are all points in between.
Which makes the Debut Authors I‘estival so appealing. I should express a vested interest here. because I‘m appearing to discuss my own forthcoming novel. Thrillivtoiiirig. a kind of darkly comic modern thriller romance thingy-ma-bob set around a school reunion in Arbroath.
Two of the homegrown highlights of this year‘s programme emphasise the variety and quality on offer. Both Jane Harris‘ historical comedy The ()bs‘t'rl‘utiuns‘ and John Bennett’s Sea ()Ht’l'.\‘ Gumbo/ling in the Wild. Wild Surf have rightly achieved mainstream success. although the books and their writing couldn't have been more different.
‘At the beginning it was like a walk in the park on a spring day when the flowers are in bloom.~ says Harris of her line period romp's creation. 'By the end it was a struggle up a glacier in terrible conditions with faulty equipment.‘ Harris had plenty of previous experience. having written short stories and film scripts before tackling a full novel. and she feels that
30 THE LIST 8—22 Jun 2006
Jane Harris and John Bennett are living the literary dream
experience stood her in good stead. ‘l'rom doing the lilm stuff I had more of an idea what a plot was. and how to work up a narrative. Also I was more comfortable with the editing process. having worked in liltn where there are so many people with lingers in the pie.‘
In contrast. Bennett‘s coming-of—age novel about a lb-year—old boy travelling the world (or 'a book about a gtty fucking an otter“ as its author succinctly puts it) was the first thing he‘d ever written. and was bashed out in nine months and quickly snapped up. ‘l was made redundant. had a bit of money in the batik and decided to give it a go.‘ he recalls. 'I just winged it totally. but I had read a lot. which definiter helped.‘
My own case is different again. 'Iiim/ismning is actually my second. the first having received rejections across the industry. but I feel that I learned a massive amount from that first book. which is maybe why 'Ibmhstoning was subsequently picked up for publication. The jammy likes of me aside. this festival showcases some amazing talent. and some damn line lirst books. which can often be a writer‘s best work. let‘s not forget. "The debut is often a writer's most interesting book because it‘s the only one that gets published absolutely on its own merit.’ insists Bennett. 'Pltis it can be the culmination of a life‘s experience. There are a lot who write one novel and that‘s it. Hopefully I‘m not one of those.‘ I‘m sure all the festival’s authors have a similar ambition.
Debut Authors Festival is at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, Fri 16-Sun 18 Jun.
* Terry Jones A man who has shown. through his comedy Python work and his later TV documentary stuff, that he has a keen eye on the past. Jonesy pops this way to chat about the Barbarians. Not the rugger team. Borders Books, Glasgow. Fri 9 Jun.
3|: Carol Ann Duffy Our very own victor ot the TS Eliot Prize for Poetry shows us what she's made of with this visit. including readings from Rapture. Which she must be in right now. Scottish Poetry Library, Edinburgh, Sat 10 Jun.
=l¢ James Robertson One of our most accomplished scribes traverses familiar but spectacular territory with the socio-religious drama, The Testament of Gideon Mack. See review. Waterstone's, Glasgow, Thu 15 Jun; Hamish Hamilton. 3|! Debut Authors Festival The cream of today's writers with their first book either on the way or just out, get a chance to talk about their experiences. See preview, left. Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, Fri 16-Sun 18 Jun.
* Monica All The acclaimed writer of Brick Lane releases a top-notch bunch of tales, Alente/o Blue, set in Portugal and revolving around various melancholic characters. See review. Doubleday.
3|! Ken Bulrner & Jesus Blasco The Steel Claw stories concern one Louis Crandell, a guy whose bad luck in the lab results in him attaining all manner of super powers. The Vanishing Man is the first three tales from the early 60$ collected in one delightful hardback edition. See review. Titan.
SIR Seth Mysteries. conspiracies. heroics and villainy are all present in Wimbledon Green, which the Canadian cartoonist insists is the product of some mucking about. See review. Drawn 8 Quarterly.