Festival Books
Green day
David Mitchell is a writer who never repeats the same book twice. Rodge Glass chats to a man who is driven by fear.
itliiii seconds he's quoting Mori‘issey‘ and chatting about other people‘s books. Relaxed. articulate. down-to-
earth. David Mitchell is that rare breed ol
successltil author: lriendly until given a reason not to be. rather than the sort who waits. guarded and grumpy. tor the interviewers next attack. Alter hall an hour ol lriendly meandering conversation about everyone lrom Muriel Spark to Paul Simon. l have to remind mysell that my job is to talk abotit his work; and there’s plenty to say about that. David Mitchell‘s rise to prominence has been steady and impressive. with each ol his extraordinary novels bringing that magic mix: a larger audience and increasing critical acclaim.
llis lirst novel. (JIIUS‘IH‘I‘IJH‘H. published in NW). was hugely ambitious. involving nine interlocking narratives. A second. nimilu'r‘lrln'um. was set in Tokyo and saw him reach the Booker l’ri/e shortlist and 2003’s (ii‘anta Best Young British Novelists list. alongside the likes ol '/.adie Smith. Sarah Waters and Al. Kennedy. He is probably best known. however. lor his breakthrough novel. ('loiul Atlas (2004). which was as dillerent lrom his second book as the second was iron] the lirsl. building on a reputation l'or wide-ranging ability that allows him to skip between voices. countries and historic periods. It also brought about a second Booker shortlisting and even a Richard & .ludy Best Read ol the Year Award. It would take up most ol this article to list the pri/es he has won or been shortlisted lor. Was there pressure to lollow (Yum/Atlas with more ol the same'.’
‘No.’ he says thoughtlully'. ‘I usually react
about those who can‘t: like in that Leonard (‘ohen song.‘ says Mitchell. relerring to the quiet dinnertime arguments between mum and dad that deline Jason‘s evenings. ""l‘he homicidal bitchin‘ that goes on in every kitchen."'
As well as being about communication. and one boy's struggle with his own voice. Blur/t Swim (irt't'ii also deals with that big political event ol IUSZ. the l‘alklands War. It is potently described. right down to the period detail. the Hui/v .I/(ll/ headlines and 'I'hatchei”s air ol iiiyincibility. He even captures the spirit ol reporter. Brian llanrahan. whose regular news updates represent Jason's daily intake ol' inlormation: ‘When l was at school. the lialklands was what we talked about in the playground every morning. I was intoxicated with l'ialklands lever“. we all were. It was kind ol like winning the World (‘up. then realising you hadn’t won the World ('up at all.’ Perhaps it‘s because war isn't a lun game lor everyone or. as Jason puts it. ‘War may be an auction loi' countries. For soldiers it's a lotteryf
Alter treating lans at last year‘s Word l-‘estival in Aberdeen to Black .S'ii'uii (ii'i't'n-in-pi'ogrcss. Mitchell now' returns to Scotland with the real
‘I CAN FEEL THE STUFF I DON'T SAY BUILDING UP INSIDE ME LIKE MILDEWY SPUDS IN A SACK'
against the previous book anyway: but that‘s more out ot' a lear ol repeating mysell than reaction to pressure. I‘m known lor always doing something dillerent anyway. so I don’t think anyone expects a repeatf Black Swan (been is certainly another about-turn. Most unusually tor a Mitchell book. it‘s set in one place (a quiet Worcestershire town). in a single year t I982) and is delivered by just one voice (a 13-year-old boy called Jason 'l‘aylor). It can be crude to compare protagonists with their authors. but Mitchell happily admits he and Jason have plenty in common: as well as being born in the same year and coming lroni Worcestershire. they both stiller t'rom a stammer. or a ‘llangman‘. This is the name Jason gives to the unknown lorce that gets in the way ot' his speech. usually when he is under some kind ol pressure:
'I can leel the stull I don't say building up inside me like mildewy spuds in a sack.'
Hangman is ghost—like. strangling Jason. preventing him from saying certain sounds or words. making him look stupid. But Jason is not the only one who can't say what he means. This is as much a book about people not knowing how to communicate. or relusing to. as it is
68 THE LIST FESTIVAL MAGAZINE 3‘ Ana ‘
thing. though there may be some new material this time too. He's currently writing a sequence ol occasional pieces narrated by lringe characters lroin his last novel. one by a boy in Jason's class. It's clear lroin the excitement in his voice that this is where his head is right now. He talks enthusiastically about the most minor players. like Jason's neighbour Mrs ('astle a ‘one ol those garden .\'a/is who conl'iscates lootballs' - and her daughter. who doesn‘t appear in the novel at all. but now gets a short story all to hersell.
How does he leel about presenting his work'.’ Well. that one‘s answered in H/(lt'k' Sim/i (Jl't't‘ll. by the character. Madame (‘roiiimelynck. who assesses Jason‘s early poems: ‘ll you show someone something you‘ve written. you give them a sharpened stake. lie down in your collin and say. "when you're ready.”
David Mitchell & Colum McCann, Chariotte Square Gardens, 27 Aug, 5pm, £7 (£5).
THE HISTORY MAN
As Seamus Heaney arrives for two heavily- anticipated events, Owen O‘Neill describes his lifelong fascination with the poet.
Ol‘i‘, snittm‘ae .‘ltat'w.’ ‘ «TN i lterar‘. statm .' 2 .‘.'.‘:‘~ rt» :‘ .l:~ “balancino the v «.em ‘t its 1‘ s trans eniiwn vita ("ow c ." .'. athe' ritout't fl‘r: statwmv't 'i‘.‘:. t» town: .1 candidate ft" (“seats (other. {pt . s . ".as’ read n 5 poetry tt .."..iw'n‘.ar\t ‘t‘ it t" s "Ia t. what t‘is its this: .i'kt "\‘re
i‘ltli hearty it.'..tl" Mart-ifs : o ' when l was one" .i {was «t 7‘ .. .‘ My: "w Viewer tii‘ml‘. t‘.;ri*"‘. ‘l-w ‘i ‘.i"".‘_1.:\. 1"." t' wen: easy tits'it; m that i ’1 MP. i‘ "“tt'ti'w‘it their meanmthy “.13.”:wa it .i: .i' e"»' ' on. fli‘: Retiatittii it‘stzc :‘ w \ ft‘at .i t t'-' » wt 1’ -‘
'Trtititiles‘41:th\vt'i it Irv l" t i 2 lt was as if I .ilr'o .t .i' :i\_il"xi : w i: Stained earth :tseit, Heaven. '1‘ ; approach {ll‘tl ll‘t' '~*l.‘t,‘{i’_iVl l" .iai- « i° '.' w: i. that ‘deep a'iriwr‘t l la “is claw-fl "sat lt' ll‘n- "at .« that if I wantuti it it; to inst write at: Over the year“, I P‘aw- '.‘.l'ii"" that i» ‘7” WW“: SOVOH one than stioym; Iii l tia‘lmir'ttz, t t which wrére larger. atit;whioqraiiliica: l i' i a». to think that it was reading; Seamus l l~ ‘(t"“. fl‘at helped me always to “HIV: to qo that i‘xi'a 'w- and not be afraid to delve a l)? "tflv into murky past. Someone once sari that trw- in mt comedy was; tragedy piiis Illlit,‘ | twin.“er trim, to be true. Beam without doubt the leatlsiiq I)’ r". r the English speaking v'rov'id today. Huii it», 2‘. a prime target for parorl‘, and. at times ilill', deserves; to have the piss; l§lls(¢l‘ out at hm
a .'.'.'itr‘-i flint it {‘1 it r:‘ w
A POEM LIKE WHAT SEAMUS HEANEY MIGHT WRITE LIKE.
Only the sense of the deep hog brir;_.r;r;n' in the: sense of itself
Into the black v-vettec‘i "rivers of curred ';n’ are" the hognian 's hoot
fertile on the edge of a nus/arr; (IT/VJ!) rt", xi drowning in hrs; trot/sew.
A long S/OW gurg/e of bard/er," ‘.‘."i’.'“' r’il-r; Hit/t .n the tonsils of the .‘hroateo call Mr al/ of i/f,. (Jo/rig my to the turf and the old woriian hunched on her hat/riches. lighting the long c/av dim and spitting into the light which SONS the log fire roasting her mottled shins arid the urine rammed mar: steaming in the comer. waiting or: hr', dinner, which wr/l never come.
My show this year is called Owen O'Neil: is, a
t and so is Seamus Heaney. l wrll or: reader; poetry. telling stories and rexealirig my hatred of the use of the asterisk as sortie l’l’l’J of cloaking deVice for swear words. The British press are a bunch of Z ‘ ' ' ' ' ‘ ’ ' 'y_ to: sure Seamus Heaney WOUld agree.
I Seamus Heaney. Charlotte Square Gardens. 0845 373 5888. 24 Aug. 8pm. {‘8 6.6). 25 Aug. 77.30am. £7 £5): Owen O'Nei/Iis a "’t and so is Seamus Heaney. Gi/ded Bal/oon Tewot, 668 7633, until 28 Aug, 7.45;)m, EQ—E‘IO /E8—£9/.