"when you see anything of mine that you don’t like remember that I’m sincere in doing it and that I’m working toward something." - Ernest Hemingway A selection of links to recent posts from my Substack site. "Writing until the light goes out" "Writing until the light goes out" And a link to my latest … Continue reading January’s best posts
Category: Fiction
“So Many Ways to Begin”
You simply must read something by Jon McGregor. Full stop. If you like well-written contemporary literary fiction, McGregor's work hits the spot. "So Many Ways to Begin" is typical McGregor: calm, understated, stylish - yet without shirking away from tackling difficult subjects (here the long-term affects of adoption, mental illness/depression, infidelity). And yet he manages … Continue reading “So Many Ways to Begin”
“Nausea” – and the experience of (and in) reading…
There aren't many belly-laughs in Jean-Paul Sartre's work... I should explain. I had just spent three years studying English Literature at University; three years where I was immersed in ‘the greats’, all the way from Chaucer, through Shakespeare and Milton, up to James Joyce. It was wonderful! But it was regimented — we were told … Continue reading “Nausea” – and the experience of (and in) reading…
Highlights from the end of 2024
"when you see anything of mine that you don’t like remember that I’m sincere in doing it and that I’m working toward something." - Ernest Hemingway A selection of links to recent posts from my Substack site. "Writing until the light goes out" "Writing until the light goes out" And a link to my latest … Continue reading Highlights from the end of 2024
The year in numbers…
"Writing until the light goes out" When I was a child I was always good with numbers. Top in maths at school, that kind of thing. Gradually, as a love of literature and writing took over, my interest in numbers’ purity began to wane. I believe I can date the start of that decline to … Continue reading The year in numbers…
“The Four Books”
It is difficult to know whether Carlos Rojas' translation of Yan Lianke's The Four Books is as long as it is because of the size of the original text. Or maybe there's a tradition in Chinese literature which embraces repetition. Perhaps it's unavoidable. For my taste however, The Four Books is about 50% longer than … Continue reading “The Four Books”
“Even the Dogs”
I am a big fan of Jon McGregor's work, and even though it may take a little while to adapt to the style of Even the Dogs, the effort in doing so is rewarded. Even the Dogs offers a bleak insight into the world of drug addiction and poverty. McGregor pulls no punches here, yet … Continue reading “Even the Dogs”
“Writing to Gisella”
Writing to Gisella is one of three novellas included in my collection Losing Moby Dick. I have just published an extract from Writing to Gisella here. A second extract will be published next week.
November’s highlights…
"when you see anything of mine that you don’t like remember that I’m sincere in doing it and that I’m working toward something." - Ernest Hemingway A selection of links to recent posts from my Substack site. "Writing until the light goes out" "Writing until the light goes out" And a link to my new … Continue reading November’s highlights…
“Baumgartner”
It strikes me that, were a creative writing tutor to use Paul Auster's Baumgartner as a sample text, they might tell you that it was a good example of how not to write a novel. The reasons? Firstly, masses of 'telling' rather than 'showing'; and secondly, enormously long sentences - sometimes half a page - … Continue reading “Baumgartner”
Ian Gouge - Writer 