Chris Killen from Manchester and Trevor Byrne from Dublin are two of the rising stars on Canongate's new fiction list. Just 27 years young, both their debut novels are abuzz with fresh energy, riveting storylines and a much-needed new perspective on 21st century life. But what's it like to debut? Here
the lead characters of Killen's The Bird Room and Byrne's Ghosts and Lighting compare notes.
Howayeh. I'm Denny. Ehh . . . Kind of a bit mad this, isn't it? I wouldn't usually . . . emm . . . Well, eh. So, bukes and that, yeah? Debuts. It's weird but I don't think I've read the debuts o most o me favourite writers. I started on Outer Dark with Cormac McCarthy. I thought he was Irish before. Don't think I've ever heard a more Irish soundin name. But then again some first bukes are like, I dunno – it's big bang stuff, kaboom. Irvine Welsh and that. Or Chuck Palahniuk or Niall Griffiths and they create these mad universes in one go, dead new, and everythin else they do after that is kind of . . . Evolution sets in. They're just explorin after that. Givin stories to these totally new places.
Hi Denny. I'm William. I don't read much, anymore. I used to, but I recently sold most of my books on eBay. I think I know what you mean about ‘creating universes'. I wish I could somehow read a book and actually disappear into it. I like books that make me forget who I am for a while. I used to like things with a sense of humour, but I don't have a sense of humour anymore. I sold my sense of humour on eBay to a woman in Cardiff. I think my favourite debut novel is Trout Fishing in America by Richard Brautigan. I like how it's not even a novel, really. Richard Brautigan seemed to be telling himself jokes in his writing, to cheer himself up. I can empathise with that. Please tell me a bit more about yourself, or the books you like, or something else. I need distracting.
How yeh doin, William. Does anyone ever call yeh Will? Or Bill? A fella I knew called Kasey, bit of space cadet, he was mad for that sort o thing. Den, Dennicus, Denzerino, Den Quixote. Most o me mates don't really read much so it's nice, like, to talk to someone who does. Or used to. Me ma was mad for her readin. Before she died, like. I remember I robbed The Hobbit from school, that was the first buke I read. And that's another one, a debut, that makes a world. Kind o more literally, I suppose, but still. That's one where I really did feel like I'd disappeared into all that newness, that difference and magic. I've always had that, that longin. Only proper bukes can do that.
How come yeh sold yer sense o humour to a woman in Cardiff? For real, like? How much did yeh get? I used to live near Cardiff, in the Valleys. Few months, like, then I came back cos o me ma. The funeral and that. Wouldn't mind sellin some o meself on eBay. Sell me residual sense o Catholic guilt to some gobshite priest somewhere who's feelin too happy with himself, 100 euro, Buy It Now. Sounds like a good idea for a buke, actually, sellin stuff on eBay like that. D'yeh write, yerself?
No one calls me Will, I'm afraid. No one really calls me anything anymore, seeing as I don't go out of the house or anything. I had a friend called Will once, but we're no longer in touch. Now I just wander around the empty rooms and look out of the windows and at the space where the TV used to be. Yesterday I saw a cat fall off my neighbour's fence. I got £2.04 for my sense of humour. No shit. I'm currently selling an old coffee table (no bidders), an empty CD rack (currently at £3, two days left), and three Viagra tablets (no bidders). My seller ID is w_reed. Please take a look at some of my other items. I've never been to Cardiff, I'm afraid, Denny. I'd like to say, ‘One day, maybe,' but that would be a lie.
Well, it's not that great anyway, Cardiff. Here, listen William, I'm gonna have to run. Stay well, man. Nice to meet yeh. Sure I might see yeh again sometime. I'll check yeh out on eBay, if there's any of yeh left. I think yeh should start readin again, maybe. Stay cool.
