Notes From the Plague House
Unclean! Unclean!
No news is good news? Not exactly…….
It’s been ages since I sent one of these, for various reasons. Chiefly that there’s not been a huge amount to report over the summer; secondly because I had a couple of weeks off in August for a much-needed break with my family; and thirdly, at the end of that fortnight I came down with shingles, again, and have been flat on my arse ever since. So while I’ve been meaning to check in with a quick update, I’ve been fit for nothing but trying to remain horizontal as much as having two young kids will allow, and reading at least a book a day until I get back to normality. There are a couple of things of note that I want to mention though, so I’m writing this from my sickbed, partly for the sake of something to do, and partly because I’m fed up of thinking about having to do it and wondering when I will. So…….
Upcoming events
Todmorden Book Festival
The next event for Ghost Signs will be on Saturday 18th November at Todomorden Book Festival, where I’ll be in conversation with Bluemoose’s Kevin Duffy, chatting about how the book came into being and everything that’s happened since. It’s been nearly sixteen months since it was published and it’s coming to the end of its cycle now in some ways - although the subject matter remains as relevant as ever - so might be one of the last chances to hear me speak at an event where this book is the sole, specific focus. Tickets are a fiver a pop via this link.
Outsiders
I was stunned, flattered and discombobulated recently to get an email from renowned photographer Marc Davenant asking if I’d like to speak alongside writer/activist Kerri Douglas and Dan Burraway from Shelter at the opening of the touring exhibition of pictures from his book Outsiders, the culmination of a six year project documenting homelessness in the UK. There are clear overlaps between the book and the themes I explored in Ghost Signs, so obviously I was delighted to accept. The exhibition opens on 20th October at the Williamson Gallery in Birkenhead and will definitely be worth a visit for anyone interested in the interface between visual arts and social documentation.
A Monday Night In Middlesborough
This feels like ancient history now, but want to give a shout out to Steve at Industrial Coast Records for inviting me to appear at one of his A Monday Night in Middlesborough events, on the same bill as a German electronic producer and a solo post-rock guitarist at The Auxiliary. This was pitched to me as part of a series of DIY experimental evenings showcasing mixed line-ups of artists across all sorts of disciplines - music, poetry/spoken word, writing, modern dance etc. Instant yes from me, especially when the venue turned out to be a disused carpet warehouse that’s being renovated into a multi-arts space, with the aid of some ACE funding……..
I’d been wanting to give a run-out to the opening of the new novel and thought this would be a good place to try. It’s an experimental passage that has no punctuation, prepositions, conjunctions or pronouns so I was a bit twitchy; it needed ‘performing’ rather than reading and I’d never done anything like that before so I was shitting it tbh, but the 40 folk who saw it were unbelievably receptive and generous and they’ll have my eternal thanks for that! I read another extract from the first chapter which was similarly well-received, and my 20 minute slot got me the best review I’m ever likely to get:
“Arab Strap meets Barry Hines meets John Cooper Clarke.”
I’ll definitely take that.
These kind of grassroots events are crucial to the survival of the arts in this country, so check out the links above to the label and venue, and get involved if you can. I’m currently writing a piece about barriers to accessing the arts for the winter edition of a literary journal that’s out towards the end of the year. I’ll post a link here when I have it.
3:AM Magazine - Last Call
Last year, i published a short story in the (now sadly defunct) Massive Overheads chapbook series. It was the first short fiction I’d written in 15 years and the first I’d ever had in physical print, and - especially because it’s such a personal story - I thought it was a shame it didn’t get a wider audience than the couple of hundred subscribers who saw it. But, thanks to head honcho and all round literary dude Andrew Gallix, you can now read the story for free online at the legendary 3:AM Magazine. Cheers to Andy Leach for letting me republish it in this format too.
Scribble Scribble Scribble
Other than that, not much else to report. I’m still jumping through hoops with the novel, and am 80% of the way through Draft 1 of a top-secret (ish) music book that I’m hoping to pitch early next year. I’ve also sent in an entry to the Galley Beggar Short Story Prize to see if I can get myself on the longlist, although think we’re filing under “pigs might fly” for the time being. Plan for the immediate is to sit still and get well though - I’m not back at work until mid-October, so hopefully once I’m fit and functioning again, the writing can recommence in earnest.
And finally………
Fuck You, Elon Musk
Like most other people I know, I’m sick to death of the binfire that Twitter has become, so I’ve pretty much abandoned it as a platform. I’ll still post BIG things on there, and if anyone wants to contact me for press/bookings/events/commissions, I’ll still get notified by email of any DM’s, but if anyone wants me for idle book-related chat, and all the things Twitter used to be so lovely for before Space Karen took over and trashed the joint, you can find us here on Bluesky Social
Till next time.
S x x