Ava Anna Ada events

Don't worry, I'm not about to start flogging something.

I suddenly realised I probably should use this newsletter/frequent spam/experiment/whatever this is, to update occasionally about Ava Anna Ada. I made the choice to keep my Substack free, and am sticking with that because I like the freedom it being free allows me and readers, it feels fairer that way, and I don’t want to distinguish between things I write, placing an arbitrary value on them. I also feel that pay walling things could possibly act as a way of cutting my nose off to spite my face, in that I’d suddenly be excluding readers from this when the whole idea is to let people into the inner workings of my brain. Not too far in, don’t worry. It’s probably a terrible choice and makes little business sense but in an era that reduces us all to brands, it feels right. It’s definitely informed by the research I did for Ava Anna Ada, and some of the reactions I’ve developed around how people talk on the internet, reading captions just waiting for the hard sell, for the flex of now let’s talk about money in the same breath as the isn’t capitalism just the very worst (yes, I know we all need to eat etc, don’t @ me). Ava Anna Ada is a book that’s in part about value, the value we place on others, the value capitalism places on us. I’m developing this idea further in my current manuscript in relation to value and the body, hence it’s on my mind a lot. I’m sure a shrink would say I don’t see myself as being worth very much, and I’d shift on their chair and refuse to answer…I’m also digressing, this is a long way of saying, I’m not selling anything but with more subscribers than I expected to have, it seems silly not to talk about a couple of events for Ava Anna Ada that are coming up. There is a slim chance some of you might even want to go to them.

The book publishes on the 18th January, and I’ll be in Edinburgh on the 24th January at the beautiful Portobello Books to launch it back home. It’s a book heavily influenced by where I came from, influenced by how it is to grow up in a rural area, the frustration of seeing places like my home described as the middle of nowhere, when in reality, it’s the centre of people’s world, and the strange way that when you live somewhere remote, you’re often more likely to realise how big the world is. The line it opens with begins ‘Out here on The Spit, where the sea reaches and erodes, sucks and pulls, We watch them come; We will watch them leave; here, where land has passed back and forth so many times no one knows where they are, not England, not Scotland, not Europe, not not Europe; easier just to call it The Spit as people here do…and then the line continues for another three pages. It was Laszlo Krasznahorkai who said the full stop belongs to God, I might have taken him a little too literally. It felt fitting to launch a book neither set in Scotland or England back in the country that influenced it the most.

The event in Edinburgh will be chaired by Booker prize nominated Fiona Mozley. It should be a great night, even better, it’s live streamed, meaning anyone can come. They also offer signed, dedicated books as part of the ticket, and a specially designed bookmark for all copies of Ava Anna Ada bought via their website. I’ve linked it here in case anyone is interested.

The following week, on the 29th January, I’ll be launching Ava Anna Ada in London at The Social, which is fitting since it’s where I first met my editor at White Rabbit, and is generally the most magical of all the venues. I’ll be in conversation with author and musician Miki Berenyi, who sent in a detailed quote for the cover, calling it ‘visceral and vibrant; piercingly astute in rendering the inner thoughts and raw emotions of her protagonists, unearthing diamonds of humanity from the mire of brutality’ - I think this means she likes it, so that conversation should also be excellent. I’ll be joined by Keiran Goddard who’ll be reading from his forthcoming second novel, I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning, and Lias Saoudi of The Fat White Family and author of Ten Thousand Apologies. I have no idea what Lias will be reading from, but he’s an exceptional talent and always entertaining, and will be dj-ing after. And, just to make it even better, we will be joined by a very exciting guest, who’ll be reading from Ava Anna Ada, because acting’s her job and it’s not mine. I’m not sure if I’m allowed to say who yet, but I’m very excited by her involvement with the book so far. You can get tickets here, only a fiver in, since, January etc.