Publication of You Complete The Masterpiece

Was great to see the publication of You Complete The Masterpiece in December, hosted by the excellent Sloth Creative Writing night at Lincoln University. 

The novelist Amy Lilwall (who wrote the critically acclaimed novel The Biggerers) read, as did exciting talents such as Maya Shell, Em Burton (below) and the brilliant Meg Whitelock who is not only a very exciting talent herself but who put this all together from scratch. 

Tim Marks (above) also managed to solve a series of murders (all tied to yours truly) in fifteen minutes of uproarious stand up. The book can be bought here. I discussed the process of researching it with Jen Bowden, as well as going into knotty subjects such as finding an agent. Interview here. Jen was kind enough to name the novel as #1 in her 'Northern Voices Christmas Book List 2024.' 

Reviews

'Trust me when I say that You Complete The Masterpiece is an engaging page-turner that will have anyone and everyone interested compelled to never put it down until the final page has been turned. It’s just that powerfully good. What we have here is a most alluring, well crafted, elegantly told, bold and exhilarating new novel, an admirable read that has you dutifully engrossed from the very first page to its final conclusion. In what is an intimate portrait, a veritable character study of how challenges brought forth to us effect and affect us and those around us.' Anne Carlini - Exclusive Magazine. 

'If you're looking for a novel thats part-thriller, part-literary puzzle then look no further. Guy Mankowski's novel You Complete the Masterpiece is an engaging and pacy look at literature, love and the age of #MeToo.⁠ I can't quite put my finger on what this novel reminds me of, but it has a vibe similar to Graeme Macrae Burnet's The Disappearance of Adéle Bedeau – though there's nothing cosy about this European-set tale. Power, corruption and their influence on creativity permeate this narrative. This is a damning portrayal of the culture of silence created around abuse and harassment, brought to the public eye by the #MeToo movement.⁠ But this is also a book about love, loss and how often our own fallibility gets in the way of our relationships.⁠ You Complete The Masterpiece' is a really original and engaging story. In some moments it reminded me of a cosy crime and in others it felt like a social drama. Kind of like The Talented Mr Ripley meets Graeme Macrae Burnett.' Jen Bowden, Northern Voices podcast. 

'Rich in detail and wonderfully entertaining, You Complete The Masterpiece draws attention to the ills of society, the greed seen in the charge towards wealth, and the fickle nature of the #metoo generation. You Complete The Masterpiece is a most enjoyable read.' Blue Wolf Reviews. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

'Kristen Hovers At The Edge': Excerpt from 'I Know How To Live': The Life of Kristen Pfaff via 3AM Magazine

Image
This is the first chapter from  ‘I Know How To Live’: The Life of Kristen Pfaff  by Guy Mankowski  (with an afterword by Jason Pfaff). It’s 1993, and a teeming English summer afternoon. A crowd sways in front of the stage. The singer wears a guitar over her grey trench coat. Smoke flows through her hair as she waves her lit cigarette at the crowd. A man in the crowd shouts, with contempt, ‘she’s dyed her hair!’ There’s a woman next to her in a black miniskirt, carrying a black bass with the confidence of one who treats it as an appendage. The black hair that obscures her face is somehow more convincing than that of the singer, who doesn’t look at her. The singer strums, her singing inaudible at first and the woman to her right winds her mike stand, plectrum in her mouth. There’s a sense of growing conviction about her. Ear-splitting feedback. A sense of occasion, the clenched body language of a band determined to prove themselves to this huge crowd at The Phoenix Festival...
Read more

Kristen Pfaff biography: representation for it, my TEDx talk, its first chapter and who has become a part of it...

Image
Now being at the point where the first chapter of this book is finally out in the world it is remarkable to think I was first inspired to write a book about Kristen Pfaff from Hole when I read her mother Janet's book about her daughter's life (available  here ) and it contained excerpts from Kristen's diary. An entry in which she describes as a young girl having a conversation with the sea was perhaps the most beautiful piece of writing I've read and it probably began all this work. I have been working on it with Jason Pfaff after I got in touch with him. Jason gives his side of how we decided to work together on  this  podcast. One reason the book has taken longer to write than anyone might have expected is revelations about Pfaff from people who knew her are still being offered to me. However much I know about Kristen the more news about the book comes out the more people come to Jason and me to talk and open up about their recollections of her. Jason Pfaff and I h...
Read more

Update on Kristen Pfaff book

Image
  Just wanted to offer a quick update about the book about Kristen Pfaff. Along with Jason Pfaff, for some years a book about Pfaff has been in development. It has benefited from the input of many parties, not least Pfaff’s exes, Mike Huber and Robert Slammon and many others. It also benefits from access to Pfaff’s unseen archive, Jason Pfaff's video archive, as well as other exciting sources. Pfaff’s 27 years were used fitfully and the book will very much focus on her life rather than her passing. As an academic, activist, counsellor and musician Pfaff packed a lot into her years and this book will very much celebrate her life and her time as a key member of cult band Janitor Joe, putting the spotlight onto the years in which less is known about Pfaff. The book will also celebrate Pfaff and others contribution to the masterpiece that was Hole’s ‘Live Through This’. When there is news on the publication front we’ll be sharing it right away. I’d like to offer my thanks to the Pfaff ...
Read more