GUY MANKOWSKI

For me, Anna Calvi is the first performer in a long time to have an onstage persona so distanced from her natural self as to be almost unrecognisable. In interviews she’s quiet, thoughtful, always hiding behind a thick mane of blonde curls. Onstage she’s ferocious, snarling, and seemingly on a revenge mission that no number of flamenco scorched blues numbers will absolve. She reminds me of this lady – I first fell for her work, after watching a performance of her on the French TV channel Arete. Where bands like Arcade Fire portray the current state of affairs, performers like Anna Calvi offer a means of escape to somewhere more glamorous, which in grim times seems very important. She’s currently fuelling late night writing binges as I try to start my second book. In an age of reality tv ‘stars’ and whitewash landfill indie Anna Calvi is certainly worth cherishing.

‘A huge accomplishment. With expert prose Mankowski draws the reader into a world where layers of secrets are slowly and skilfully stripped away. Lyrical and yet accessible, with character dynamics to die for…’ Gary Murning, author of ‘If I Never’ ‘Guy Mankowski's debut novel, The Intimates, manages that all too rare feat of being a deeply psychological character study whilst at the same time playing out as a bonafide page-turner. Excellently paced, insightfully created, and with moments of genuine genius, The Intimates is an opulently written, high concept piece which explores the psychology of human relationships, and especially the dynamics of groups. Here we meet characters of genuine depth. Through them, Mankowski explores themes such as the darker side of intimacy and friendship; scadenfreude, jealousy, petty rivalries - but the characters are more than mere ciphers for psychological analysis. They are living, breathing people, whose mutual understanding, whose deep bonds a...

After weeks of nipping and tucking, assisted by my tireless editor and late night cups of coffee The Intimates  is ready for release. Its publisher Legend Press today released the following blurb for it on their website- 'The Intimates believe that they are the epitome of glamour. For this group of eclectic friends life is a playground as they sing, act and write their way to their dream lifestyles. But all is not as it seems. Invited to celebrate one evening together, there is a sinister undertone that threatens to expose each of these brilliantly talented failures. Dark secrets unravel, and ugly truths are revealed as each person desperately tries to hide what’s buried beneath the shimmering surface. Each trapped in a pristine image their masks begin to slip and, for some, start to disintegrate in a way that will alter their lives forever.' It can be pre-ordered from here- http://www.amazon.co.uk/Intimates-Guy-Mankowski/dp/1907756469  

Daniel Kitson is a shambolic, hysterical and thrillingly creative comedian. I’ve been lucky enough to see him twice this year and both times his work has had a huge impact. He eschews large commercial shows in favour of gigs often held in small and intimate venues. I’ve never seen a comedian so able to draw waves of relentless laughter from an audience while simultaneously offering so many insights into the human condition. He's so deft at sharing his own memories, in a manner that makes them seem universal, that he even makes you laugh at your own memories. The first show I saw of his was entitled ‘66a Church Road’, which he described as ‘a break up show for my flat’. In it he used images of poignant scenes from his past, projected onto suitcases, in order to recount the love affair he had with his first home. In so doing he almost literally invited the audience into his world. He recounted key moments of romance and heartbreak he had there, time...

I’ve long been fascinated by Richey Edwards- the fiercely intelligent, glitter drenched guitarist from The Manic Street Preachers who disappeared at the age of 27 on the brink of an American tour. I was therefore intrigued to find out this week that a novel has been written describing Richey’s life from his own perspective. ‘Richard: A Novel’ is being released in October, and is already courting some controversy. Nicky Wire, the bass player from The Manic Street Preacher’s this week wrote in the NME that he found the book ‘too upsetting to finish’ and that ‘when you make fiction out of someone you forget that they’re a real human being’. My gut instinct is to agree. Though I applaud Myer’s attempt to present Richey as not just a rock star, but as an academic and young man, will this novel not just contribute to the myths that already surround him, and therefore make it harder to have a clear idea of what Richey was really like? Paradoxically, it seems that the more that is written a...

I'm very excited that today Legend Press have announced the release of my first novel 'The Intimates'- which is due for publication in early 2011. They describe the novel as 'depicting an evening with a group of eclectic friends, gradually uncovering the ugly and brutally honest truths that can go unmentioned for so long. With Guy's unique writing style, the characters unravel before the reader with a sense of almost unsettling realism.' Having worked with Lauren, Tom and Lucy on the collections 'Eight Rooms' and 'Ten Journeys' I'm very excited to be able to continue doing so in the future. They're a very dedicated, exciting and groundbreaking publishing house, and it's great to be on their books alongside such fantastic authors as Zoe Jenny, Bonnie Greer and Gary Murning. For more information check out Legend Press at- http://forward.legendpress.co.uk/mainsite/2010/09/announcing-the-intimates-by-guy-mankow...