GUY MANKOWSKI

 I was honoured to host this event for Lincoln Book Festival. Jane Savidge- as cofounder of the publicists Savidge and Best was behind much of the genesis of the Britpop movement and stewarded the successful public image (after years of obscurity) of Pulp, Suede and other key Britpop bands that reshaped our musical landscape and mindset. I recall as a teenager on the Isle of Wight reading the 'What's Eating Jarvis Cocker? Heroin? Porn?' headline of Select Magazine in my local newsagents, never dreaming I'd get to talk to the person who came up with that whole angle.  Audrey Golden talked about the research process behind bringing to light the painfully overlooked story of the women of Factory Records. Despite this being the night The Last Dinner Party were (not) playing in Lincoln we had a crowd of discerning musical types who asked great questions.  Many others made this event a beautiful occasion. My partner Rachel put together an incredible Pulp / Factory playlist th...

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 p...

First reviews are nerve-wracking! So thank you Helen Matthews (prize winning author of Girl Out of Sight) for this most kind review of my first novel in four years- the Barcelona / Marrakech based literary thriller / literary puzzle 'You Complete The Masterpiece'. It's published worldwide 26th November and available for pre-order now (via this link). 'This is accessible literary fiction at its finest. I loved it. Highly recommended.' https://www.helenmatthewswriter.com/post/review---you-complete-the-masterpiece-by-guy-mankowski

(Like a lot of people, being asked for some advice and being asked various questions about getting published went to my head and I spoke to the person who got in touch like I knew it all. I'm aware I don't and that more successful writers can probably offer him better advice. But in the hope this helps some here's my emailed reply-)   'Hi- not at all, you weren’t rambling and you ask the pertinent questions. You’ve caught me on a rather stressful day as I’m in negotiations with a film company about the content of one of my books- actually a lot more tricky than it sounds with no money readily in sight- but I’ll advise what I can and you can perhaps return to me further down the line on another better day if you like.  I’d be interested to know the name of your friends partner. I ask this because (and the same is true of me) in this field a lot of people tend to dish out advice as if they can advise on how to crack it when it’s a moving landscape with one person’s perspe...

  The University of Lincoln were kind enough to film and interview me about my forthcoming novel, which included them coming into one of my lectures! The (very) short film can be watched here The novel is about a group of people working together to expose institutional corruption. Part thriller, part literary puzzle, and set between Morocco and Barcelona the novel looks at artistic legacy and the challenges that arise when our own identity is built around problematic artists. Of the novel, bestselling author Ruth Dugdall said, 'he combines the genres of thriller with literary fiction, and this is his best book yet.'  It can now be pre-ordered here . 

Great to now be represented for book and film rights by Matthew Hamilton at The Hamilton Agency of Holland Park, London and for film rights by Leah Middleton at Marjacq. It's an honour to be alongside other authors and musicians the agency represents, (who've informed my writing so much) like Tim Burgess, Cosey Fanni Tutti, Alan McGee, John Robb, John Crace, Tim Booth, Nicholas Blincoe, Nick Kent, and Mogwai's Stuart Braithwaite. Matthew's enthusiasm for the Kristen Pfaff book puts the project in great hands. Website here 

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...