Stu Hennigan on writing in vernacular and sympathetic truthful portrayals of the north

The podcast for the world’s most interesting writers is going a little closer to home; we’re visiting Leeds and the North of England for a conversation about with Stu Hennigan about his novel, KESHED.  Not only is it lovely to speak about some of the places I know really well, but also a bittersweet too, as Stu’s novel reminds of me of the people and places I’ve moved away from.  What I loved about Stu’s novel, is its sheer vividness of its writing, combining, artfully, the vernacular and the obscene. It’s evocations of northern town and cities that are close to me, but also its unflinching approach to troubling subject matter. Stu Hennigan is a writer, poet, editor, and musician based in Leeds, UK. His acclaimed book, Ghost Signs: Poverty and the Pandemic, became notable for its powerful documentary fo the  city's most deprived communities during COVID-19 lockdown. KESHED, published by Ortac Press, is his first novel.  *this episode features strong language and discussion of sensitive themes!* Tickets to me in conversation with Alice Hattrick.  https://www.leedslitfest.co.uk/events/alice-hattrick-fancy-work/ Get exclusive subscriber benefits from the Rippling Pages.  https://patreon.com/RipplingPagesPod?utm_medi Check out the Rippling Pages Bookshop and buy all the books featured on the Rippling Pages: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/ripplingpagespod Interested in hosting your own podcast? Follow this link and find out how: https://www.podbean.com/ripplingpages  Stu’s Substack: https://stuhennigan.substack.com   References Writers Martin Amis Jenn Ashworth Charles Baudelaire Naomi Booth James Clark  Owen Jones Alice Jolly Alice Murphy-Pyle Ben Myers Annie Proulx Music Arab Strap Jimi Hendrix  Film and TV The Royle Family Ken Loach Chapters 1.45 - Uncategorising KESHED 6.15 - What is KESHED about 8.45  - why is Sean in Leeds.  9.55 - Is Sean a flaneur?  16.05 - Sean’s voice  19.20 - The importance of reading  20.10 - On truth 25.25 - Liam’s personal response to the book.  27.45 - Patreon shoutouts! 28.45 - Who is Mandy? 31.20 - Getting feedback on writing women 36.00 -the hard work of writing  37.30 - Assuming readers are smarter than you 38.45 - Language is not a barrier  40.15 - The market of writing