I wonder if Jamepa knows that his name is in this book?

by Des Dillon

Oct 21 2011 Dumfries Standard Friday

A FEW simple words is all Des Dillon needs to convey his illuminating take on life.

The award-winning novelist, poet, playwright and stand-up comedian utilises simple language to create profound ideas – the hallmark of his unusual voice that sets him apart from most others.

His characteristic straight-talking fiction and rapid fire humour has won him high acclaim across the globe as well as in his own country.

But it is the brevity and sparseness of his writing and his ability to create thought-provoking images in poignant sentences that has won him most praise.

It is no surprise, therefore, that Des has chosen the haiku – superficially, a Japanese style of poem with only three lines – to put his latest musings to.

In Scunnered: Slices of Scottish Life in Seventeen Gallus Syllables, Des confronts this new medium to display his own insight into Scotland and the world beyond.

Aristotle on Scotland

Nature produces

nothing without good reason;

save midges and neds.

Refusing to shy away from the so-called high or low culture, in these pages Ancient Greek philosophers meet cheeky wee neds, an epileptic lurcher mediates and everything appears to end with The Perfect Moment.

With each haiku providing a lightning bolt of illumination into the Scottish psyche, Scunnered is a new way to see the many fractured aspects of our nation.

Galloway-based Des has a lot of silverware adorning his shelves.

His novel Me and Ma Gal was shortlisted for the Saltire Society First Book of the Year Award and won the World Book Day We Are What We Read poll.

The book was also selected as one of The List/Scottish Book Trust’s 100 All Time Best Scottish Books.

His poetry and short stories have been anthologised internationally and his latest award was The Lion and Unicorn prize for the best of Irish and British Literature in the Russian Language.

Des founded the Goldfish Theatre in 2010 and wrote the smash hit phenomenon of Scottish Culture, Singin’ I’m No Billy, He’s a Tim, which became the most performed play in Scotland in the last five years.

Scunnered is published by Luath Press and will be available from all good book stores from November 1.

Drink, brawl, sleep, drink, brawl, sleep….this plot line is on spin cycle in Des Dillon’s latest novel. Upon getting out of prison, middle-aged Stevie attempts to reconnect with his younger brother Danny, still a heavy boozer. Getting to know Danny again is the “experiment” in question and leads Stevie to reminisce about former times. The narrative shifts back and forth between the past and present, illustrating Stevie’s alcoholic and sober phases (which aren’t that different). Though Stevie is the principal character, the narrative largely focuses on Danny. He eventually becomes the third wheel in a relationship between a local boxer, Billy, and his girlfriend, Shelly. The local Asda become the trio’s favourite spot for panhandling. When a violent episode erupts between Billy and Danny, Stevie finds himself in the middle of the conflict. Dillon successfully conveys the devastating effects of alcoholism and how it tears apart a family. He seems to blame the men for all the trouble; in contrast, the female characters , such as the boys’ mother and Shelly , are kind and naive. Although Dillon hits all the right emotional notes, the novel becomes a series of binges and scuffles. TM