So describe 鈥楶erverted by Language?鈥 "There鈥檚 a book I鈥檝e edited called Perverted by Language which is 23 stories inspired by the music of Manchester band The Fall." Why The Fall?
"I run a website called Book Munch and I interview a lot of writers for that. And in the course of interviewing, it came up that lots of people who write tend to like The Fall. I think that The Fall鈥檚 frontman Mark E Smith is quite cerebral and literary himself. So this idea started to formulate in my mind: different writers taking a song by The Fall and using it for a jumping off point for a short story 鈥 and that鈥檚 the collection of stories that will be launched at the Manchester International Festival." I take it you鈥檙e a Fall fan yourself鈥 "I鈥檝e been a fan of The Fall since I was 14, which is a bit horrific when you think about it!" What do you mean 鈥榟orrific鈥欌? "Well, you tend to think, don鈥檛 you, that you outgrow certain things, your tastes change and all the rest of it, and The Fall is the band I鈥檝e been into the longest. I know there are Fall fans who worship at the altar of Mark E Smith and he can do no wrong. Whereas I鈥檓, rightly or wrongly, a bit more critical. So I鈥檝e got Fall albums that I love and Fall albums that I don鈥檛 quite like as much but throughout the past 20 years, I鈥檝e been following them more or less." The Fall are very much outsiders, aside from the mainstream. That鈥檚 surely a core value of new writing.. | "Mark has this attitude that says: 鈥業 couldn鈥檛 care less what you think about me, I鈥檓 going to do what I want to do.鈥 A lot of writers appreciate that." | | Peter Wild, editor |
"That鈥檚 a big, big point! I think a lot of writers like the way that Mark E Smith does exactly what he wants to do, and doesn鈥檛 make a great deal of money from it either! Certainly, as far as writers are concerned, they see someone who has integrity and purity of vision, which Mark has and this kind of attitude that says: 鈥業 couldn鈥檛 care less what you think about me, I鈥檓 gonna do what I want to do.鈥 I suppose a lot of the writers in the book can very definitely appreciate that." And of course the band takes its name from an Albert Camus novel... "Absolutely! You only have to think of The Fall titles themselves really. Steve Aylett, who鈥檚 a counter-culture sci-fi writer, he鈥檚 in the book - he chose 鈥楾he Man Whose Head Expanded鈥. So there鈥檚 these great 1950s pulp fiction song titles in The Fall back catalogue that are great starting points for stories." So give us some more examples鈥
 | | Peter Wild |
The first story in the book is by Liverpudlian writer Niall Griffiths. He chose Bingo Master鈥檚 Breakout. Jeff VanderMeer chose A New Face in Hell. Mick Jackson, who was nominated for the Booker Prize two or three years ago, chose Totally Wired which, as the title might suggest, is about someone who goes a bit crazy after having their drink spiked. There鈥檚 a song called Town and City Hob Goblins that an American writer called Carlton Mellick has chosen and that鈥檚 just crazy! It鈥檚 perfectly straightforward and totally understandable but the things he writes about, you think 鈥 Oh my God, this is so in the spirit of The Fall 鈥 because you think: What is that??? So they鈥檙e all great places to start and great titles to do things with." What has Mark E Smith had to say about the book? "Er... Getting in touch with Mark E Smith is like getting in touch with Osama bin Laden 鈥 you have to send notes in satchels on camels through the desert and speak through various ciphers to get to him. To begin with, he was very, very positive and then, as time鈥檚 gone on, Mark being Mark has settled into his default position of 鈥榊eah, I don鈥檛 like it, it鈥檚 rubbish!鈥 Which is fine, because I fully expect that to be the case with Mark E Smith, so it鈥檚 water off my back, if you know what I mean. He said in an Irish interview that he didn鈥檛 really like the book, but then he鈥檚 playing the launch which seems a bit contradictory. But then again, that's the spirit of The Fall, so I鈥檓 not over worried." So describe the format of the live MIF performance.. "There are three writers from the book 鈥 Andrew Holmes, who鈥檚 a massive Fall fan 鈥 he鈥檚 an up and coming writer and he鈥檚 read his story at a few rock concerts over the past year or so, so I know he鈥檚 strong enough for a rock crowd. Then there鈥檚 Rebecca Ray, who鈥檚 written a couple of novels so far. And after them, we鈥檙e having Stewart Lee, the comedian who鈥檚 reading his story out. They鈥檙e each going to read an excerpt and then The Fall will come on and do their thing!" The Fall fans amongst them must be looking forward to that... "Stewart Lee was saying he鈥檚 a bit afraid. You know what they say about never meeting your heroes. Well, Stewart鈥檚 a massive Fall fan, knows every B-side and he鈥檚 a bit like: 鈥淥h God, I was going to do a Mark E Smith impression when I read my story out, but now I think he鈥檒l probably come on and punch me.鈥 So there鈥檚 a bit of anxiety out there鈥" And finally, your favourite Fall track and favourite story from the book? "The last Fall song I played was Telephone Thing which is a great tune from a few year鈥檚 back 鈥 so I鈥檒l say that. And my favourite story at the moment is a story by Michelle Faber called Fortress Deerpark which is about a guy who鈥檚 invited on a retreat by a wealthy lass he鈥檚 seeing. And on this retreat there are pop stars and African fascist dictators milling around and they all go on this celebrity deer cull. You read it and there鈥檚 definitely an exhalation of breath required...! It鈥檚 a bit rough, but I like the fact that it hits you quite hard!" 'Perverted by Language' is published by Serpent's Tail. It will be performed as part of the Manchester International Festival at The Ritz on Sunday 1 July. |
