No, despite the alliterative overload, we haven’t been invaded by tabloid headline writers!
We won’t always post our media releases, but we thought you might enjoy some of the quotes in this one.
Media release
Kirkland Ciccone’s debut novel Conjuring The Infinite, published by Strident, has been shortlisted for the 2014 Catalyst Book Award for Young Adult (YA) fiction. It will compete with titles by Kevin Brooks, Charlie Fletcher and Sarah Mussi.
A trained journalist, Kirkland always felt drawn to the YA genre. ‘When I was little, I wanted to grow up and write YA books. The ten-year-old me would be proud now, though he’d probably ask why I’m still wearing roller skates to go shopping.’
Kirkland beamed onto the literary scene by performing quirky one-man comedy shows, including Irritable Vowel Syndrome and The Dead Don’t Sue. His unique combination of books and comedy is already proving popular with book festivals.
Conjuring the Infinite is a tale of ‘Madness, Magick and Murder’ set in The Cottage – a dumping ground for troubled teenagers. Its residents are mourning the death of the outwardly flawless Seth Kevorkian. But all is not what it seems, and gradually the truth unfolds.
Strident’s Managing Director, Keith Charters, said, ‘Anyone who meets Kirkland will immediately understand why there’s such a breath of fresh air about his narrative style. Kirkland sees the world differently. He’s the only author I’ve met who’s carried a Kurt Cobain lunchbox into our first meeting.’
What does Kirkland think of his book’s shortlisting?
‘It’s an absolute honour. I’m delighted with the rave reviews and flattered by the emergence of a fan base. I’m thinking of becoming a full-time superstar as well as a part-time punk. I think I’ve got the wardrobe for it.
‘I’m now focused on The Endless Empress, my second novel, but I miss Seth and the others in Conjuring The Infinite. I made up iTunes playlists for those characters! I gave them families and thoughts and feelings – and I, erm, killed one of them too.’
ENDS