Thirty-odd years ago, the author, though in general a somewhat mediocre student at high school, managed a spectacular failure in the English language. Thusly unprepared for life, he became a chef, a magnificently poor choice for an alcoholic, particularly one with an addictive personality and compulsive disorder. To avoid a premature death, he quit cooking. And booze. And drugs. Then started moving heavy inanimate objects on construction sites in the service of those with the talent and competence to avoid doing mundane labour themselves. Then came the epiphany - thirty years of reading novels was an education by osmosis, a transferable skill taking the imagination to the blank page and a subsequent manuscript. That's his story, and the one that he wrote is yours.
