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James Kelman

James Kelman Books

Writer

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“How do you recognise a Glaswegian in English literature? He's the cut-out figure who wields a razor-blade, gets moroculous drunk and never has a single, solitary 'thought' in his entire life. He beats his wife and beats his kids and beats his next door neighbour. And another striking thing; everybody from a Glaswegian or working-class background, everybody in fact from any regional part of Britain -none of them knew how to talk! Unlike the nice, stalwart upper-class English hero whose words on the page were always absolutely splendidly proper and pure and pristinely accurate whether in dialogue or without. Most interesting of all, for myself as a writer, the narrative belonged to them and them alone. They owned it. The place where thought and spiritual life exists.”

ThoughtNarrativeBritainSpiritual LifeWorking ClassUpper ClassEnglish LiteratureGlaswegians
Book:Some Recent Attacks: Essays Cultural & Political
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“Ninety-nine per cent of traditional English literature concerns people who never have to worry about money at all. We always seem to be watching or reading about emotional crises among folk who live in a world of great fortune both in matters of luck and money; stories and fantasies about rock stars and film stars, sporting millionaires and models; jet-setting members of the aristocracy and international financiers.”

PeopleWorldMatterStoriesSeemsFilmReadingLiteratureStarsWorryFantasyRocksEmotionalMembersModelsConcernCrisisLuckFortuneInternationalFolksNineSettingTraditionalSettingsCentsNinetyRock StarMillionaireJetAristocracyNinety NineEnglish LiteratureFilm StarsFinanciers
Book:And the Judges Said&…: Essays
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