“Declan Burke is his own genre. The Lammisters dazzles, beguiles and transcends. Virtuoso from start to finish.” – Eoin McNamee “This bourbon-smooth riot of jazz-age excess, high satire and Wodehouse flamboyance is a pitch-perfect bullseye of comic brilliance.” – Irish Independent Books of the Year 2019 “This rapid-fire novel deserves a place on any bookshelf that grants asylum to PG Wodehouse, Flann O’Brien or Kyril Bonfiglioli.” – Eoin Colfer, Guardian Best Books of the Year 2019 “The funniest book of the year.” – Sunday Independent “Declan Burke is one funny bastard. The Lammisters ... conducts a forensic analysis on the anatomy of a story.” – Liz Nugent “Burke’s exuberant prose takes centre stage … He plays with language like a jazz soloist stretching the boundaries of musical theory.” – Totally Dublin “A mega-meta smorgasbord of inventive language ... linguistic verve not just on every page but every line.Irish Times “Above all, The Lammisters gives the impression of a writer enjoying himself. And so, dear reader, should you.” – Sunday Times “A triumph of absurdity, which burlesques the literary canon from Shakespeare, Pope and Austen to Flann O’Brien … The Lammisters is very clever indeed.” – The Guardian

Sunday, May 11, 2008

The Best Things In Life Are Free … Books

Garbhan Downey’s follow-up to last year’s RUNNING MATES is YOURS CONFIDENTIALLY: LETTERS OF A WOULD-BE MP, with Gerard Brennan of CSNI declaring it “a laugh-out-loud-funny, fast-paced story and an entertaining education in the climate of Northern Ireland’s politics.” The rascal. Anyhoo, the Guildhall Press have been kind enough to offer us three signed (woo-hoo!) copies to give away, but first the blurb elves:
The Derry author’s fourth novel is a comedy-thriller set against the current British and Irish political landscape and it cements the former newspaper editor’s reputation as one of the sharpest political fiction writers on these islands. The story centres on an independent North Derry assemblyman, out to win himself a seat in the House of Commons and some real, honest-to-God power. To do that, he’s going to have sign a Faustian pact with a murderous gangster. But in a country where everyone bugs everyone else, all the time, it can only be a matter of time before the dubious deal is exposed. As with Downey’s PRIVATE DIARY OF A SUSPENDED MLA (described by the Sunday Times as “the Northern Ireland political novel of the century”), real politicians are given cameo roles. The cover design of YOURS CONFIDENTIALLY: LETTERS OF A WOULD-BE MP is by award-winning animator John McCloskey, whose film Crumblegiant was nominated for this year’s BAFTA.
Lovely. To be in with a chance of winning a copy, just answer the following question:
Is Derry officially known as:
(a) ‘Londonderry’;
(b) ‘Slash City’;
(c) ‘Yon other place in Norn Iron that’s not Belfast, whatchamacallit?’
Answers, along with an (at) rather than @ email address, via the comment box please, keeping the poisonous sectarianism to an absolute minimum, before noon on Tuesday, May 13. Et bon chance, mes amis

9 comments:

Unknown said...

Is Derry officially known as:

Since I'm from the states, and all I know about Ireland comes from Bruen and the two Declan's, my anwear is:
(b) ‘Slash City’

Unknown said...

yeah, this always happens, here's my e-mail

rawsonkeith(at)gmail.com

the answear is still slash city

Gerard Brennan said...

Bloody brilliant book!

I'm tempted to put my name in for it, even though I have a signed copy, but that'd be greedy. So, I'll do the noble thing and wish you good luck, people. And if you don't win it, you really should buy it.

gb

Michael Stone said...

It's time I quit lurking and stood up to be counted! The answer is Londonderry.

inspiralster_at_gmail_dot_com

Fiona said...

It depends on which side of the community you come from. Buuhht I'll grudgingly grant you the official London to the Derry. As of now. With my customary mental wince.

Then again, perhaps the Dutch still wince at New York. At least Derry wasn't renamed New London.

:)
noenic(at)gmail

Anonymous said...

(a)

Although isn't it strange that the city's football team plays in the league of a different country without the London prefix ? Or is it just me ?

glasgowian(at)hotmail.com

Declan Burke said...

Glasgowian - it's not like the Candystripes play in the LOI by choice - they were kicked out of the Norn Iron version, if memory serves, for being Croppies who wouldn't lie down - aka, riot-starting, stone-throwing troglodytes at the Prod venues. Or was it just at Linfield? Still, we love 'em, the Harp-swilling rascals. Cheers, Dec

colman said...

b........coleman.keane (at)ntlworld.com

Josh Schrank said...

Before trying to answer this one (and after reading all the answers thus far, I still have no idea what you lot are talking about), I have a question of my own. What is an "MP?"