Is Benjamin Myers a modern great?
Like many readers, I have eclectic tastes and read widely. But, I also have those special authors whose works are sacred. I have a strange relationship with these writers because I try spread out reading their work so that I do not run out of material before I die - but then I don't know when I'll die so I get angst that I'll die without knowing their every word.
I don't know who would be on your special list but, for me, those writers are Hemingway, Garcia Marquez, Dhanvant Shangvi (look him up), Allende and Myers. Benjamin Myers.
What makes a great?
I'm not sure how greats become considered so. Is it only in death or also in life? Do we hark back to the classics because they emerged in a time without much alternative entertainment and with few competitors? I don't know. But, I do know that Benjamin Myers writes some incredible books, which has to throw him in the mix.
I have a particularly special connection to his work because he is a writer who roots his novels in the regions I have worked, grown up and lived in. The beautiful isolation of the North Yorkshire coast, the harsh forgotten pit villages of County Durham, the lonely and unforgiving desolation of northern fell, dale and moor.
Myers had incredible success with these sparse and wonderful locations for novels like The Gallow's Pole and Beastings. He has enjoyed a BBC drama adaptation and Helena Bonham Carter is lined up to produce a film based on his novel The Offing.
About turn
You'd think that with the success of these novels, Benjamin Myers would strictly give us more of what we want. Instead, he pivots.
His most recent release, Jesus Christ Kinski, is a highly original novel based on a performance by a controversial German actor - Klause Kinski. There is no doubt the punk heritage of Myers is at play here, but it is also a sign of his creative genius. To test one's audience with such a contrasting piece is brave - loyal readers can be tough to win and easy to lose.
There is no doubt to me that Benjamin Myers is one of the finest writers that the UK has produced. His work manages to hit the sweet spot by melding exceptional literary quality with meaningful plot. He can do it with or without bells and whistles and is steeped in authenticity that expresses itself with poise.
Visit Benjamin Myers's Bookshop page here.
