Photo by Andrea Piacquadio at Pexels. Design James Walker 

I had a manuscript entitled This is all I Know accepted for publication with Pomona in 2002. Over the next three years it kept getting pushed back further down the line. The reasons given were frustrating but pragmatic: they needed to build up their reputation before risking a first time novelist. Another problem was distribution. If they were having difficulty getting established authors into bookshops why would anyone bother with mine? Eventually, and somewhat inevitably, my book got pushed so far down the priority list it was no longer a priority. Game over.

From this I would offer the following advice to other fledgling writers:

1) Shit happens, get over it.
2) If your book keeps getting put back, keep an eye out for other publishers/agents and move on.
3) Don’t tell anyone you are having something published until it is actually published.
4) Small publishers can die with one mistake.

I believe Pomona had every intention of publishing the book but the market told them otherwise. I have since reread my manuscript and trimmed it down by 40,000 words to 130,000 and sent it off to Route for a first novel competition they’ve advertised. They may ignore it, they may accept it and then put it on the shelf for a couple of years, or they may give it a shot. Either way, this time I will keep my trap shut.

Photo by Last Stop Okinawa at Pexels. 

I had an interesting conversation with the cultural historian and documentary maker Patrick Wright concerning the appeal of Cloughs’ personality type to the English and with Matt Connell (who is currently writing a book on Theodore Adorno) about his supposed authoritarianism. I’m not looking to reduce Clough into an easily manageable category which supports a certain theory, rather to explain the many ways through which he may be viewed.

Usually my writing involves nothing more than coming up with stories for random thoughts and consequently is quite an isolated and introverted experience. Doing the Clough book can be incredibly frustrating, particularly when trying to get into contact with ‘famous’ people. Often an interview is promised and then cancelled at the last minute. Often, I find myself completely ignored no matter how polite my enquiry – however I take this in good faith. I am entering a different type of world where I am at the bottom of the ladder and really can’t expect to be treated as anything other than second best until I have earned my spurs.

Fortunately the ‘ordinary people’ I have interviewed are fantastic. I have just received the greatest quote so far from a Deacon visiting the Church on the Corner near Goose Fair roundabout. ‘Brian Clough was a straight talker – just like the people in Bulwell. If you want straight talking go to Bullwell market on a Saturday morning.’ Priceless.

Next on my contact list is Elis Cashmore who recently wrote a post structuralist account of Beckham. I am interested in his views on how Clough is being fought over by those with a legitimate link e.g. Boro as a striker, Derby – Forest as manager etc.