Overview

In Call Me Spud, Stephen Rowley examines the influence of the violence of the Northern Ireland Troubles and its inevitable repercussions on the human psyche. The novel traces the dramatic consequences of the common brutality which was witnessed during the province's bloodiest years, and more specifically, the exceptional savagery of West Belfast's infamous gang of serial killers. This work of fiction follows the daily routine of a police constable engaged in the arduous task of pursuing and eventually capturing the killers. The impact of their violence results in both individual and collective trauma as the novel moves beyond the immediate geographical boundaries of Northern Ireland to the south of England. The shift in location points to the universality of violence and its aftermath.

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9781398498570

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Stephen Rowley was born and lived in Belfast until 1972, where he attended Annadale Grammar School. He earned a BA from the University of Essex (1975) and a PhD from the University of Manchester (1979). Stephen also holds a PGCE in TESOL (University of London), a Maîtrise (University of Bordeaux), and a Habilitation (University of Paris). In 2008, he was appointed Professor of English at Artois University (France), where he also served as Vice-President for International Affairs for five years. He was later recruited by the prestigious Sun Yat-sen University in China as part of the '100 Talents Programme', becoming director of the European Centre there. Stephen edited and wrote the introduction to European Perceptions of China and Perspectives on the Belt and Road Initiative (Brill, 2021) and has published more than 60 academic articles in journals across the UK, US, France, Italy, and China. He has also written several works of fiction and poetry. His second collection of short stories, The Woman from theOther Side (2023), and his novel Kindling Ashes (2024), were both published by Austin Macauley.

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