Overview

The building trade in the west of Scotland has slowed, and Mac leaves his home and his companions in the Paxton Arms for the oil-rich north to seek his fortune. But he soon finds himself out in the wilderness, chasing the promise of a job. In the meantime, he's fallen for Nancy, but he can't tear himself away from the allure of the drink. Agnes Owens is one of the most distinctive and entertaining novelists. Her strength lies in her straightforward storytelling; she understands how laughter and alcohol are vital antidotes to the life of an out-of-work bricklayer. 'I cannot wait for a new generation of readers to re-discover the work of Agnes Owens' Douglas Stuart 'Owens gives us the ordinary as already enough, already weighty, already strange' Kirsty Logan 'Agnes Owens has a canny eye for tragicomedy, a compassionate heart for the unfortunate, an acute ear for dialogue' Financial Times Published to celebrate Agnes Owens' centenary year in 2026.

Full Product Details

9781846977596

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Reviews

'Has something in common with early Billy Connolly . . . in the sense that its observation and timing bring humour to a sad reality' * NME * 'The time to rediscover Owens' sharp, brilliant, witty, fuss-free fiction is here' -- John Self * The Critic * 'The time to rediscover Owens' sharp, brilliant, witty, fuss-free fiction is here' -- John Self * The Critic *

'Has something in common with early Billy Connolly . . . in the sense that its observation and timing bring humour to a sad reality' * NME *

Author Information

Agnes Owens was always a writer, although for the majority of her life she was preoccupied with making a living and domesticity. She married twice, brought up seven children and variously worked as a typist, cleaner and factory worker. It wasn't until she attended an evening creative writing course that she wrote her first novel Gentlemen of the West that was published in 1984 to widespread critical acclaim; she would go on to write a further six novellas including Like Birds in the Wilderness and A Working Mother. Her short stories were collected and published by Polygon. She died in 2014. Kirsty Logan is an author of novels, short stories, chapbooks and collaborative projects with musicians and illustrators. Her most recent books are the story collectionNo & Other Love Storiesand the memoirThe Unfamiliar. She lives in Glasgow, where she is working on film and TV projects.

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