Nick Quantrill - Broken Dreams

This literary event, presented by Hull University’s Philip Larkin Centre, brought together two established crime writers – Robert Edric and Allan Guthrie – and also introduced a brand new crime novelist in the shape of Hull-born writer Nick Quantrill.

Edric naturally took centre stage for the majority of the evening, during which the capacity audience were treated to excerpts from Swan Song, the third of his “Song cycle” trilogy of crime novels, all set in Hull. Edric’s dry humour and encyclopaedic knowledge of the crime genre proved to be a heady mix as both he and Guthrie chatted cheerily on the subject of crime writing, and its inevitable links with the British inner city.

Edric, twice long-listed for the Booker Prize, was a down-to-earth orator and often displayed an entrancing dry wit (once explaining, “if my characters call each other by their first names, it usually means they’re about to have sex”). I found myself wanting to hear more of his anecdotes, and read more of his writing.

Allan Guthrie was an intriguing presence. Reading from his new novel Slammer, he showed an edgier approach to the genre than Robert Edric. Whilst Guthrie’s writing may be firmly rooted in the crime tradition, his individual style is further outside the box – there are no Sam Spade clichés to be had from this Orkney-born author. Slammer is that rare beast – the prison novel – and the short reading Guthrie gave us from the book hinted at a sharp, hard-boiled story that fizzes with tension and sharp dialogue.

Toward the end of the event, the two established authors were joined by local writer Nick Quantrill, launching his debut novel Broken Dreams, also set in and around Hull. The short reading from Nick’s book suggests he should have a promising future, and the scope of the book – it manages to interweave the history of Hull’s fishing industry with classic crime thriller motifs – is ambitious enough to show that this is unlikely to be a one-off.

All in all, a fascinating and educating look at crime fiction, from three writers who all approach their common genre in very different ways. Further literary evenings are forthcoming from the Philip Larkin Centre, and one can only hope that future events are of the same quality as this one. Bravo.

(c) Nick Boldock 20.03.2010