Longlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2016, The Many, by Cornish writer Wyl Menmuir is an unsettling ecological parable that explores the impact of loss and the devastation that hits when the foundations on which we rely are swept away.
Timothy Buchannan buys an abandoned house on the edge of an isolated village on the coast, sight unseen. When he sees the state of it he questions the wisdom of his move, but starts to renovate the house for his wife, Lauren to join him there.
When the villagers see smoke rising from the chimney of the neglected house they are disturbed and intrigued by the presence of the incomer, intrigue that begins to verge on obsession. And the longer Timothy stays, the more deeply he becomes entangled in the unsettling experience of life in the small village.
In Conversation with Sarah Crown
Sarah Crown is director of literature at the Arts Council and a former Guardian books editor.
Wyl Menmuir
Wyl Menmuir is the best-selling author of the books The Many (Salt Publishing), Rounds (Nightjar Press) and In Dark Places (National Trust). He is a regular contributor to Elementum journal, and has written for both The Observer and Radio 4.
Wyl teaches creative writing and works as a freelance editor and literacy consultant.
Novel Writers
Each month we invite a debut novelist to read from and talk about their work in an informal setting. Prior knowledge of the text is not essential. Topics of discussion include theme, structure, inspiration and the craft of writing. These sessions are a great way to discover new writing talent and great books.
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