Have you heard of ‘Maxwell’s Silver Hammer’ by Andy Rivers? It’s his debut crime fiction novel, set in Newcastle and it’s fucking brilliant! However, some of the stuff in it is a bit brutal and scary ( a bit like a threesome with Jodie Marsh and Kerry Katona! Ed) so when we were tasked with tracking down and interrogating Andy we thought we’d better take some insurance just in case he’d written it from personal experience.
Bloody Direct Line was closed though….
· So, Andy, what are you working on at the minute?
The follow up to my award winning, critically acclaimed debut (a man can dream can’t he) entitled ‘Special’ – it’s about a vigilante on the loose in Newcastle and the bumbling, upper class, recently qualified, graduate copper who has to catch him. Oh, and there’s a love story in there as well…so you’d better concentrate.
· ‘Maxwell’s Silver Hammer’ would be an excellent film - any chance of that?
I think it would be as well and I understand that you’ve got a top rights manager these days so let’s hope she gets lots of calls about it eh? (All rights are available for ‘Maxwells…’ contact rights@bykerbooks.co.uk if you’re interested – Ed)
· And was that on your mind when you were writing it?
I definitely had a couple of actors in mind when I was thinking how characters would behave and speak and I found that helped – mind you…I was one of them!
· You’re the first of many (Hopefully! Ed) ‘unknowns’ to come out of the ‘Radgepacket’ ranks and get a novel published – how long have you been at it then?
I started writing properly in 2005 – I’d wanted to do it for years but always fought shy of actually sticking my head above the parapet and putting something down on paper. My main excuse was that lads like me didn’t write, we worked in factories or went to prison or something but after one of my best mates died I resolved to just have a go and see what happened.
· And who or what would you say inspired you to take up the pen initially?
I read loads as a kid, all that ‘Famous Five’ and ‘Secret Seven’ stuff – couldn’t ever relate to a bunch of middle class kids like – and carried it on through my adult life but it was only when I read ‘Trainspotting’ by Irvine Welsh that I really thought ‘hold on – they’re letting people like us have pens now!’ That was probably the start of my transformation from foul mouthed, lager swilling, yob to foul mouthed, lager swilling, yob who writes stuff.
· It’s extremely difficult getting anywhere near either an agent or a publisher these days – how did you manage it?
You have to accept that you’re going to get told to fuck off a lot and just persevere – keep writing and keep submitting. Actually, I’ve been rejected by every agent and publisher in the world – sometimes more than once in the same day – and as I’m now the subject of numerous injunctions banning me from stalking them then if any lawyers are reading this then I still haven’t got near them….honest.
· Your book, ‘I’m Rivelino’ (also published by us – howay man get ya wallets out, the lad’s good! Ed) was a well received piece of work that managed to accomplish being a ‘proper’ football book that was both funny and interesting rather than a run-of-the-mill ‘hooligan’ book. How did it come about?
I’ve read a few of them hooligan books and they’re basically all the same ‘We never ran and we were the hardest’ – they’re also bollocks and a bit boring after a while.
I wanted to write a book that, harking back to my mate from earlier, detailed the matchday experiences of normal, football going blokes who liked a pint and a laugh. I think everyone reading this should buy a copy and then email you to tell me if I achieved it….
· What are you reading at the minute then (apart from Radgepacket obviously)?
I just finished ‘GB84’ by David Peace – fucking hard work that like but I remember why I hate coppers again now and I’m currently working my way through Iain Rankin’s ‘Rebus’ books – very, very good.
· Fizzy Lager, Champagne or Newcastle Brown?
Fizzy lager every time! I like champagne but being a Newcastle fan I don’t have reason to drink it very often…and Newcastle Broon…well…I don’t mind it but it’s not brewed in Newcastle anymore as the brewery put profit over tradition and people’s jobs so frankly they can fuck off!
· We have a number of literary heroes here at BB towers – who would you say yours were and why?
Irvine Welsh – as detailed earlier. Also people like Alan Sillitoe, John King, Kevin Sampson, Danny King – all writers who document working class life and pursuits.
· Any advice you could give our motley band of reprobate writers?
Don’t sell more than me or we’ll fall out!
· Ever considered Celebrity Big Brother?
Only if they do a special edition where the house is populated exclusively by naked top models and me…and I can’t be voted out. Other than that no – I think I’d have to kill everyone of the vacous, shrieking, look-at-me-aren’t-I-wacky no-marks that go on there just so I could look at myself in the mirror every morning.
· It’s often said that you should write about what you know - how much of your writing is based on past experiences?
A lot of this novel is as it’s my first one but I think as time goes on and I notch up a string of award winning tomes and my life becomes a never-ending whirl of groupies, parties, massive yachts and hedonism then I’ll have to rely increasingly on making it up. Can’t wait like.
· And do you think that particular well is in danger of drying up at any time soon?
Nah – I’ve done loads of stuff, met loads of nutters and have a lifetime of suitably gritty tales locked up in my noggin.
Who would play you in the film of your life?
Someone good looking obviously – I’m thinking Brad Pitt, Jonny Depp, those kind of handsome bastards. Realistically I’d probably end up with Jimmy Nail though *sigh*
· And what sort of soundtrack would you like playing?
Plenty of Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, Oasis, Pulp, Kasabian, The Courteeners, The Twang, The Specials, The Who, James…shall I go on?
· finally, if Maxwell’s does make the big screen is there any chance you could have a word with your film-making contacts and see if they might need a fifteen stone shaven headed Geordie for any of the well paid parts?
You could have a chance there like as I think every part in it is a fifteen stone shaven headed Geordie – some of them are blokes as well…
The Radgepacket team and all at Byker Books would like to take this opportunity to thank Andy for sparing us his time. We wish him continued success with his writing career (or any success really…!) and hope to buy him a pint of lager next time we’re on his patch (don’t even think about trying to claim that on expenses son! Ed.)
We would also like to re-assure members of the general public that we didn’t really need insurance against Andy beating shit out of us and biting our ears off in a grim re-enactment of a scene from ‘Maxwell’s…’ so you can ‘relax dear, it’s only an interview for a radge little Geordie publisher’…..I’ll get me coat.
