Will Self
Encyclopedia
William Woodard "Will" Self (born 26 September 1961) is an English
novelist and short story writer. His fictional style is known for being satirical, grotesque, and fantastical. He is a prolific commentator on contemporary British life, with regular appearances on Newsnight
and Question Time
. He has also appeared on the comedy panel show Have I Got News for You
.
, although he sometimes lays claim to Hampstead Garden Suburb
) by
"intellectually snobbish parents". He is the son of Peter Self
, Professor of Public Administration at the London School of Economics
and Professor of Urban Research at the Australian National University
, and a Jewish-American immigrant who worked as a publisher's assistant. Through his father, Self is a descendant of Nathaniel Woodard
. Despite the intellectual encouragement given by his parents, Self was an emotionally confused and self-destructive child, harming himself with cigarette ends and knives before getting into drugs in his teenage years. His parents separated when he was 9, and divorced when he was 18.
Self was a voracious reader from a young age. At ten an interest in science fiction grew, with notable works such as Frank Herbert
's Dune
, J. G. Ballard
and Philip K. Dick
reflecting the precociousness of Self's reading. Into his teenage years, Self claimed to have been "overawed by the canon", stifling his ability to express himself. Nevertheless, Self's dabbling with illegal drugs grew in step with his prolific reading.
Self was addicted to heroin, as well as many other drugs, in the past, but has abstained, except for caffeine and nicotine since 1998.
Of Self's background Nick Rennison has written that he:
, an independent school
for boys in Hampstead
in North London, with Hugh Dennis
where they played rugby
together. He later attended Christ's College, Finchley of which his memories are "fairly hazy", followed by Exeter College
at Oxford
, where he read philosophy.
His reasons for not studying English literature were discussed by Self in an interview with The Guardian
newspaper:
and other publications and as a stand-up comedian. He has made many appearances on British television, notably as a panelist on Have I Got News for You
, as a regular on Shooting Stars
and Grumpy Old Men, a guest appearance on Satisfied Fool and an episode of Room 101
. In December 2008, November 2009, March 2010 and most recently January 2011 Self appeared on the BBC's Question Time
. He gained a degree of infamy in 1997 when he was sent by the British broadsheet
The Observer
to cover the electoral campaign of John Major
, and was subsequently fired from the newspaper after taking heroin on the Prime Minister's jet. At the time, he claimed "I'm a hack who gets hired because I do drugs".
Since 2009 Self has written two alternating fortnightly columns for the New Statesman
. Madness of Crowds is a wry look at strange social phenomena and group behaviour, and in Real Meals he visits "ordinary" high street food outlets. He has described himself as a modern flâneur
.
Self writes much of his fiction with references and allusions to modern culture (both high and low). The influences on his fiction mentioned most frequently include J.G. Ballard whom he considers "a great mentor", William Burroughs and Hunter S. Thompson
. He has cited such diverse writers as Jonathan Swift
, Alasdair Gray
, Franz Kafka
, Lewis Carroll
, Joseph Heller
and Louis-Ferdinand Celine
as formative influences on his writing style. Martin Amis
is often mentioned alongside Self; Self went to interview him, but the writers, who are known to respect each other's work, ended up having more of a discussion about their work and lives.
Zack Busner
is a recurring character in the fiction of Will Self, appearing in the short story collections The Quantity Theory of Insanity, Grey Area, Dr. Mukti and Other Tales of Woe, as well as in the novels Great Apes and The Book of Dave. Busner is a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst practising in London, and is prone to self-promotion at the expense of his patients. He is often the antagonist
of the stories he appears in, although not always with villainous intent.
and a great-granddaughter of H. H. Asquith
, British Prime Minister in the early 20th century). Kate is also the older sister of actress Anna Chancellor
, and the niece of journalist Alexander Chancellor
. Together they had two children, a son Alexis and a daughter Madeleine.
In 1997, Self married Deborah Jane Orr
, a journalist, with whom he has two sons called Ivan and Luther. His brother is the author and journalist Jonathan Self
.
He currently lives in Stockwell
, South London
, and has written about hikes he has taken around the city, of distances up to 100 miles. In December 2006, he walked 26 miles from his home in South London to Heathrow Airport. Upon arriving in the United States, he walked a further 20 miles from Kennedy Airport
to the Crowne Plaza
in Manhattan
.
Short fiction
Self has been shortlisted three times for the Bad Sex in Fiction Award: in 2002 for Dorian, in 2004 for "Dr Mukti" in Dr Mukti and other tales of woe and in 2006 for The Book of Dave.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
novelist and short story writer. His fictional style is known for being satirical, grotesque, and fantastical. He is a prolific commentator on contemporary British life, with regular appearances on Newsnight
Newsnight
Newsnight is a BBC Television current affairs programme noted for its in-depth analysis and often robust cross-examination of senior politicians. Jeremy Paxman has been its main presenter for over two decades....
and Question Time
Question Time (TV series)
Question Time is a topical debate BBC television programme in the United Kingdom, based on Any Questions?. The show typically features politicians from at least the three major political parties as well as other public figures who answer questions put to them by the audience...
. He has also appeared on the comedy panel show Have I Got News for You
Have I Got News for You
Have I Got News for You is a British television panel show produced by Hat Trick Productions for the BBC. It is based loosely on the BBC Radio 4 show The News Quiz, and has been broadcast since 1990, currently the BBC's longest-ever running television panel show...
.
Early life
Self was raised, in his words, in "an effortlessly dull" North London suburb (East FinchleyEast Finchley
East Finchley is a suburb in the London Borough of Barnet, in north London, and situated north-west of Charing Cross. Geographically it is somewhat separate from the rest of Finchley, with North Finchley and West Finchley to the north, and Finchley Central to the west.- History :The land on which...
, although he sometimes lays claim to Hampstead Garden Suburb
Hampstead Garden Suburb
-Notable Residents :*Theo Adams*Martin Bell*Sir Victor Blank*Katie Boyle*Constantine, the last King of Greece*Greg Davies*Richard & Judy Finnigan*David Matthews*Michael Ridpath*Claudia Roden*Jonathan Ross*Sir Donald Sinden*Marc Sinden...
) by
"intellectually snobbish parents". He is the son of Peter Self
Peter Self
Peter John Otter Self was born in London and was educated at Lancing College and then Balliol College, Oxford, where he read Philosophy, Politics and Economics. He went on to become Emeritus Professor of Public Administration at the London School of Economics and Professor of Urban Research at...
, Professor of Public Administration at the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
and Professor of Urban Research at the Australian National University
Australian National University
The Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...
, and a Jewish-American immigrant who worked as a publisher's assistant. Through his father, Self is a descendant of Nathaniel Woodard
Nathaniel Woodard
Nathaniel Woodard was a priest in the Church of England. He founded 11 schools for the middle classes in England whose aim was to provide education based on sound principle and sound knowledge, firmly grounded in the Christian faith...
. Despite the intellectual encouragement given by his parents, Self was an emotionally confused and self-destructive child, harming himself with cigarette ends and knives before getting into drugs in his teenage years. His parents separated when he was 9, and divorced when he was 18.
Self was a voracious reader from a young age. At ten an interest in science fiction grew, with notable works such as Frank Herbert
Frank Herbert
Franklin Patrick Herbert, Jr. was a critically acclaimed and commercially successful American science fiction author. Although a short story author, he is best known for his novels, most notably Dune and its five sequels...
's Dune
Dune (novel)
Dune is a science fiction novel written by Frank Herbert, published in 1965. It won the Hugo Award in 1966, and the inaugural Nebula Award for Best Novel...
, J. G. Ballard
J. G. Ballard
James Graham Ballard was an English novelist, short story writer, and prominent member of the New Wave movement in science fiction...
and Philip K. Dick
Philip K. Dick
Philip Kindred Dick was an American novelist, short story writer and essayist whose published work is almost entirely in the science fiction genre. Dick explored sociological, political and metaphysical themes in novels dominated by monopolistic corporations, authoritarian governments and altered...
reflecting the precociousness of Self's reading. Into his teenage years, Self claimed to have been "overawed by the canon", stifling his ability to express himself. Nevertheless, Self's dabbling with illegal drugs grew in step with his prolific reading.
Self was addicted to heroin, as well as many other drugs, in the past, but has abstained, except for caffeine and nicotine since 1998.
Of Self's background Nick Rennison has written that he:
is sometimes presented as a bad-boy outsider, writing, like the Americans William S Burroughs and Hubert Selby Jr, about sex, drugs and violence in a very direct way. Yet he is not some class warrior storming the citadels of the literary establishment from the outside, but an OxfordUniversity of OxfordThe University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
educated, middle-class metropolitan who, despite his protestations to the contrary in interviews, is about as much at the heart of the establishment as you can get, a place he has occupied almost from the start of his career."
Education
Self attended University College SchoolUniversity College School
University College School, generally known as UCS, is an Independent school charity situated in Hampstead, north west London, England. The school was founded in 1830 by University College London and inherited many of that institution's progressive and secular views...
, an independent school
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
for boys in Hampstead
Hampstead
Hampstead is an area of London, England, north-west of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Camden in Inner London, it is known for its intellectual, liberal, artistic, musical and literary associations and for Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland...
in North London, with Hugh Dennis
Hugh Dennis
Peter Hugh Dennis is an English actor, comedian, writer, impressionist and voice-over artist, best known for his work with comedy partner Steve Punt. He is also known for his position as a permanent panelist on the TV comedy show Mock The Week...
where they played rugby
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
together. He later attended Christ's College, Finchley of which his memories are "fairly hazy", followed by Exeter College
Exeter College, Oxford
Exeter College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England and the fourth oldest college of the University. The main entrance is on the east side of Turl Street...
at Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
, where he read philosophy.
His reasons for not studying English literature were discussed by Self in an interview with The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
newspaper:
I [had] a pretty thorough grounding in the canon, but I certainly didn't want to be involved with criticism. Even then it seemed inimical to what it was to be a writer, which is what I really wanted to be.
Career
After graduating from Oxford, Self worked for the Greater London Council in a role that included road sweeping. He then pursued a career as a cartoonist for the New StatesmanNew Statesman
New Statesman is a British centre-left political and cultural magazine published weekly in London. Founded in 1913, and connected with leading members of the Fabian Society, the magazine reached a circulation peak in the late 1960s....
and other publications and as a stand-up comedian. He has made many appearances on British television, notably as a panelist on Have I Got News for You
Have I Got News for You
Have I Got News for You is a British television panel show produced by Hat Trick Productions for the BBC. It is based loosely on the BBC Radio 4 show The News Quiz, and has been broadcast since 1990, currently the BBC's longest-ever running television panel show...
, as a regular on Shooting Stars
Shooting Stars
Shooting Stars is a British television comedy panel game broadcast on BBC Two as a pilot in 1993, then as 3 full series from 1995 to 1997, then on BBC Choice from January to December 2002 with 2 series before returning to BBC Two for another 3 series from 2008 until its axing in 2011...
and Grumpy Old Men, a guest appearance on Satisfied Fool and an episode of Room 101
Room 101 (TV series)
Room 101 is a BBC comedy television series based on the radio series of the same name, in which celebrities were invited to discuss their pet hates and persuade the host to consign them to a fate worse than death in Room 101, named after the torture room in the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, which is...
. In December 2008, November 2009, March 2010 and most recently January 2011 Self appeared on the BBC's Question Time
Question Time (TV series)
Question Time is a topical debate BBC television programme in the United Kingdom, based on Any Questions?. The show typically features politicians from at least the three major political parties as well as other public figures who answer questions put to them by the audience...
. He gained a degree of infamy in 1997 when he was sent by the British broadsheet
Broadsheet
Broadsheet is the largest of the various newspaper formats and is characterized by long vertical pages . The term derives from types of popular prints usually just of a single sheet, sold on the streets and containing various types of material, from ballads to political satire. The first broadsheet...
The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
to cover the electoral campaign of John Major
John Major
Sir John Major, is a British Conservative politician, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990–1997...
, and was subsequently fired from the newspaper after taking heroin on the Prime Minister's jet. At the time, he claimed "I'm a hack who gets hired because I do drugs".
Since 2009 Self has written two alternating fortnightly columns for the New Statesman
New Statesman
New Statesman is a British centre-left political and cultural magazine published weekly in London. Founded in 1913, and connected with leading members of the Fabian Society, the magazine reached a circulation peak in the late 1960s....
. Madness of Crowds is a wry look at strange social phenomena and group behaviour, and in Real Meals he visits "ordinary" high street food outlets. He has described himself as a modern flâneur
Flâneur
The term flâneur comes from the French masculine noun flâneur—which has the basic meanings of "stroller", "lounger", "saunterer", "loafer"—which itself comes from the French verb flâner, which means "to stroll". Charles Baudelaire developed a derived meaning of flâneur—that of "a person who walks...
.
Literary style
According to M. Hunter Hayes, Self has given his reason for writing as follows: "I don't write fiction for people to identify with and I don't write a picture of the world they can recognise. I write to astonish people."Self writes much of his fiction with references and allusions to modern culture (both high and low). The influences on his fiction mentioned most frequently include J.G. Ballard whom he considers "a great mentor", William Burroughs and Hunter S. Thompson
Hunter S. Thompson
Hunter Stockton Thompson was an American journalist and author who wrote The Rum Diary , Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72 .He is credited as the creator of Gonzo journalism, a style of reporting where reporters involve themselves in the action to...
. He has cited such diverse writers as Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift was an Irish satirist, essayist, political pamphleteer , poet and cleric who became Dean of St...
, Alasdair Gray
Alasdair Gray
Alasdair Gray is a Scottish writer and artist. His most acclaimed work is his first novel Lanark, published in 1981 and written over a period of almost 30 years...
, Franz Kafka
Franz Kafka
Franz Kafka was a culturally influential German-language author of short stories and novels. Contemporary critics and academics, including Vladimir Nabokov, regard Kafka as one of the best writers of the 20th century...
, Lewis Carroll
Lewis Carroll
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson , better known by the pseudonym Lewis Carroll , was an English author, mathematician, logician, Anglican deacon and photographer. His most famous writings are Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel Through the Looking-Glass, as well as the poems "The Hunting of the...
, Joseph Heller
Joseph Heller
Joseph Heller was a US satirical novelist, short story writer, and playwright. His best known work is Catch-22, a novel about US servicemen during World War II...
and Louis-Ferdinand Celine
Louis-Ferdinand Céline
Louis-Ferdinand Céline was the pen name of French writer and physician Louis-Ferdinand Destouches . Céline was chosen after his grandmother's first name. He is considered one of the most influential writers of the twentieth century, developing a new style of writing that modernized both French and...
as formative influences on his writing style. Martin Amis
Martin Amis
Martin Louis Amis is a British novelist, the author of many novels including Money and London Fields . He is currently Professor of Creative Writing at the Centre for New Writing at the University of Manchester, but will step down at the end of the 2010/11 academic year...
is often mentioned alongside Self; Self went to interview him, but the writers, who are known to respect each other's work, ended up having more of a discussion about their work and lives.
Zack Busner
Zack Busner
Zack Busner is a recurring character in the fiction of Will Self, appearing in the short story collections The Quantity Theory of Insanity, Grey Area, Dr. Mukti and Other Tales of Woe, and in the novels Great Apes and The Book of Dave....
is a recurring character in the fiction of Will Self, appearing in the short story collections The Quantity Theory of Insanity, Grey Area, Dr. Mukti and Other Tales of Woe, as well as in the novels Great Apes and The Book of Dave. Busner is a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst practising in London, and is prone to self-promotion at the expense of his patients. He is often the antagonist
Antagonist
An antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
of the stories he appears in, although not always with villainous intent.
Personal life
Self has been married twice. He was married to Katherine (Kate) Sylvia Chancellor, from 1989 to 1997. Kate is a daughter of John Chancellor and his first wife Hon. (Mary) Alice Joliffe (herself daughter of William Jolliffe, 4th Baron HyltonWilliam Jolliffe, 4th Baron Hylton
William George Hervey Jolliffe, 4th Baron Hylton , was a British peer and soldier.Hylton was the son of Hylton Jolliffe, 3rd Baron Hylton, and Lady Alice Adeliza Hervey. He achieved the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in the Coldstream Guards and also served as Lord Lieutenant of Somerset from 1949 to...
and a great-granddaughter of H. H. Asquith
H. H. Asquith
Herbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith, KG, PC, KC served as the Liberal Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1908 to 1916...
, British Prime Minister in the early 20th century). Kate is also the older sister of actress Anna Chancellor
Anna Chancellor
-Family:Chancellor was born in Richmond, London, England, the daughter of the Hon. Mary Alice Jolliffe and John Paget Chancellor. Through her mother's mother, Lady Perdita Rose Mary Asquith, Chancellor is the great-granddaughter of The Hon. Raymond Aquith and the great-great-granddaughter of Prime...
, and the niece of journalist Alexander Chancellor
Alexander Chancellor
Alexander Chancellor is a British journalist. He was educated at Eton College and Trinity Hall, Cambridge. He was the editor of the conservative Spectator magazine from 1975 to 1984, and now contributes a weekly column in The Guardian, published in the "Weekend" supplement each Saturday...
. Together they had two children, a son Alexis and a daughter Madeleine.
In 1997, Self married Deborah Jane Orr
Deborah Orr
Deborah Jane Orr is a British journalist and broadcaster who works for The Guardian newspaper. She was born and raised in Motherwell, Scotland.-Career:...
, a journalist, with whom he has two sons called Ivan and Luther. His brother is the author and journalist Jonathan Self
Jonathan Self
Jonathan Self is an author and journalist. He began his career as an advertising copywriter and founded Self Direct, a direct marketing agency in 1982. He sold his business in 1993 in order to raise his three children. He published his autobiography, Self Abuse, in 2001 and The Teenager’s Guide to...
.
He currently lives in Stockwell
Stockwell
Stockwell is a district in inner south west London, England, located in the London Borough of Lambeth.It is situated south south-east of Charing Cross. Brixton, Clapham, Vauxhall and Kennington all border Stockwell...
, South London
South London
South London is the southern part of London, England, United Kingdom.According to the 2011 official Boundary Commission for England definition, South London includes the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Southwark, Sutton and...
, and has written about hikes he has taken around the city, of distances up to 100 miles. In December 2006, he walked 26 miles from his home in South London to Heathrow Airport. Upon arriving in the United States, he walked a further 20 miles from Kennedy Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport is an international airport located in the borough of Queens in New York City, about southeast of Lower Manhattan. It is the busiest international air passenger gateway to the United States, handling more international traffic than any other airport in North...
to the Crowne Plaza
Crowne Plaza
Crowne Plaza is a chain of full service, upscale hotels catering to business travelers and to the meetings and conventions market. It forms part of the InterContinental Hotels Group family of brands, which include InterContinental and Holiday Inn and operates in 52 countries, usually located in...
in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
.
Fiction
- Cock and BullCock and BullCock and Bull is the title of a volume composed of two novellas by Will Self, which includes the stories Cock and Bull. The two stories are characterized by empty, emotionless, phatic sex; rape; cruelty; and violence...
(1992) — the stories of a man and a woman who develop sexual organs of the opposite sex. - My Idea of FunMy Idea of Fun-Plot summary:A lonely boy grows up just outside Brighton in a caravan park with his over-sexual mother and the tenant Mr Broadhurst who takes the boy on a disturbing and often violent journey....
(1993) — a lonely boy grows up just outside BrightonBrightonBrighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
in a caravan park with his over-sexual mother and Mr Broadhurst who takes the boy on a disturbing and often violent journey. - Great Apes (1997) — a man wakes up in a world where chimpanzeeChimpanzeeChimpanzee, sometimes colloquially chimp, is the common name for the two extant species of ape in the genus Pan. The Congo River forms the boundary between the native habitat of the two species:...
s evolved to be the species with self-awareness, while humans are the equivalent of chimps in our world. - How the Dead LiveHow the Dead LiveHow the Dead Live is a novel by Will Self. It was originally published by Bloomsbury in 2000.-Plot:The story follows Lily Bloom's encounter with the afterlife after dying from cancer...
(2000) — an old lady dies, only to be moved to a London suburb where the dead have taken residence. - Dorian, an ImitationDorian, an ImitationDorian, an Imitation is a 2002 novel by Will Self. The book is a modern take on Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray. Set in the 1980s and 90s, it adheres closely to Wilde's original, even retaining characters names with some alterations...
(2002) — a modern take on Oscar WildeOscar WildeOscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish writer and poet. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of London's most popular playwrights in the early 1890s...
's The Picture of Dorian GrayThe Picture of Dorian GrayThe Picture of Dorian Gray is the only published novel by Oscar Wilde, appearing as the lead story in Lippincott's Monthly Magazine on 20 June 1890, printed as the July 1890 issue of this magazine...
. - The Book of DaveThe Book of Dave- Content :The Book of Dave tells the story of an angry and mentally-ill London taxi driver named Dave Rudman, who writes and has printed on metal a book of his rantings against women and thoughts on custody rights for fathers. These stem from his anger with his ex-wife, Michelle, who he believes...
(2006) — Set between 1987 and 2003, against a backdrop of Fathers for JusticeFathers 4 JusticeFathers 4 Justice began as a fathers’ rights organisation in the United Kingdom. It became prominent and frequently discussed in the media following a series of high-visibility stunts and protests often in costume. It was temporarily disbanded in January 2006, following allegations of a plot by...
protests, it is the story of a London cab driver who suffers a mental breakdown due to failed relationships, estrangement from his son and an obsession with The Knowledge. He writes a book of rantings which he buries, that is discovered 500 years later and used as the sacred text for a religion that has taken hold in the flooded remnants of London. - The ButtThe Butt-Content:The story revolves around Tom Brodzinski, a tourist visiting an unnamed country that seems to be a mix of Africa, Middle East, Caribbean and Australia. He becomes embroiled in a legal minefield when flicking a cigarette butt, his last before quitting, off his holiday apartment balcony...
(2008) — a man flicks a cigarette butt from the balcony of his apartment while on vacation in a foreign land and soon finds himself enmeshed in the bureaucratic nightmare of native law. - Walking to HollywoodWalking to HollywoodWalking to Hollywood is a 2010 novel by writer and media personality Will Self. Self describes the novel as 'a cross between a comical farce and an intense misery memoir'. The novel is published by Bloomsbury and is currently only available in hardback, however, a paper back is expected to be...
(2010)
Short fiction
- The Quantity Theory of InsanityThe Quantity Theory of InsanityThe Quantity Theory of Insanity is a collection of short stories by Will Self, it won the Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize in 1993.-Publishing Details:...
(short stories) 1991 - Grey AreaGrey Area (book)-Publishing Details:The collection was first published in 1994. It comprises some of Self's commissioned work as well as a number of stories written specially for the anthology...
(short stories) 1994 - "License to Hug", published in Esquire magazine, November 1995
- The Sweet Smell of PsychosisThe Sweet Smell of PsychosisThe Sweet Smell of Psychosis is Will Self's first published Novella. It was printed by Bloomsbury Books in 1996 and features illustrations by Martin Rowson....
(illustrated novella) 1996 - Design Faults in the Volvo 760 TurboDesign Faults in the Volvo 760 TurboThis short collection of work by Will Self was published as part of the Penguin Books 70th birthday celebration. The company printed 70 slimline editions with work by authors previously published by Penguin or one of its imprints...
(short stories) 1998 - Tough, Tough Toys for Tough, Tough BoysTough, Tough Toys for Tough, Tough BoysFirst published in hard cover in April 1998 and paperback in March 1999 "Tough, Tough Toys for Tough, Tough boys" is a collection of short fiction by English author Will Self. The New York Times Book Review said of the collection......
(short stories) 1998 - Dr. Mukti and Other Tales of WoeDr. Mukti and Other Tales of Woe-Overview:"Dr. Mukti and Other Tales of Woe" is the sixth collection of short stories by Will Self.The Guardian newspaper said of the collection..."Like most of Self's work, these stories detail a massive loss, a misplacement, of humanity...
(short stories) 2004 - Liver: A Fictional Organ with a Surface Anatomy of Four LobesLiver: A Fictional Organ with a Surface Anatomy of Four LobesLiver: A Fictional Organ with a Surface Anatomy of Four Lobes is the seventh collection of short stories by Will Self. The stories in the collection are all connected to the liver and was described by the author as "...a collection of two novellas and two longer short stories, all on a liverish theme...
(short stories) 2008 - The Undivided Self: Selected Stories (short stories) 2010
Non-Fiction
Self has also compiled several books of work from his newspaper and magazine columns which mix interviews with counter-culture figures, restaurant reviews and literary criticism.- Junk Mail (1996)
- Perfidious Man (2000) photography by David M. Gamble
- Sore Sites (2000)
- Feeding Frenzy (2001)
- Psychogeography (2007)
- Psycho Too (2009)
Introductions and forewords
- Blue of NoonBlue of NoonBlue of Noon is a transgressive novella of erotic fiction written in 1935, and its French author, Georges Bataille was a dedicated anti-fascist, as can be seen from the content of this particular work . Harry Matthews translated it into English in 1978...
by Georges BatailleGeorges BatailleGeorges Bataille was a French writer. His multifaceted work is linked to the domains of literature, anthropology, philosophy, economy, sociology and history of art...
(2000) - Riddley WalkerRiddley WalkerRiddley Walker is a science fiction novel by Russell Hoban, first published in 1980. It won the John W. Campbell Memorial Award for best science fiction novel in 1982, as well as an Australian Science Fiction Achievement Award in 1983...
by Russell HobanRussell HobanRussell Conwell Hoban is an American writer, now living in England, of fantasy, science fiction, mainstream fiction, magic realism, poetry, and children's books-Biography:...
(2002) - Liner Notes to Genius: the best of Warren ZevonGenius: The Best of Warren ZevonGenius: The Best of Warren Zevon is an album by Warren Zevon, released in 2002 .-Track listing:All tracks composed by Warren Zevon, except where indicated.#"Poor, Poor Pitiful Me" – 3:05#"The French Inhaler" – 3:46...
(2002) - JunkyJunkie (novel)Junkie is a 1953 semi-autobiographical novel by William S. Burroughs. It was his first published novel and has come to be considered a seminal text on the lifestyle of heroin addicts in the early 1950s. Burroughs' working title was Junk.-Inspiration:The novel was considered unpublishable more than...
by William S. BurroughsWilliam S. BurroughsWilliam Seward Burroughs II was an American novelist, poet, essayist and spoken word performer. A primary figure of the Beat Generation and a major postmodernist author, he is considered to be "one of the most politically trenchant, culturally influential, and innovative artists of the 20th...
(2002) - Liner notes to Before the PoisonBefore The PoisonBefore the Poison is the 17th album by Marianne Faithfull, recorded in 2003 and released in 2005.- Overview :The album has a dark and fatalistic mood, which Faithfull attributes partially to the post-9/11 world....
by Marianne FaithfullMarianne FaithfullMarianne Evelyn Faithfull is an award-winning English singer, songwriter and actress whose career has spanned five decades....
(2004) - WeWe (novel)We is a dystopian novel by Yevgeny Zamyatin completed in 1921. It was written in response to the author's personal experiences during the Russian revolution of 1905, the Russian revolution of 1917, his life in the Newcastle suburb of Jesmond, and his work in the Tyne shipyards during the First...
by Yevgeny ZamyatinYevgeny ZamyatinYevgeny Ivanovich Zamyatin was a Russian author of science fiction and political satire. Despite having been a prominent Old Bolshevik, Zamyatin was deeply disturbed by the policies pursued by the CPSU following the October Revolution...
(2007) - Little People in the City: the street art of Slinkachu (2008)
- The Master and MargaritaThe Master and MargaritaThe Master and Margarita is a novel by Mikhail Bulgakov, woven around the premise of a visit by the Devil to the fervently atheistic Soviet Union. Many critics consider the book to be one of the greatest novels of the 20th century, and one of the foremost Soviet satires, directed against a...
by Mikhail BulgakovMikhail BulgakovMikhaíl Afanásyevich Bulgákov was a Soviet Russian writer and playwright active in the first half of the 20th century. He is best known for his novel The Master and Margarita, which The Times of London has called one of the masterpieces of the 20th century.-Biography:Mikhail Bulgakov was born on...
(2010) - The Colossus of MaroussiThe Colossus of MaroussiThe Colossus of Maroussi is an impressionist travelogue by Henry Miller, written in 1939 and first published in 1941 by Colt Press of San Francisco. As an impoverished writer in need of rejuvenation, Miller travelled to Greece at the invitation of his friend, the writer Lawrence Durrell. The text...
by Henry MillerHenry MillerHenry Valentine Miller was an American novelist and painter. He was known for breaking with existing literary forms and developing a new sort of 'novel' that is a mixture of novel, autobiography, social criticism, philosophical reflection, surrealist free association, and mysticism, one that is...
(2010) - The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, GentlemanThe Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, GentlemanThe Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman is a novel by Laurence Sterne. It was published in nine volumes, the first two appearing in 1759, and seven others following over the next 10 years....
by Laurence SterneLaurence SterneLaurence Sterne was an Irish novelist and an Anglican clergyman. He is best known for his novels The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, and A Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy; but he also published many sermons, wrote memoirs, and was involved in local politics...
(Visual Editions, 2010)
Narration
- Narration on "5ml. Barrel" from the album ClearClear (Bomb the Bass album)Clear was the third album released by Bomb The Bass, the dance/electronic collective formed around British producer and musician, Tim Simenon...
(1995) by Bomb the BassBomb the BassBomb the Bass is the umbrella title for the output of British musician and producer, Tim Simenon. The band, which has evolved its style over the years, has been classed as electronic or dance....
- Narration on "The Happy Detective" from the compilation album series Late Night TalesLate Night TalesLate Night Tales and its predecessor Another Late Night are the names of two related series of artist curated compilation albums released on Late Night Tales independent record label...
, by The Cinematic OrchestraThe Cinematic OrchestraThe Cinematic Orchestra is a British jazz and electronic outfit, created in 1997 by Jason Swinscoe. The band is signed to Ninja Tune independent record label. In addition to Swinscoe, the band includes PC former DJ Food member on turntables, Luke Flowers , Tom Chant , Nick Ramm , Stuart McCallum ...
, Groove ArmadaGroove ArmadaGroove Armada is an English electronic music duo from London, England comprising Andy Cato and Tom Findlay. They are perhaps best known for their singles "I See You Baby" and "Superstylin'"...
, MidlakeMidlakeMidlake is an American rock band from Denton, Texas. The band first gained popularity in Europe, signing to Bella Union Records and playing at festivals such as Les Inrockuptibles, Wintercase, End Of The Road Festival and South by Southwest.-History:...
and Snow PatrolSnow PatrolSnow Patrol are an alternative rock band from Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland. Formed at the University of Dundee in 1994 as an indie rock band, the band is now based in Glasgow...
Awards
- 19911991 in literatureThe year 1991 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Douglas Coupland publishes the novel Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture, popularizing the term Generation X as the name of the generation....
: Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize for The Quantity Theory of InsanityThe Quantity Theory of InsanityThe Quantity Theory of Insanity is a collection of short stories by Will Self, it won the Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize in 1993.-Publishing Details:... - 19981998 in literatureThe year 1998 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*March 5 - Tennessee Williams' 1938 play, Not About Nightingales, receives its stage première....
: Aga Khan Prize for FictionAga Khan Prize for FictionThe Aga Khan Prize for Fiction is awarded by the editors of The Paris Review for what they deem to be the best short story published in the magazine in a given year. No applications are accepted. The winner gets $1,000...
from The Paris Review for Tough Tough Toys for Tough Tough Boys - 20082008 in literatureThe year 2008 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*January 1 - In the 2008 New Year Honours, Hanif Kureishi , Jenny Uglow , Peter Vansittart and Debjani Chatterjee are all rewarded for "services to literature".*June 15 - Gore Vidal, asked in a New York Times...
: Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse PrizeBollinger Everyman Wodehouse PrizeThe Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize is the UK's only literary award for comic literature. Established in 2000 and named in honour of P G Wodehouse, past winners include Paul Torday in 2007 with Salmon Fishing in the Yemen and Marina Lewycka with A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian 2005 and...
for Comic Fiction for "The Butt"
Self has been shortlisted three times for the Bad Sex in Fiction Award: in 2002 for Dorian, in 2004 for "Dr Mukti" in Dr Mukti and other tales of woe and in 2006 for The Book of Dave.
External links
- Official Will Self site
- Will Self on why he writes
- "The Principle", short fiction by Will Self
- 2010 Sebald Lecture audio from the British Centre for Literary Translation
- Will Self Profile from the New StatesmanNew StatesmanNew Statesman is a British centre-left political and cultural magazine published weekly in London. Founded in 1913, and connected with leading members of the Fabian Society, the magazine reached a circulation peak in the late 1960s....
Interviews
- Guardian Books author page: Will Self
- Will Self article in Issue 08 of Tate Etc magazine
- Interview with 3:AM/Big Issue in the North
- A short interview: BBC
- Interview: Spike Magazine
- Salon interview (audio)
- Self interview from the International Necronautical SocietyInternational Necronautical SocietyThe International Necronautical Society is a semi-fictional organization closely modeled on European avant-gardes of the early 20th century. It replays, not without parody, the politically-inflected structures of these avant-gardes, with their manifestoes, committees, splinter groups and purges...
- Transcript of Self's encounter with Richard Littlejohn interviewed on Radio Five Live by Nicky Campbell