Stephen May (novelist)
Stephen May (born 1964) is a British novelist, playwright and TV writer.[1][2][3][4]
Biography
Born in 1964, May grew up in Bedford and was educated at Bedford Modern School and the University of Essex.[2][5][6][7]
After university, May was variously a barman, warehouseman, museum attendant, television writer and teacher.[1] He had his first child while still at college after which he spent several years of struggle to support his family.[1] This period of his life ‘largely informs his writing, and permeates through his first novel’ TAG which was on the 2009 Wales Book of the Year Long List.[1] The book also won the Media Wales Peoples Choice award.
May's second novel, Life! Death! Prizes! was published in 2012 and shortlisted for the 2012 Costa Book Awards.[2][8] The novel is narrated by Billy, a mixed-up teenager, struggling to raise his little brother after the death of their mother.[2][9] It earned May comparisons to Dave Eggers and J.D. Salinger.[2]
In 2014, May published his latest novel, Wake Up Happy Every Day.[2][10] The Independent on Sunday's review of the book stated: “He riffs entertainingly on failure … Talk of misspent youth, assassins and obstreperous protagonists belies the emotional core which makes May's books moving”.[11]
Interviewed by The Independent in 2014, May commented: “This country’s spirit is in places like Bedford, where I grew up, Kettering and Ipswich. The type of men I write about live outside big cities, lack self-confidence and rarely feature in contemporary fiction. Even Nick Hornby's characters are more sorted than mine."[2]
In 2016 it was announced that Sandstone Press will publish his fourth novel Stronger Than Skin in spring 2017.
Bibliography
Novels
- Wake Up Happy Every Day. Published by Bloomsbury, New York City, 2014[12][13]
- Life! Death! Prizes! Published by Bloomsbury, London, 2012[13][14]
- TAG. Published by Cinnamon Press, Blaenau Ffestiniog, 2008[13][15]
- Stronger Than Skin. Published by Sandstone Academic Press, 2017[16]
Plays
- The Reverse Is Also True (2015)[17]
- The Valuation (2011)[17]
- Ven Y Va (2010)[17]
- Still Waiting For Everything (2005)[17]
- Back The World (2003)[17]
Textbooks
- Get Started in Creative Writing. Published by Hodder & Staughton, London, 2014[18]
- Write A Novel And Get It Published. Published by Teach Yourself, London, 2012[19]
References
- ^ a b c d "MAY, STEPHEN - List of Writers". literaturewales.org. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Stephen May: 'My stories say things that are not being said'". The Independent. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
- ^ "Stephen May". sdmay.com. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
- ^ "Bloomsbury - Stephen May - Stephen May". www.bloomsbury.com.
- ^ Eagle News, Vol 5 No 4 (Issue 105) May 2012, p.115
- ^ "Stephen May: , and a List of Books by Author Stephen May". paperbackswap.com. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
- ^ https://obms.bedmod.co.uk/design/pdfs/Eagle%20News%200512.pdf
- ^ Shena Mackay. "Life! Death! Prizes! by Stephen May – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
- ^ Stephen May. "LIFE! DEATH! PRIZES!". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
- ^ Ciuraru, Carmela (24 December 2014). "Newly Released Books" – via NYTimes.com.
- ^ "Wake Up Happy Every Day". Bloomsbury Publishing.
- ^ "Wake up happy every day". worldcat.org. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
- ^ a b c "Stephen May". sdmay.com. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
- ^ "Life! Death! Prizes!". worldcat.org. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
- ^ "TAG". worldcat.org. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
- ^ "Stronger Than Skin". 26 January 2017 – via Open WorldCat.
- ^ a b c d e "Stephen May". sdmay.com. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
- ^ "Get started in creative writing". worldcat.org. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
- ^ "Write a novel and get it published". worldcat.org. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
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