This is an interview with John Niven about his writing career, particularly his latest book O Brother, which was shortlisted for the 2024 Gordon Burn Prize.
O Brother is about the suicide of his brother. While John was making his way in the music industry and then as a successful writer, starting with his novel Kill Your Friends, his brother remained in Scotland where his life was chaotic. He ultimately hanged himself in a hospital.
John tells the story of their lives, but also investigates why his brother was left alone to be able to kill himself despite being suicidal. In the interview we talk about his efforts to obtain a transcript of his brother's 999 call that led to his admission, as well as how it felt writing about it, the impact on living relatives, and the way writers become observers even at the most tragic moments.
We also talked about the nuts and bolts of any writing discussion, from his advance for Kill Your Friends, how he got his first book deals, how much he made from that first novel, his move into screenwriting, and the shift from fiction to nonfiction.
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