Peter Barry
I've wanted to be a novelist for as long as I care to remember, but it wasn't until relatively late in life that I finally made it through to publication. So there's definitely an autobiographical element in my "I Hate Martin Amis et al" book, with Milan's cynicism towards the publishing industry and his mounting frustration with his ever-increasing collection of rejection slips mirroring my own experiences (as well as those of countless thousands of others). Unlike Milan, however, I never vented my anger as a sniper on the innocent citizens of Sarajevo!
When "I Hate Martin Amis et al" won a prize in Australia for the best unpublished novel in 2008, I decided to visit Sarajevo to do further research before finishing off my novel. Although I'd read a great deal about the siege, I wanted to see the city for myself. It was a fascinating and extremely valuable experience, but also rather depressing. Once famous for its openness, toleration and multi-culturalism, the city was now famous for being the site of the longest siege in history, with over 11,000 dead.
What others said:
‘Dark and troubling, distressingly funny. It is one of the best debut novels I’ve read. Peter Barry is a massive talent. Exciting, original and dangerous.’ Wayne Macaulay, author.
‘It is dark and confronting, but at the same time every sentence is powered by a strange kind of humour. I found myself jumping from sentence to sentence and chapter to chapter, constantly wanting more. "I Hate Martin Amis et al" is like nothing you’ll have read before. This book is so well constructed, so well-written and so interesting that it will appeal to anyone.’ Readings Magazine.
‘The writing is superb; the technique is masterful; and the subject matter is deeply unsettling… (It) is not for the faint-hearted, but it’s an unforgettable novel that asks the important question: what would or could any one of us do in extremis, in a war?’ ANZ LitLovers.
"I Hate Martin Amis et al" is a devastating tour de force and a brilliant first novel. This is intelligent, provocative entertainment at its best.’ Erotic Review Magazine (UK).
