Brian Ledsom

Brian Ledsom is the author of the dark contemporary novel Back of Beyond.

Born in Argyll in 1964, he has worked around the UK within the construction industry, a local authority social work/mental health team and the University of London in estates management among other things. This grounding in real life has influenced the language within his work and brings a black humour and authenticity to the gritty prose.

Back of Beyond focuses on strong characters who challenge the rules of our fractured society at its base. The work is thought-provoking, darkly funny, weird and at times even dares to be romantic, despite the elements of crime and gritty social realism he makes his characters walk through.

His influences have been varied but started with John Steinbeck, then onto James Kelman, Irvine Welsh and the master, Iain Banks. Stephen King, Raymond Carver, Ian Rankin, and George Mackay Brown are up there. More recently Craig Clevenger, Jenni Fagan and Clare Mackintosh have the ability to pull you into their worlds. Wanting to write like Steinbeck, in a modern way, is a good if unattainable goal. Back of Beyond is available on Kindle and will be out in paperback soon.

Check out www.brianledsomauthor.com