Books

I have written a few novels and been lucky enough to get them published by publishers who do all the work and let you sit around lapping up all the glory (i.e. writing the next book). Every book I wrote is borne of my love of American pulp novels and British folklore, plus all of the stuff I have done or gone though. I like to think they are original and funny and gripping and thought-provoking – if they are in fact just one of those adjectives I will die happy.

The five books that make up the Mangel Trilogy (I know, I know) are about Royston Blake, a violent and delusional nightclub doorman who is probably some kind of crazy alter ego. They were translated into several foreign language editions and optioned for film a couple of times. I got to travel the world on the back of them, meet other great authors and hopefully give readers enjoyment and something to think about. The Guardian in particular paid them a lot of attention, see some quotes below. If you can’t deal with offensive language, steer clear. If you want something original that has its own internal rhythm, dig in.

The other novel is Stairway to Hell, which is about a small town pub singer who finds out that he is actually David Bowie, and that Bowie is him, following an occult ritual when he was an infant that switched their souls. Does that sound complicated? The Sunday Business Post said it “deserves attention for its sheer originality and author Williams’s complete disregard for a conventional plot”, while Booklist called it “inspired lunacy for music fans”. I like to think of it as a perfectly plausible alternate history. But yeah a bit bonkers maybe. It is out of print right now and not currently available as an ebook, but if you drop me a line I still have a few print copies for sale.