Chris McQueer for Hermit

Chris McQueer is the acclaimed author of the short story collections Hings and HWFG. Stories from Hings were adapted for TV by Chris and shown on BBC Scotland, and he's presented the documentaries Noteworthy with Chris McQueer and Let's Talk About the English, and has also appeared on A View From the Terrace and Damian Barr's Big Scottish Book Club.

He won the award for Outstanding Literature at the Herald Scottish Culture Awards 2019 and has had two plays staged. He has delivered workshops in youth clubs, for secondary school pupils, prison inmates & others.

Chris joins us for Hermit, his darkly funny, moving debut novel.

Since dropping out of school three years ago with no qualifications, no pals, and no ambition, Jamie Skelton spends most of his days asleep and most of his nights wanking, playing video games with his online friend, Lee, and occasionally making the journey downstairs to the kitchen for a microwave burger. He hasn't left the house in months, and now he's not sure he can.

Fiona, Jamie's maw, is trying her best, but since finding the courage to kick out her abusive husband her confidence has never recovered. She goes to work every day, but otherwise she's not that different from her son - withdrawn from life, without friends. She knows their lives can't carry on like this, but she's at a loss to know how to change things.

When Fiona tries to get Jamie to apply for a job, he sees her as the cause for all of his problems. Then Lee tells Jamie he's realised there's a name for what they are - incels - and that there's a guy he's met through the forums they can go stay with in London, to get away from their nagging mams.

But running away from his problems at home, Jamie may actually run towards something much worse.

Praise for Chris McQueer:

'Charlie Brooker on Buckfast' ~ Martin Compston

'[McQueer's] talent zings off the page' ~ Guardian

'Impressive' ~ Eric Idle, Monty Python