Stephen May (born 1964) is a British novelist, playwright and TV writer. ^{[1] [2] [3] [4]}

Biography

Born in 1964, May grew up in Bedford and was educated at Bedford Modern School and the University of Essex. ^{[2] [5] [6]}

After university, May was variously a barman, warehouseman, museum attendant, television writer and teacher. ^[1] He had his first child while still at college after which he spent several years of struggle to support his family. ^[1] This period of his life ‘largely informs his writing, and permeates through his first novel’ TAG which was on the 2009 Wales Book of the Year Long List. ^[1] The book also won the Media Wales Peoples Choice award.

May's second novel, Life! Death! Prizes! was published in 2012 and shortlisted for the 2012 Costa Book Awards. ^{[2] [7]} The novel is narrated by Billy, a mixed-up teenager, struggling to raise his little brother after the death of their mother. ^{[2] [8]} It earned May comparisons to Dave Eggers and J.D. Salinger. ^[2]

In 2014, May published his latest novel, Wake Up Happy Every Day. ^{[2] [9]} The Independent on Sunday's review of the book stated: “He riffs entertainingly on failure … Talk of misspent youth, assassins and obstreperous protagonists belies the emotional core which makes May's books moving”. ^[10]

Interviewed by The Independent in 2014, May commented: “This country’s spirit is in places like Bedford, where I grew up, Kettering and Ipswich. The type of men I write about live outside big cities, lack self-confidence and rarely feature in contemporary fiction. Even Nick Hornby's characters are more sorted than mine." ^[2]

In 2016 it was announced that Sandstone Press will publish his fourth novel Stronger Than Skin in spring 2017.

Bibliography

Novels

• Wake Up Happy Every Day. Published by Bloomsbury, New York City, 2014 ^{[11] [12]}
• Life! Death! Prizes! Published by Bloomsbury, London, 2012 ^{[12] [13]}
• TAG. Published by Cinnamon Press, Blaenau Ffestiniog, 2008 ^{[12] [14]}
• Stronger Than Skin. Published by Sandstone Academic Press, 2017 ^[15]

Plays

• The Reverse Is Also True (2015) ^[16]
• The Valuation (2011) ^[16]
• Ven Y Va (2010) ^[16]
• Still Waiting For Everything (2005) ^[16]
• Back The World (2003) ^[16]

Textbooks

• Get Started in Creative Writing. Published by Hodder & Staughton, London, 2014 ^[17]
• Write A Novel And Get It Published. Published by Teach Yourself, London, 2012 ^[18]

References