The Mating Habits of Stags by Ray Robinson
‘Poetic and powerfully brutal...a one-off’ – The Times The lyrical new novel from the award-winning author of Electricity and Forgetting Zoë SHORTLISTED: Portico Prize Midwinter. As former farmhand Jake, a widower in his seventies, wanders the beautiful, austere moors of North Yorkshire trying to evade capture, we learn of the events of his past: the wife he loved and lost, their child he knows cannot be his, and the deep-seated need for revenge that manifests itself in a moment of violence. On the coast, Jake’s friend, Sheila, receives the devastating news. The aftermath of Jake’s actions, and what it brings to the surface, will change her life forever. But how will she react when he turns up at her door? The Mating Habits of Stags is a journey through a life of guilt and things unsaid – and as beauty and tenderness blend with violence, Robinson transports us to a different world, subtly exploring love and loss in a language that both bruises and heals. An early version of the story was released in 2016 as the short film Edith, starring Peter Mullan and Michelle Fairley, which was Bafta-longlisted for Best British Short Film.
'It's a one-offWhat makes it so special is Robinson's descriptions of nature. Poetic and beautifully brutal - no "hello, trees" mimsy. The dialogue is no-nonsense Yorkshire demotic. A heady mix' - Robbie Millen, The Times; 'A wonderfully empathetic account...full of candour, lyricism and compassion' - The Spectator; `Rich, compelling stuff' - Metro; 'This extraordinary novel gets under the skin from the first paragraph. Robinson never goes for the trite or the neat. Hope and humanity emerge against the odds in a bittersweet and starkly beautiful tale that lingers long in the memory' - Yorkshire Post; 'This is a whydunnit, a lyrical mix of nature notes, traditional song and tragic narrative, peopled with compelling characters' - Saga Magazine; ‘Ray Robinson’s novel of revenge and counter-revenge, of reconciliation, and of love and growth in the thawing of an iron landscape, is a masterwork of unforgiving beauty’ - Yorkshire Times
Born in North Yorkshire, Ray Robinson first won attention in 2006 with his debut novel, Electricity. It was shortlisted for both the James Tait Black Memorial Prize and the Authors’ Club Best First Novel Award. The screen adaptation premiered at the BFI London Film Festival and won Best Screenplay at the National Film Awards.
His other novels are The Man Without, Forgetting Zoë and Jawbone Lake. Forgetting Zoë was a winner of the inaugural Jerwood Fiction Uncovered Prize.
He wrote the multi-award-winning short film Edith, starring Peter Mullan and Michelle Fairley, on which his fifth novel, The Mating Habits of Stags, is based.
Read more about Ray and his work at rayrobinsonwriter.weebly.com
His other novels are The Man Without, Forgetting Zoë and Jawbone Lake. Forgetting Zoë was a winner of the inaugural Jerwood Fiction Uncovered Prize.
He wrote the multi-award-winning short film Edith, starring Peter Mullan and Michelle Fairley, on which his fifth novel, The Mating Habits of Stags, is based.
Read more about Ray and his work at rayrobinsonwriter.weebly.com
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781785631382 |
| ISBN 10 | 1785631381 |
| Title | The Mating Habits of Stags |
| Author | Ray Robinson |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Eye Books |
| Year published | 2020-04-27 |
| Number of pages | 224 |
| Prizes | Short-listed for The Portico Prize 2019 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |