Gentlemen of the West
Written by Agnes Owens / Introduction by Dani Garavelli
£4.99
- Paperback
- E-Book
Fiction
Reviews
This unsung writer can make you laugh and shock you on the same page. Agnes Owens is finally getting her due 100 years after her birth. Her reissued debut, Gentlemen of the West, packs in violence, revenge and a comic twist
The Times
A moving picture of a hard, surprising world which is forcing a young man to understand both it and himself
Alasdair Gray
The time to rediscover Owens' sharp, brilliant, witty, fuss-free fiction is here
The Critic
Agnes Owens is one of Scotland's finest writers, and it's to be hoped that a new readership is about to discover that for themselves
SNACK Magazine
‘Agnes Owens was such a fine writer. Her best stories are great stories . . . she created an art that will endure’
James Kelman
About the Book
Gentlemen of the West, Agnes Owens’ debut novel, was first published in 1984 to wide critical acclaim.
The novel follows the humorous exploits of Mac, a young bricklayer, who, along with a colourful cast of characters, seeks solace and escape in the convivial atmosphere of the Paxton Arms and the levelling influence of alcohol. Each chapter feels like a self-contained episode, but this engaging novel is a cleverly constructed, coherent narrative that is a darkly humorous portrayal of working-class life.
With sharp and inventive language, the novel skilfully balances drama and comedy, making you root for the underdog.
'A moving picture of a hard, surprising world which is forcing a young man to understand it and himself' – Alasdair Gray
'Accomplished and resonant and . . . always informed with a comic astringency' – The Scotsman
'Simultaneously funny and unflinching . . . an economy of language worthy of Ernest Hemingway or Muriel Spark' – Dani Garavelli
Published to celebrate Agnes Owens' centenary year in 2026.
The Authors
Agnes Owens
Agnes Owens was always a writer, although for the majority of her life she was preoccupied with making a living and domesticity. She married twice, brought up seven children and variously worked as a typist, cleaner and factory worker. It wasn’t until she attended an evening creative writing course that she wrote her first novel Gentlemen of the West, published in 1984 by Polygon to widespread critical acclaim; she would go on to write a further five novellas, including A Working Mother and For the Love of Willie, and three short-story collections. She died in 2014.
Dani Garavelli
Dani Garavelli is an award-winning freelance journalist based in Scotland. She has written features, interviews, reportage, reviews and opinion columns in publications including The Scotsman, Scotland on Sunday, The Times, the Guardian, the Herald, the Scottish Review of Books and the Big Issue. Dani also writes a weekly opinion/political column in Scotland on Sunday.
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