Max Porters debut, the novella Grief is the Thing with Feathers opens
in a London flat, as two young boys face the unbearable sadness of their
mother’s sudden death. Their father, a Ted Hughes scholar and scruffy romantic,
imagines a future of well-meaning visitors and emptiness. In their moment of
despair they are visited by Crow - antagonist, trickster, healer, babysitter.
This self-described sentimental bird is attracted to the grieving family and
threatens to stay until they no longer need him. As weeks turn to months and
physical pain of loss gives way to memories, this little unit of three begin to
heal.
Exclusively for Foyles, we talked to
Max about the relationship between his book and Ted Hughes’ work, Crow;
how a meeting with a friend of his late father helped him re-shape the role of
Crow in his book, and how writing has changed him as an editor.
#ReadingDaringly #DarllenBeiddgar
#MaxPorter #FaberFaber
#Foyles
#LucyDickens
Author photo © Lucy Dickens
