One of the most powerful and provocative writers to have emerged in Britain in recent years, Kelman has engendered a good deal of controversy over his widely reported, but often misconcieved use of 'bad' language words. This is an introduction to the whole

One of the most powerful and provocative writers to have emerged in Britain in recent years, James Kelman has engendered a good deal of controversy over his widely reported, but often misconceived use of 'bad' language. This introduction to the whole range of his works, from the early short stories through the plays and essays to the Booker Prize-winning novel How Late It Was, How Late, examines the embattled Kelman's literary politics. H. Gustav Klaus pays close attention to the Scottish culture in which Kelman's writing was nurtured, to the uncompromising treatment of the underclass, the...