The 14th Tale

1988: at four-years-old, he short-circuited his home with a silver spoon and a Betamax video player. 1989: stopped a 700-strong student assembly with a tantrum. 1995: was chased through jungle growth by a crazed, frustrated French teacher called Monsieur Batcock...Misfit? Apparently - until a little family research reveals a pattern of mischief reaching as far back as a great grandfather, and so the story I'm from a long line of trouble makers, of ash skinned Africans, born with clenched fists and a natural thirst for battle only quenched by breast milk. They'd suckle as if the white silk sliding between gums were liquid peace treaties from mums. In 'The 14th Tale', Inua vividly describes the exploits of a natural-born mischief growing from clay streets in Nigeria to roof tops in Dublin - and, finally, to heartbreak in London. "A sharp reminder of the power of language and rhythm" --The Scotsman "original, experimental, beautiful" --Culture Wars