The Approved Version of Myself

I've always found it curious how confidently we speak about things we barely understand, particularly ourselves. We trust our memories, defend our perceptions, and construct entire identities around stories that may not be quite as reliable as we'd like to believe.

Writing gives me a way to question some of these certainties. I'm drawn to the contradictions in human behaviour, the uncomfortable spaces between what is remembered and what is true, and the possibility that knowing ourselves might be a far more complicated business than we imagine.

My debut novel, The Approved Version of Myself, emerged from these preoccupations. It follows Elias Venn, a man who makes a living carrying other people's memories, until he recognises himself in one that should have nothing to do with him. What follows is a story about identity, control, and the unsettling question of how much of ourselves genuinely belongs to us.

There is something peculiar about publishing a book. For a long time, a story exists almost entirely in your own head. Then, rather abruptly, it becomes something other people can hold, interpret, misunderstand, or perhaps recognise themselves in. I find that both wonderful and slightly terrifying.

The Approved Version of Myself is now available as an ebook on Google Play Books, where you can also read a free sample.

If you decide to read it, I hope it leaves you with a question or two. I've never been particularly convinced that the best stories are the ones that provide all the answers.