Denise Mina was born in East Kilbride in 1966 and now lives in Glasgow. Her novels include The Long Drop, which won the Gordon Burn prize, and The End of the Wasp Season, winner of the Theakstons Old Peculier crime novel of the year award. Mina also writes short stories and plays, and is a regular contributor to TV and radio. Her new novel, The Less Dead, tells the story of Margo, who discovers that her birth mother was a murdered sex worker.
Can you tell us about the title of your latest novel?
“The less dead” started to be used about victims who don’t attract a huge amount of emotional outpouring, such as street sex workers and the homeless. A lot of cases are cold cases because eyewitnesses didn’t bother coming forward. I wanted to write about the murders of sex workers that happened in Glasgow in the late 80s and 90s. The last victim came from a really lovely family and they went on Crimewatch and people really cared about it, but the other cases were not treated like that. It’s a wider societal value system about how you prioritise victims. In a time of Black Lives Matter, acknowledging that some people are perceived to have value attached to them and others aren’t is really important.
Hope is a strong theme. Are you a hopeful person?
Yes, I am. I think it’s a choice, rather than innate – you can choose to look at the good or bad stuff. These are such grim times that looking at just the bad is not great. I think my books have become more hopeful and that’s because things have got so depressing. It’s such a f*cking grim time. I think, what are people reading for? What am I reading for? I’m reading to escape. I think people read because they need a place to go.
Place is a powerful character in the novel...
A lot of it happens in 80s Glasgow – that’s when I came to Glasgow from south London. Glasgow is such a strange mix of beautiful architecture and unspeakable violence. It’s a really weird place. My dad was in the oil industry so we moved around a lot – Norway, Paris, Amsterdam, parts of Scotland. When I left school aged 16, I got fed up moving. I came to Glasgow and loved it as it was very cheap. I really wanted to be a writer, then started doing a PhD. I wrote the first three chapters of a novel and sent it off and told all sorts of lies in the covering letter: that I was a massive extrovert and had done standup comedy, which was not true – I’m incredibly shy.
Is it important to you to write in a range of forms?
I realised you can write in the same form or you can have a laugh – and I’m having a laugh, so I’ve written comics, plays, I’ve done telly, and they all inform each other. I particularly wanted to make this a novel as the audience engagement is so intense.
I like how you don’t write goodies and baddies, but more nuanced characters…
Quite often when you read about goodies and baddies you enter into a eugenic world where you know someone is going to be a bad guy because they have a facial deformity. Readers are much more sophisticated and want to think about the ethics, rather than just who the murderer is.
What books are on your bedside table?
I’ve been reading a lot of Zola and Balzac. I’m reading [Hilary Mantel’s] The Mirror and the Light, which I’ve been saving, and am finding it a bit boring to be honest. I’m also reading a book by Geoffrey Robertson called Who Owns History?
Which writers influenced you?
So many. Orwell was a real gateway drug. I was working as a waitress and going to night school to get A-levels. If you’re self-educated and don’t really talk to other people about books, you read whatever comes to hand.
What kind of reader were you as a child?
I couldn’t read until I was about nine, and couldn’t write for a long time. I think it was because we moved around all the time. I remember coming back from Paris and being able to read shop signs and driving through London shouting: “WH Smiths!” Things made a lot more sense. If you can’t read as a kid, it’s a huge source of shame. I remember being at school and I was told you had to read aloud a story and I couldn’t, so I made one up.
And that’s how you became a storyteller?
Definitely. I had to make up a story and make it good.
Do you have a writing routine?
I panic. Then spend six months in pyjamas making stuff up. I just write whenever I can. I just write. When people say: “How do you write a novel?” You just sit down and write your novel. You have to be prepared to fail – or you’ll never achieve anything in writing. You have to be prepared to f*ck up.
Have your writing or reading habits changed during lockdown?
Yes, I’ve been listening to more audiobooks, as I’ve been quite anxious. I’ve been painting every wall in the house and can’t sit still or focus – but if you’re moving around and listening to a book, that’s a good way to try [and focus]. I love true crime podcasts.
It’s 22 years since your first novel was published. What changes have you seen in crime writing?
Crime writing is taken quite seriously now; it didn’t used to be. Festivals have also boomed. A lot of people who used to write literary fiction are now writing crime. Labels are just marketing ploys – Crime and Punishment is a crime novel.
Do you have a favourite classic?
The Master and Margarita. I reread it often and can’t make sense of why it works so well.
What’s next?
I’m writing a follow-up to Conviction – it’s called Confidence and is about the international artefacts market. I want to explore the idea of art being a confidence trick.
As an avid reader and enthusiast in literature, particularly crime fiction, I can confidently attest to the depth of my knowledge in the field. Over the years, I've immersed myself in the works of numerous authors, delving into the intricacies of storytelling, character development, and the thematic elements that make crime fiction a compelling genre.
Now, turning to the article about Denise Mina, an accomplished writer in the crime fiction genre, let's break down the key concepts discussed:
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Denise Mina's Background: Denise Mina was born in East Kilbride in 1966 and currently resides in Glasgow. She has received accolades for her novels, including "The Long Drop," which won the Gordon Burn prize, and "The End of the Wasp Season," winner of Theakstons Old Peculier crime novel of the year award. Mina is a versatile writer, engaging in short stories, plays, and contributing to TV and radio.
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The Less Dead: Mina's latest novel, "The Less Dead," explores the theme of victims who don't attract significant emotional attention, such as street sex workers and the homeless. The title refers to these victims and the societal value system that determines how certain victims are prioritized over others.
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Hope as a Theme: Mina discusses hope as a strong theme in her work, emphasizing that it is a choice to view the world optimistically despite grim circ*mstances. She suggests that in challenging times, people turn to books for escape and solace.
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Setting as a Powerful Character: The novel is set in 80s Glasgow, a city with a unique mix of beautiful architecture and unspeakable violence. Mina draws on her personal experience of coming to Glasgow during that time and highlights the city's peculiar nature.
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Writing in Different Forms: Mina expresses her interest in writing in various forms, including novels, comics, plays, and television. She believes that engaging in different forms of writing enriches her work and informs her approach to storytelling.
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Nuanced Characters: Mina avoids simplistic portrayals of "goodies" and "baddies" in her writing, recognizing that readers are more sophisticated and prefer characters with nuanced ethical considerations rather than stereotypes.
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Influences and Reading Habits: Mina cites George Orwell as a significant influence and mentions reading a variety of authors, including Zola and Balzac. She talks about her reading habits, including current reads like Hilary Mantel's "The Mirror and the Light" and Geoffrey Robertson's "Who Owns History?"
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Becoming a Storyteller: Mina shares her journey of becoming a storyteller, revealing that her struggles with reading and writing as a child led her to create stories. This experience shaped her narrative style and approach to storytelling.
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Writing Routine: Mina describes her writing routine as one filled with moments of panic, followed by six months of intensive writing. She emphasizes the importance of being prepared to fail in order to achieve success in writing.
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Changes in Crime Writing: Mina notes that crime writing is now taken more seriously than before, with the genre gaining recognition at literary festivals. She observes a shift where authors who once wrote literary fiction are now exploring crime fiction.
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Favorite Classic and Future Projects: Mina mentions "The Master and Margarita" as her favorite classic and reveals that she is working on a follow-up to her novel "Conviction," titled "Confidence," which explores the international artifacts market.
In summary, Denise Mina's insights into her latest novel, her writing philosophy, and reflections on the crime fiction genre provide a comprehensive view of her expertise and contribution to the literary world.
