Meet Francis Plug, a troubled and often drunk misfit who causes chaos and confusion wherever he goes. And where he most likes to go is to real author events, collecting signatures from the likes of Salman Rushdie, Hilary Mantel, and Eleanor Catton, all the while gleaning advice for a self-help book he is writing with the novice writer in mind. His timely manual promises to be full of sage wisdom and useful tidbits to help ease freshly published novelists into the demands of life in the public eye. Essential reading for anyone with an interest in the literary world — or, in fact, humanity in general. Because while it is a brilliant slapstick comedy, blurring fact, fiction, and absurdity to astonishing effect, How To Be A Public Author by Francis Plug is also a surprising and touching meditation on loneliness and finding a place in the world. Francis, it seems, just doesn't fit in. And as you read, you may wonder if he'll even make it to the end of his own book…
