Blake Morrison

Blake Morrison has woven a stunning novel around the few facts known about the life and work of Johann Gensfleisch (aka Gutenberg), master printer, charmer, con man, and visionary -- the man who invented "artificial writing" and printed the Gutenberg Bible, putting thousands of monks out of work. In this dazzling debut novel, Morrison gives Gutenberg's final testament: a justification and apologia he dictated, ironically, to one of the young scribes made obsolete by his invention of movable metal type. Through the eyes of the aging narrator, we see the Middle Ages in a strange new light and witness a moment of cultural transition as dramatic as the communications revolution of today.

In this title, Blake Morrison tells of his search to discover the truth about his mother - the remarkable Kerry girl who qualified as a doctor in Dublin in 1942, worked in British hospitals throughout the war and then reinvented herself again to adapt to a quieter post-war family life.

This text is more than a translation of von Kliest's "Der Zerbrochene Krug", as the action now takes place in Skipton, in 1810 and is transformed by a tough Yorkshire dialect. The play concerns Judge Adam, Skipton's sole agent of justice, who is far from happy to be visited by the magistrate Walter Clegg, seeking out signs of malpractics. The trial that Walter overseas seems uncomplicated at first - the formidable Martha is suing her daughter's fiance, Leslie, for breaking her jug. However, many family grievances are unearthed and discovering the identity of a mysterious man seen with the daughter becomes crucial to the case.