The Folded Man – my Manchester-set novel about a drug-addled mermaid called Brian – has been long/short/some-kind-of-listed for the eighth Dundee International Book Prize for debut novelists.

I’m not going to put any eggs in a basket because I broke them all a while ago, but it’s still and will always be the loveliest feeling to know that someone, somewhere, has read your novel and really liked it. Never mind liked it enough to put it up for a major prize.

You can read an extract of The Folded Man along with extracts from eleven other long/shortlistees by downloading the completely free eBook from Amazon here. On the condition that if you think mine is crap, you flipping well keep it to yourself.

More information here.