As heard on BBC Radio 4's 'Book at Bedtime': the blistering story of a ghostwriter haunted by his demonic subject, the Man Booker Prize winner turns to lies, crime and literature with devastating effect
A young and penniless writer, Kif Kehlmann, is rung in the middle of the night by the notorious con man and corporate criminal, Siegfried Heidl. About to go to trial for defrauding the banks of $700 million, Heidl proposes a deal: $10,000 for Kehlmann to ghostwrite his memoir in six weeks.
Kehlmann accepts but begins to fear that he is being corrupted by Heidl. As the deadline draws closer, he becomes ever more unsure if he is ghostwriting a memoir, or if Heidl is rewriting himhis life, his future. Everything that was certain grows uncertain as he begins to wonder: who is Siegfried Heidland who is Kif Kehlmann?
By turns compelling, comic and chilling,First Personis a haunting journey into the heart of our age.
Richard Flanagan was born in Tasmania in 1961. His novelsDeath of a River Guide,The Sound of One Hand Clapping,Goulds Book of Fish,The Unknown Terrorist,WantingandThe Narrow Road to the Deep Northhave received numerous honours and are published in 42 countries. He won the Man Booker Prize forThe Narrow Road to the Deep Northin 2014.
