Jack Proctor, a celebrated older writer and curmudgeon, goes off to residency where he is to be an honoured part of teaching and giving public readings, he soon finds the atmosphere of the literary world has changed since his last foray into the public sphere. Proctor's tour of rural places, pubs, theatres, fancy parties, where he is to be headlining as a 'Banker-Prize-Winning-Author' reads like a literary version of Spinal Tap. Uproariously funny, brilliantly philosophical, gorgeously written this is James Kelman at his best.