Last Word, The

Ian Cochrane’s novels are among the most original, and darkest, portrayals of rural Ulster. However, Cochrane’s career began with ‘down to earth stories about country life’, stories that often take a surreal or grotesque turn. From Mrs James, who may be paralysed but has a plan to find the money for her bottle of gin a day to the mystery of why Uncle Robert is called the Gravedigger? Hell will never be full until Kate Bradey is in it, but what evil is Kate capable of? These stories demonstrate Cochrane’s reputation as Northern Ireland’s finest comic writer and reveal the unsettling darkness that is always at the heart of his characters’ lives. Ian Cochrane’s short stories are collected here for the first time, alongside an introduction to his work by Maurice Leitch, his friend and fellow novelist, an interview with Ian Cochrane looking at the influences on his writing and an afterword providing a detailed biography of his life.