Carl Tighe did not work in a single genre. He wrote short stories, Rejoice and Other Stories, for which he was shortlisted for the Irish Times award and Pax variations for which he was awarded Manchester City Life Writer of the Year. He was shortlisted for the Whitbread First Novel Award and won the Authors Club Award for his literary novel Burning Worm. He wrote Science Fiction with his unique sense of humour– KssssS and a gripping political thriller, Druids Hill.
A new novel Damage Done is due to be published in 2021.
Paperback (228 pages)
| Publisher | IMPress: 2001 Reprint edition (3 Sept. 2001) – out of print |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0953851911 |
Kindle Edition
| Publisher | IMPress (27 July 2015) |
| ASIN | B012TN8K8E |
Set in Poland during the turbulent months between the birth of Solidarity and the imposition of Martial Law, Eugene Hinks, a teacher of English, finds himself witness to events that begin the destruction of communism and the reshaping of Europe. Battling with hunger, struggling with a relationship made complicated by politics, beset in the classroom by spies and police informers, Hinks runs an illegal radio monitoring service for the opposition and keeps a wary eye on the chaos around him.
This is no ordinary tale, it takes the reader inside a country at war with itself. This book is beautifully written, vividly entertaining, yet highly informative.
Shortlisted for 2001 Whitbread First Novel Award and winner of Author's Club Award.
Burning Worm is a tragicomic account, in the tradition of Milan Kundera and Bohumil Hrabal, of the cold, queues, food shortages and political skullduggery as the Solidarity dream turned sour. The Irish Times
Engrossing, thought provoking, absurdly, bitterly funny, Incisive. A haunting, and in many places, moving novel. The Literary Review Touching and original a powerful rendering of events a deft blending of narrative, poetry and observation. A skillfully written and penetrating novel which is, for all its bleakness, intimate and heartwarming. Times Literary Supplement
A brilliant observer, wonderful conversations. Like the great Ryszard Kapuscinski the writer puts you there, Unforgettable. Time Out
Very factual, exact and fair. It was an enormous pleasure for me to read it. Ryszard Kapuscinski
A little gem. Marina Lewycka, Cheltenham Literature Festival 2006
A highly evocative, tragic-comic account of Poland in the Solidarity era with Tighe expertly taking the reader into lives made up of endless queuing incomprehensible bureaucracy and human encounters that are both touching and surreal. Whitbread Prize judges A brilliant observer, wonderful conversations, Like the great Ryszard Kapusciski the writer puts you there, Unforgettable. Brian Case, Time Out Set in Poland over the winter of 1980-81, Burning Worm is a tragicomic account, in the tradition of Milan Kundera and Bohumil Hrabal, of the cold, queues, food shortages and political skulduggery as the Solidarity dream turned sour. Penelope Dening The Irish Times
Paints a vivid picture of the struggle for survival in a collapsed economy, endless queues in sub-zero temperatures for non-existent goods Derby Telegraph An engrossing and thought provoking debut, absurdly, bitterly funny, Incisive, A haunting, and in many places, moving novel. Scarlett Thomas, The Literary Review Beautifully written insights, Tighe describes a world which now seems almost unimaginable. Was it really only 20 years ago that a country lived through such bizarre times? His tales of teaching under such conditions make sobering reading. And yet it is not complete gloom. There are the subversions and grim humour that rule everyday survival. There is the thirst for discussion of ideas and sharing of culture. And there's the beauty to be found in the Polish landscape. And there is also the so near heartbreaking story of the love affair. Brenda Kirsch, The Lecturer
A touching and original piece of writing which successfully incorporates creativity and personal struggle into the grave and often comic momentum of political change. Tighe is shrewdly aware of language, and one of the most attractive aspects of the novel is its powerful rendering of events. A deft blending of narrative, poetry and observation and a skilfully written and penetrating novel which is, for all its bleakness intimate and heart-warming. Royce Mahawatte, Times Literary Supplement A compelling read, a valuable insight, informative and intriguing, Tighe is successful in turning a personal and political history into an evocative portrayal of the emptiness and hardships of daily life in Poland. Laura Dixon, Trinity News
Absolutely riveting read - really atmospheric. I've never read anything quite like it. Word of Mouth
If you want to read what it felt like to be at the heart of the Polish opposition in 1980-81 while Communism started to crumble, there's probably nothing better in print. The Scotsman
Paperback (168 pages)
| Publisher | Five Leaves Publications; 1st edition (1 Nov. 2008) |
| ISBN | 978/-1905512553 |
Paperback copies available from this website. £8 plus £2 postage. Use the contact page to request information on making payment.
Druids Hill is set in Manchester and opens with the shocking murder of a fourteen year old - a crime that was never solved. Many years later, journalist Emma Tulip witnessed a death on a demonstration against General Pinochet. She had investigated the previous unsolved murder. Somehow these incidents appeared to be linked. And Emma is now at risk. Druids Hill is a story of police corruption, secret deals, assassination, torture and greed; a political thriller linking events of today with those of the past.
A fast-paced political thriller that entwines fact with fiction, a fascinating read. The Spokesman
A real page turner, designed to keep the reader guessing right up to the final chapter. Derby Evening Telegraph
I was hooked from the very first line, powerful and unusual crime fiction. Strongly recommend. Amazon Reader Review
Great little read, only took me two days to complete it as it gripped me and I needed to know what was gonna happen next. Good political intrigue, politicians, still getting away with the same old lies, deceit and thoroughly dishonest practices. Excellent. Amazon Reader Review
Paperback: 118 pages – out of print
| Publisher | IMPress (1 Mar. 2004) |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0953851928 |
Kindle
| ASIN | B004QTOJ6C |
Paperback copies available from this website. £8 plus £2 postage. Use the contact page to request information on making payment.
KssssS is a fable for today, which takes reality by the scruff of the neck and then leaves us to look again at the world we live in. The story is set in the town of Croeso [meaning Welcome], a place where ordinary people do ordinary things - until the Martin family arrive and bring with them a KssssS, then things begin to change. The KssssS proved to be a small, dark grey box made of some metalo-plastic compound. There were no sharp edges, seams, rivets or joints in the surface. Weighed in the hand, it felt comfortable in the palm, was cool to the touch and heavy for its size. Shaken or held to the ear, it made no sound. There did not seem to be any moving or mechanical parts. In their pockets purchasers found a sheet of paper. Across the top in a peculiarly liquid script was written: Martia Enterprises. This is a lifetime guarantee. KssssS.
Through sci-fi, TIghe examines how a society behaves when it feels under threat...A combination of realistic sketches of a family's daily life with the surreal alien invasion creates a comic effect that is heightened by Tighe's understated tone. A mood captured perfectly" Sarah Tierney, City Life
I purchased this book from my University bookstore, where Carl Tighe is a professor. I have read a couple of his books and found this one to be quite different. It is full of a subtle humour, the storyline is interesting, on the one hand it deals with very real subjects (pressure to have sex, alcholism) but then adds the whole 'alien' thing in as a 'cure.' My thoughts were the undertone was that we're all waiting for this miracle cure to help us, but we just have to get on with it. I thought it was a very well set out book, with each chapter (fytte) having a heading explaining the action. A great book on the whole, a mickey take out of aliens and people of authority, can't beat it! Amazon reader review
I was hooked from the very first line, powerful and unusual crime fiction. Strongly recommend. Amazon Reader Review
An amusing and incredible novel. The language is wonderfully refreshing... altogether a very lively and entertaining story. Review www.gwales.com
Paperback: 140 pages – out of print
| Publisher | IMPress (1 Sept. 2000) |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0953851904 |
Kindle
| Publisher | IMPress (February 26, 2012) |
| ASIN | B007EDSHAQ |
PAX variations is a bold and disturbing double-take on the history we think we know. In four pieces:- Al Haqq, Driving der Fuhrer, Rudi and Pax Germanica - Carl Tighe takes a long, cool look at post-war Europe. He questions among other things the Allied victory over Hitler and the smug assumptions of post-war western democracy. These variations on a theme combine a freewheeling imagination and spiky cynicism. As certainty slips away prepare to be entertained, intrigued. Prepare also to be made uneasy.....
Manchester City Life Writer of the Year 2000 Award
said at the book launch: “Carl Tighe is by far the most exciting, consistently innovative and skilful of contemporary short story writers' his tales are always gripping, humorous and offbeat, and although they are not about politics but about people, they are always on some level political”.Elizabeth Baines - novelist and radio playwright and ex-editor of Manchester's prestigious fiction magazine Metropolitan
A dark and thoroughly thought provoking read. The Big Issue
Pax is designed to cause a real stir. Give the man a medal! City Life
Hardcover: 154 pages – out of print
| Publisher | Jonathan Cape Ltd 1st Edition (23 April 1992) | ISBN-13 | 978-0224030236 |
Here are twelve unusual stories with a refreshing ability to forget the restrictions of the genre. From the traditional to the experimental, his stories are varied in tone and style, as well as in location (settings include Ireland, Holland, Hungary and the Home Counties. In ‘And Now This’ he develops a fantasy of post-feminist revenge: in ‘The Colour of Your Money’ we are exposed to an almost surreally brutal tale of family life: in ‘Rejoice’, the war hero becomes the subject of political debate. ‘Coffee and Croissants’, in contrast is a story redolent with nostalgia, an old-fashioned story with a neat sting.
Nominated for David Highem Award and Shortlisted for The Irish Times Fiction Prize
Manchester City Life Writer of the Year 2000 Award
A superb new writer, a tightly executed range of experiences and styles. Vogue
The book revels in the continuous presentation of ideas, and in the awareness of their contradictions, giving the stories a resonance that builds to a dense reverberation of connection and illumination that is not always present in such collections. Rejoice! is an accomplished work, and marks out a distinctive territory. David Downes Planet
Head and shoulders above the rest, shocking originality. humour and horror within a tight and sparkling prose narrative. 20/20 Narrates terrible and bizarre events in a manner at once stiff and playful. Strong narrative cunning, -Medhbh- begins like a drama and ends like dream, admirable effects. It sticks in the mind. The Guardian
A remarkable variety of styles and subjects, a restless experimenter, elliptical stories, sharply observed and efficiently told. Publishers Weekly
Rejoice! has an Irish and a European dimension. The Irish Times
Punkish. Kirkus
Imaginative and wonderfully written.City Life
