The Whale Tattoo

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Raw, uncompromising, and authentic, a remarkable debut from an astonishingly gifted writer' Golnoosh Nour The book felt heavily grounded in a particular part of England, and that was another plus for me, but at the same time it called to an almost separate dreamlike existence, with the interplay and balance between the two changing throughout, and giving the ending a kind of satisfaction that I had earlier doubted it could reach. The Whale Tattoo’ is a stunning achievement - one of the most impressive and assured debuts I’ve ever read’ Matt Cain As the water settles and Joe learns the truth about the river, he finds that we all have the capability to hate, and that we can all make the choice not to. If you only read one debut novel this year make it this one. The Whale Tattoo is a book of visceral, magnetic raw pulsating beauty. A mesmeric, gritty tour de force. We haven’t read a novel this brilliant since Swimming in the Dark by Tomasz Jedrowski. This book is the reason that people love to read.’ Attitude Magazine

Seldom, outside the realms of gay royalty like Alan Hollinghurst, have I read a novel about gay people so well written. I can’t recall the last time I read a novel with such a sense of place. This is a story that lives on long after the last full stop. And deserves to be read’. Charles Coussens.It’s been a year since you finished on the Escalator programme – how has the experience shaped your approach to writing and your writing process now you’ve had a little distance from it? Queer and working-class I hear ‘no’ a lot. Escalator and NCW is all about saying ‘yes’, to diversity, inclusivity, to championing every kind of writer at all stages of their career. The greatest thing I walked away from Escalator with was the belief that what I have to say has value. It would be a tremendous loss to limit access to the arts for under-represented voices who ache to be heard. Each year, Escalator provides a cohort of emerging writers from the East of England with bespoke mentoring, skills development masterclasses, industry connections and showcases. The Whale Tattoo’ is a stunning achievement - one of the most impressive and assured debuts I’ve ever read'. Matt Cain It took me a while to read The Whale Tattoo by Jon Ransom. This is the kind of book that I like to take my time with, and I did that.

The great strength here is Ransom’s pacing. Joe’s life unfolds in an ever-enlightening roll of revelations. Neatly balancing the forward momentum of the story and the piece-by-piece exploration of a man who barely knows himself, The Whale Tattoo places you inside Joe’s mind and the turmoil therein. It’s a tough act, making us inhabit Joe’s headspace without making him unlikable, despite doing a number of unlikable things. Joe is broken and impulsive but there is a core of nobility in him. The theme of unexpected ‘found family’ and self-acceptance reminded me strongly of Michael Cunningham’s A Home at the End of the World. With assured narrative, a vivid sense of place and atmosphere, and flint-sharp dialogue, Jon Ransom has written a novel that is bleak and brutal, but never sentimental.. utterly authentic and cruelly beautiful’ Matt Bates Seldom, outside the realms of gay royalty like Alan Hollinghurst, have I read a novel about gay people so well written. Right from the start there is crudeness and a constant barrage of swearing from the first-person narrator – totally justified in my opinion, and I am someone who doesn’t swear. Joe is crude, with his smoking and drinking and rough way of speaking but is the most rounded and believable character I have read in a long time. I can strongly recommend The Whale Tattoo…I cannot recall when a book – especially one from a first-time author – had such an effect on me’ Rob Harkavy, Out News Global

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An astonishing book. Jon Ransom’s writing manages to be simultaneiously brutal and violent as well as poetic and moving. The quality of his prose if mesmerising’ Linda Jill, Linda’s Book Bag