Christopher Kenworthy's Fiction

I'm the author of more than thirty stories, one short story collection (Will You Hold Me?) and two novels, The Winter Inside and The Quality of Light.

In the early nineties my enthusiasm for fiction led me to run a small publishing company called Barrington Books. I was fortunate enough to publish work by Tim Nickels, Nicholas Royle and Joel Lane, who remain my literary heroes to this day.


THE WINTER INSIDE

'Kenworthy is a master of the believable, and here he has written a stingingly bittersweet novel.' - PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

'A fabulous, assured debut novel. Events are brilliantly, sometimes perfectly described. The Winter Inside is unreservedly recommended.' - INTERZONE

'Kenworthy accurately captures the despair of helpless love.' - BOOKLIST

'Kenworthy's debut novel is exceptional. It's a fierce and combative piece of work.' ? THE THIRD ALTERNATIVE

'From the start, Kenworthy's skill with words blazes through. His prose has a rhythm that draws you into the story, and he plants ideas in subtle and disturbing ways. Kenworthy really is a natural storyteller.' ? TIME OUT

'The Winter Inside is lifted above the ordinary by its unremitting control of tone and pace, and convincing renditions of the two principle characters.' - THE CANBERRA TIMES

'Kenworthy is one of our best and most versatile imaginative writers.  His invention is matched only by his gift for character, his humanity and his ability to draw you, quietly and cleverly into his fascinating and original stories.  He is a writer of substantial gifts.' - MICHAEL MOORCOCK

'A bleak, tightly written tale of failed intimacy and mutual incomprehension. Relentlessly focused.' - TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT

'Christopher Kenworthy is a young writer with a commanding prose style and the atmosphere of Nick's unenviable life is well drawn.' - THE TIMES

'Kenworthy writes with great skill. He's ruthlessly realistic.' - BUZZ

'The Winter Inside shows the benefits of Kenworthy's lengthy career as a short-storyist: he's adept at quick-stroking atmosphere and plausible characters. This London-set love story exposes the confusions of lust, intimacy and obsession. An impressive debut.' - THE AUSTRALIAN

'In one of the bleakest portrayals of destructive love played out in a suburban world, Kenworthy renders the cruelty at the heart of love.' THE BIG ISSUE
'The writer's gift for creating believable events and characters only add to the lull of false security, as the reader is drawn quietly and cleverly into the creeping darkness. This book is tense, erotic, gripping and dangerous.' - KIMOTA



THE QUALITY OF LIGHT

' A subtle, enigmatic and densely symbolic narrative, it takes the reader on a journey into the contemporary psyche every bit as compelling as it is harrowing. I can't think of many writers who handle the messiness of human communication and sexual need with greater elegance and flair than Kenworthy. An intelligent and compassionate novel: it deserves a huge audience.' - The Third Alternative

'An intensely vivid and atmospheric novel. ***** Must Read' - AXM

WILL YOU HOLD ME?

‘The deeper Kenworthy’s personal vision insinuates itself into your psyche, the more exhilarated you are by his alternately sinuous and jagged prose, with its intoxicating chemistry of character and ideas.’ – TIME OUT

‘Kenworthy is a writer of mood pieces, but his principal strength is in the character study. His observation of the all-too-human is extremely good. An elegant and perceptive collection.’ - INTERZONE

‘He can certainly write, capturing in these literary snapshots a depth of character that many authors struggle to even hint at.’ - SFX

‘Christopher Kenworthy portrays a world where a bizarre and covert war consumes everyday life, between the self and desire, expectations and reality. These stories unfold a bizarre world of fascinating characters who keep us guessing. - RAIN TAXI REVIEW OF BOOKS

‘His elliptical, disturbing stories focus on human relationships and guarantee a palpable sense of unease every time. More than just the new Iain Banks.’ - FOCUS

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