The Fire Starters

Gripping, affecting, surprising. I inhaled it. – Lisa McInerneySpectacular … Dark, beautiful, at once grittily real and wildly magical. Insanely alluring. – Donal RyanBlew me away with its power, anger and wit. * Joseph O’Connor, Books of the Year *A big and rambunctious novel that casts a cold satirical eye on themes such as language, culture, identity, sectarianism, and the terrifying proximity of the past * Sunday Times, 50 Greatest Irish Novels of the 21st Century *Shimmering with wit, simmering with an incandescent rage, shot through with a seam of wild magic, The Fire Starters is a powerful, disturbing portrait of East Belfast and its people and its hope for the future. I won’t be the only reader to proclaim that, in the best way possible, Jan Carson is on fire. * Lucy Caldwell *Captivating, intelligent and courageous * Irish Times *Carson’s playfulness delights again and again, even as she explores her city’s darkest corners. Sound the siren: this novel truly burns bright * Irish Independent *Jan Carson seems to have invented a new Belfast in this gripping, surprising, exhilarating novel.With her idiosyncratic blend of warm intelligence, dark humour, and magic realism, Jan Carson brings us a singular portrait of a city and its people struggling with questions of guilt, responsibility, and the limits of love. * Carys Davies *A perfect mix of dark humour, magic and social commentary. * Irish Times *

Jan Carson is a writer and community arts facilitator based in Belfast. Her first novel, Malcolm Orange Disappears, was published in 2014 to critical acclaim, followed by a short story collection, Children’s Children (2016), and a flash fiction anthology, Postcard Stories (2017). Her work has appeared in numerous journals and on BBC Radio 3 and 4. In 2016 she won the Harper’s Bazaar short story competition and was shortlisted for the Sean Faolain Short Story Prize. She specializes in running arts projects and events with older people, especially those living with dementia. The Fire Starters is her second novel.

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