Chernobyl Privileges, The

What is the half-life of a secret? Arriving at midlife with a string of failed jobs behind him, Anthony Fahey knows he's lucky to be given a last chance as a radiation monitor at Her Majesty's Naval Base Clyde, where Britain's Trident nuclear weapons are kept. Already struggling to keep his marriage together after the death of his wife's father, Anthony finds himself at the centre of an emergency when an accident on a Trident submarine throws the base into crisis. But as the situation worsens old memories and buried secrets from his childhood reach into the present, and Anthony begins to understand that it isn't only radiation that has a half-life. Inspired by real events, The Chernobyl Privileges is a searing psychological drama that depicts the traumatic experience of surviving disaster. Both heart-warming and tragic, it explores the consequences of decisions we are forced to make and that shape our lives. "...a compelling, well-wrought and sharply intelligent book." Nicholas Royle, author of novel An English Guide to Birdwatching

Short-listed for The Rubery Book Award 2019 Short-listed for The Impress Prize for New Writing 2019

Alex Lockwood is a scholar, environmentalist, journalism teacher and is author of The Pig in Thin Air, as well as numerous journal articles, stories and essays. He has a PhD in Creative Writing and a love of contemporary literary fiction, with a particular fascination for exploring male relationships, environmental issues and how we live in our bodies. Alex lives in Newcastle, UK. The Chernobyl Privileges is his first novel.

RECOMMENDED John Nicolson's Politics Show, talkRADIO"...a compelling story, well-told..." Rob Edwards, Investigative Journalist"..a well-wrought and sharply intelligent book." Nicholas Royle, author of novel An English Guide to Birdwatching"The central character is completely convincing: his emotional life and moral confusion are unpacked patiently and scrupulously as the full horror of his early experiences in the USSR are gradually revealed. The focus shifts between modern Scotland and eighties/nineties Ukraine to weave a narrative that begins slowly but gradually builds into a tense, riveting tale that examines personal morality against a backdrop of environmental politics." RUBERY BOOK AWARD 2019 JUDGES' PANEL 5 "A heart-racing story of a man disconnected from his life, against the backdrop of nuclear tragedy" Amazon reviewer5 "Superbly polished book that I just couldn't put down." Amazon reviewerWhat is the half-life of a secret? Arriving at midlife with a string of failed jobs behind him, Anthony Fahey knows he's lucky to be given a last chance as a radiation monitor at Her Majesty's Naval Base Clyde, where Britain's Trident nuclear weapons are kept. Already struggling to keep his marriage together after the death of his wife's father, Anthony finds himself at the centre of an emergency when an accident on a Trident submarine throws the base into crisis.But, as the situation worsens old memories and buried secrets from his childhood reach into the present, and Anthony begins to understand that it isn't only radiation that has a half-life. Inspired by real events, The Chernobyl Privileges is a searing psychological drama that depicts the traumatic experience of surviving disaster. Both heart-warming and tragic, it explores the consequences of decisions we are forced to make and that shape our lives.

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