I was first introduced to the works of Chris McQueer a couple of years ago when he served up a number of his short stories in the poetry club at SWG3 in Glasgow. Since that night the Glasgow writer has gone from strength to strength with the success of his books Hings and HWFG, including a collection of these tales commissioned as short stories for BBC with Chris appearing as narrator. Presenting the BBC documentary Noteworthy we were given an insight in Chris’s influences as he explored the changing face of bank notes and those famous mug shots who appear on them.
I caught up with Chris to talk about life during lockdown and how he has navigated through these uncertain times.
Are you working on new material?
Aye I’ve been working away on my new novel but it’s been slow going. Think I’ve been at it for two and a half years now. I thought when the lockdown was announced I’d have it finished in a few weeks with nothing else to do really but that hasn’t been the case. I’ve also been writing a weekly column for the Glasgow Times and I’ve got a couple of new short stories on the go.
How have you been keeping yourself busy?
I’ve been trying to keep busy by writing but I feel like my attention span has been shot to bits and I’m struggling to concentrate on things. I think it’s just down to reading and watching the news all the time, constantly feeding bad news into my brain to the point where it’s all I can think about. I’ve been reading a lot which provides a nice wee escape from it all, spending time with my girlfriend and trying to do as many of the things we used to do before lockdown to try and keep things feeling as normal as we can and getting out and about with the dug has been magic.
What has been your biggest challenge?
I think it’s been trying to keep myself motivated to write. Early on in lockdown, all the days sort of felt the same, the tight deadlines I’d been working to kept getting pushed back and I found I’d lost my routine and had basically no structure to my days. Trying to get out of that rut early on was a bit of a nightmare, especially when you’re feeling lonely and not able to go and see your family or your pals to cheer yourself up.
Where have you found strength at difficult times?
Me and my girlfriend both looked to each other for support through all this and sort of pulled each other through it. We both had spells where we were quite down and frustrated, a bit of cabin fever I think, but we both know how to cheer each other up and now we’re both doing a lot better.
If you could go back to March & give yourself some advice - what would it be?
I’d say to myself, ‘Get the heid doon, try and ignore everything else and finish this novel. Nae excuses. Get it done.’
What have you learned about yourself?
I think I’ve learned that I’m never really bored. There’s always something to do, somewhere to go, something to write or something to watch or read.
Did you pick up any new skills?
I got really into crosswords at the start of lockdown. Then I got really into the cryptic crosswords. I found that a really good thing to learn, looking for the hidden meanings in the clues and all that. I taught the dug a few new tricks as well. Sadly he’s too wee to be able to go and get me a can from the fridge though.
What have you missed most?
Definitely my family. I really miss being able to cut in and see my granny and granda when I’m out and about for a cup of tea and a piece and a blether. I miss going to the pub with my mates as well, don’t think I’ll ever turn down a night out ever again.
What are your hopes for the arts when we start to move out of lockdown?
Hopefully everything will be back to the way it was before lockdown, and hopefully it’ll be even better with more people wanting to get back to going to gigs and all that. I’ve saw some discussions about the lack of funding and support people working in the arts have received and it does feel we’ve kind of been hung to dry by the government but I think a lot of people have a new found appreciation for the things we do and I think the arts will become a booming industry once again when all this is over and done.
