The work of Zac Scott, ‘Cutting In’ fuses fact and fiction to bend culture, reshape history and ultimately send readers into a side-bucking frenzy of laughter. Documenting the lives of a group of Dockland painters trying to make ends meet as the country collapses around them, it’s no wonder the book has been described as a cross between ‘Only Fools and Horses’, ‘Auf Wiedersehen, Pet’ and ‘Minder’.
Contact:
Zac Scott zacscott@zac-scott.com press@zac-scott.com zacscott@pnwriter.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
United Kingdom – The 1970s was a true and rather fierce turning point for the UK; a certain female politician put tens of thousands of miners out of work, the nation’s economy also followed suit with a dramatic collapse, and millions were left wondering if the country would ever recover. But, through it all, London’s Dockland painters continued mixing their hues, cutting in and trying to make ends meet.
Their bond and unique take on the world around them forms the engrossing and hilarious premise for Zac Scott’s new book. ‘Cutting In’ may appear to first be a work of fiction, but it’s equally an examination of the people and spirit that kept 1970s Britain afloat.
Synopsis:
First there were the rumours, then came redundancy! What came next? Cutting in documents the lives of a team of painters and decorators from East London’s tough dockland area in the 1970s.
Their loyalty, friendship and unity grow stronger over the years. They embark on a thrilling new venture together, a venture that will change their lives forever.
It is 1974, the year Bill Shankly quit as Liverpool manager.
The three-day week for industry officially began at a time of social unrest in the UK. Emergency speed limits came into force to help maintain dwindling fuel supplies. Mainstream TV stations shut down at 10.30pm to conserve electricity; this coincided with industrial action by coal miners.
Strike, strike, strike seemed to be the theme of the day.
The IRA began its bombing campaign on mainland Britain. There was a hung Parliament, Arthur Scargill, Edward Heath and Harold Wilson. With record levels of unemployment, 885,000 people were registered for unemployment benefit.
The average weekly wage at age twenty-one was £38.10, if you could find work.
Our domestic economy was in deep, deep shit and the word ‘austerity’ raised its ugly head.
New Year’s Day was celebrated as a public holiday for the very first time.
“There really is nothing else on the market quite like this; a book that stops time during one of the UK’s most pivotal periods of change, throws readers inside the grassroots lives of its people and sends them into a laughter-thrilled frenzy that’s chillingly vivid,” explains the author.
“This isn’t a book for the faint of heart, mind you; it’s crude, rude yet a 100%-true reflection of the resilience that stopped the nation from hurtling off the edge of sanity for good.
”Continuing, “Initial reader feedback has been extremely positive. People are really resonating with the humanity of the characters, as well as with how the novel so accurately portrays 1970s Britain. I’m absolutely thrilled with my early reviews!”
Indeed, those reviews have been glowing. For example, Mick Geggus of Cockney Rejects comments, “Cutting in is one of the funniest books ever written. Very clever, in the way that the jokes and one-liners are worked into the storylines. Brilliant!”
‘Cutting in’ is available now: Amazon – http://amzn.to/2eCMUJc Lulu – http://bit.ly/2gedzN3
For more information, visit the author’s official website: http://www.zac-scott.com.
About the author, in his own words:
I remember when I first picked up a pen, back in 2005-6 and started to lay down the outline for this project but the idea for the book first came to me a couple of years earlier, around 2002-3.
It’s weird to write that, because it still seems like only yesterday that I first considered writing a book. My brain was bombarded frequently with flashbacks about my time spent on the tools. These images of past events had no rhyme or reason and they could pop into my head at any time, day or night.
There’s no question that this book has defined every spare minute of my life for the best part of ten years, on and off.
I didn’t have what authors call writer’s block and I did not lose my desire to write; I just wrote whenever the need took me.
As for the title of the book, I knew from day one that I wanted to call it Cutting in. And anyway, I couldn’t think of a better title.
My aim from the word go wasn’t to write a diary about events but to give the reader an insight into the hilarious working and social lives of real people during those carefree days of the seventies, where there was profit before safety, long before the health and safety culture kicked in.
I am, and always will be, extremely realistic about my writing capabilities. I did not take any creative writing courses and this is my first attempt at writing and probably will be my last!
I have been in the decorating game for more than forty years. During that time I’ve been involved in, and seen, many comical situations. This led me to write this funny and very rude book, about which I am passionate and excited.
Over the years, I have regularly taught painting and decorating to individuals of all ages and I have worked on numerous commercial, residential and industrial projects across the UK.
I have also written papers on painting and decorating for the Community Program Agencies (CPA), New Start and Mainstream.
I hope that you enjoy reading Cutting in as much as I enjoyed writing it.