Mike Gayle | The Guardian

Contents:

• MIKE GAYLE ON THE LEGACY OF LOCKDOWN: I WAS SO LUCKY TO HAVE MY WIFE TO LGH, CRY AND YELL AT THE TV WH
• 'THEY WERE TREATED TERRIBLY' – WHY 'LAD L' VETERAN MIKE GAYLE IS FALLY TACKLG RACISM
• MIKE GAYLE
• MIKE GAYLE

MIKE GAYLE ON THE LEGACY OF LOCKDOWN: I WAS SO LUCKY TO HAVE MY WIFE TO LGH, CRY AND YELL AT THE TV WH

The panmic, then, has at the very least shown me two thgs: that ’s highly likely I’ll spend much of my twilight years ont of the TV or readg books, rather than workg on my golf swg – and that the person I’ll be dog this wh will be my Gayle is an thor and journalist.

But this month, a genre tradnally domated by women prented s top prize to Mike Gayle. “It’s jt lovely, ” says Gayle.

In a books market where such btsellg thors as Fieldg and Cathere Alltt were providg an sight to romantic relatnships om a female perspective – and landg the label “chick l” for their efforts – Gayle joed the lik of Nick Hornby and Tony Parsons givg a male view. This won them the “lad l” moniker, although Gayle has said he prefers “pop l”, bee his wrg is “jt like pop mic as much as ’s immediately accsible … yet touchg on all the great them – love, lghter, hatred and jealoy – whout feelg the need to take self too serly”. ‘Love, lghter, hatred and jealoy’ … some of Gayle’s novels.

'THEY WERE TREATED TERRIBLY' – WHY 'LAD L' VETERAN MIKE GAYLE IS FALLY TACKLG RACISM

”Gayle is speakg to me via Zoom om his home town of Birmgham, where he liv wh his wife, two dghters and a much-loved pet.

And y, when we go to the vets, they do announce him as Sail Gayle! ”Gayle eventually moved back to Birmgham, and spent a year spltg his time between eelance journalism and workg on the novel.

MIKE GAYLE

”‘If they didn’t like what you wrote, you’d be ad to them’ … Mike Gayle’s lumn Bliss. Photograph: supplied by Mike GayleWhen My Legendary Girliend was published 1998, immediately earned the moniker “the male Bridget Jon”. ” Gayle skewers Will’s endls pg for Aggi wh warmth and a great al of humour.

”In the book, Gayle never specifi Will’s race. ”Over his last 15 novels – om Turng Thirty (a man spls up wh his girliend and mov back wh his parents) to The Stag and Hen Weekend (two pre-weddg parti told as separate stori) – Gayle has generally steered clear of discsg race. ”Meet Sail Gayle … the thor wh his rcue greyhound.

MIKE GAYLE

Photograph: Simon WellerGayle’s most recent novel, All the Lonely People, addrs race more directly, though. ”Says Gayle: “It is unfortable to read.

“When you meet people who are que clearly lonely, ” says Gayle, “you wonr how that suatn about.

”After three s of wrg, there is one thg Gayle thks he uldn’t do: wre My Legendary Girliend aga.