John Murray's riotously tall tale, Radio Activity, first published in 1993, was immediately hailed by the critics as a comic tour de force, and was listed in both the Spectator and Independent Books of the Year. This riotously tall tale (or is it?) about Chernobyl, Sellafield, valve radios and Morocco is reissued to coincide with the publication of his satellite TV fantasy, Murphy's Favourite Channels. Read together,they provide a highly original not to say hilarious critique of the modern media and their unnerving effect on contemporary society.
As the punning title suggests, the novel is about both the dangers posed by the nuclear industry (especially Sellafield in Cumbria) and radio as a means of communication. But, as is to be expected from the literary heir of Flann O'Brien, John Murray's treatment is far from conventionally realistic, incorporating wild fantasy, uproarious satire and very funny linguistic inventiveness. Especially hilarious is the former Sudeten-German POW, Klaus Asbach, who speaks his own variety of Cumbrian English. With the aid of a special, indeed magical valve radio, it is possible to travel the globe, especially between Sellafield and Morocco. Meanwhile in Cumbria itself, the annual Biggest Liar in the World Competition is being held at Santon Bridge, close to Sellafield. Tall tales abound, but since this is 1986, the year of Chernobyl, Murray's own tall tale turns out to be much truer to life than any documentary.
'the Cumbrian novelist John Murray's immortal Sellafield satire Radio Activity' D.J. Taylor, The Tablet 01/12/07
'A wonderfully comic novel.' William Palmer, London Magazine
'Enormously accomplished and ambitious.The very model of a political novel. It is also without doubt the only novel published this year which has had me, at times, helpless with laughter.' Jonathan Coe, The Guardian
'A rumbustious comic novel.' DJ Taylor, The Independent
'A totally mad satire. It made me laugh out loud.' Margaret Forster
'Gloriously funny.' William Scammell, The Spectator
Radio Activity costs £8.99 and was published in 2004.
ISBN: 978-1-873226-69-8
John Murray was born in West Cumbria and now lives in Brampton, near Carlisle. In 1984 he founded the prestigious fiction magazine Panurge, which he and David Almond edited until 1996. He has published a collection of stories, Pleasure, for which he received the Dylan Thomas Award in 1988, and nine critically acclaimed novels: Samarkand, Kin, Reiver Blues, John Dory, Jazz Etc, Murphy's Favourite Channels, Radio Activity, A Gentleman's Relish and The Legend of Liz and Joe.
John Dory won a Lakeland Book of the Year Award in 2002, and Jazz Etc. was longlisted for the Man-Booker Prize in 2003. His 2004 novel, Murphy's Favourite Channels, was a Novel of the Week in the Daily Telegraph, and Radio Activity was the people's choice in voting for the best Cumbrian novel ever.
His web site is at johnmurraynovelist.wordpress.com
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