Melvin Burgess

British writer of children's and young adult fiction; his novel Junk (1996), about heroin-addicted teenagers in Bristol, won the Carnegie Medal.

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What they believe

Novels, being far cheaper to make than film or TV, allow a variety of experiment that other forms do not.

I always loved books because of the huge variety of different genres, styles, and forms people could do - novels being so much cheaper than film of TV, that they allow experimentation.

melvinburgess.substack.comSaid 29 Jul 2026This on korrents
The Völsunga saga is the absolute classic of Norse mythology.

The Volsunga saga was one - that has to be the absolute classic of Norse mythology.

melvinburgess.substack.comSaid 25 Jun 2026This on korrents

The bold line is korrents’ wording; the quote is theirs. These 2: what they wrote before what they said aloud, one per source, newest first.

All 7 beliefs, on korrents

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Sources

29 July

Melvin BurgessKorrents 29 Jul

From one piece Wayland Smith - the whole thing. 2 beliefs · melvinburgess.substack.com

korrents.com
Substack seems better suited to articles and essays than to publishing novels.

Their words

Online seems one obvious answer, but maybe not Substack, which seems better suited to articles, essays and so on.

Wayland Smith - the whole thing.melvinburgess.substack.com
korrents.com
Novels, being far cheaper to make than film or TV, allow a variety of experiment that other forms do not.

Their words

I always loved books because of the huge variety of different genres, styles, and forms people could do - novels being so much cheaper than film of TV, that they allow experimentation.

Wayland Smith - the whole thing.melvinburgess.substack.com

25 June

Melvin BurgessKorrents 25 Jun

From one piece Wayland the Smith 3 beliefs · melvinburgess.substack.com

korrents.com
Because publishers are so risk-averse now, books likely to have a small readership struggle to get anywhere.

Their words

publishers are very risk adverse at the moment. As a result, any book that is likely to have a small readership is unlikely to get very far.

Wayland the Smithmelvinburgess.substack.com
korrents.com
Our own world seems to be turning more and more to the vengeance and bloodshed that Viking warrior culture celebrated.

Their words

Well, vengeance and bloodshed was something much more celebrated in a warrior culture such as the Viking had. Sadly, it’s something our own world seems to be turning to more and more.

Wayland the Smithmelvinburgess.substack.com
korrents.com
The Völsunga saga is the absolute classic of Norse mythology.

Their words

The Volsunga saga was one - that has to be the absolute classic of Norse mythology.

Wayland the Smithmelvinburgess.substack.com

14 May

Melvin BurgessKorrents 14 May

From one piece Apologies and what next? 2 beliefs · melvinburgess.substack.com

korrents.com
Self-publishing on Substack has the merit that no publisher decides what he can and cannot write.

Their words

I’ve enjoyed not having a publisher deciding what I can and can’t do.

Apologies and what next?melvinburgess.substack.com
korrents.com
Two or three hours of writing a day is enough; there is too much else in the world to enjoy to want to be a man of letters.

ambition

Their words

Frankly, two or three hours a day is enough for me, I’ve never had an ambition to be what used to be called a man of letters - there’s too much else in the world to enjoy.

Apologies and what next?melvinburgess.substack.com

16 October 2011

Melvin BurgessRecommends 16 Oct 2011

Recommendsrcmnd.app
The Wind in the Willows

Their words

The very first one was The Wind in the Willows.

fivebooks.com
Recommendsrcmnd.app
The Hobbit

Their words

Yes, I have always thought that The Hobbit was a better book than Lord of the Rings.

fivebooks.com
Recommendsrcmnd.app
Heroes

Their words

I was reading Heroes recently, but you could pick any one of a number of his books.

fivebooks.com

+ 2 more

Recommendsrcmnd.app
Martyn Pig

Their words

With Martyn Pig the lad accidentally kills his dad and it is such a great set-up and it is done so well.

fivebooks.com
Recommendsrcmnd.app
Postcards from No Man’s Land

Their words

Postcards from No Man’s Land is undoubtedly his best book.

fivebooks.com

The whole feed →

Beliefs

Korrents What they believe 7 beliefs — each backed by an exact quote.
Each is a — compiled by korrents.com, not by them: the one-line wordings are korrents', the quotes are theirs.
Recent
- Novels, being far cheaper to make than film or TV, allow a variety of experiment that other forms do not.
  
  I always loved books because of the huge variety of different genres, styles, and forms people could do - novels being so much cheaper than film of TV, that they allow experimentation.
  
  Wayland Smith - the whole thing. Said 29 Jul 2026
  
  Full record — everyone who holds this →
- Substack seems better suited to articles and essays than to publishing novels.
  
  Online seems one obvious answer, but maybe not Substack, which seems better suited to articles, essays and so on.
  
  Wayland Smith - the whole thing. Said 29 Jul 2026
  
  Full record — everyone who holds this →
- The Völsunga saga is the absolute classic of Norse mythology.
  
  The Volsunga saga was one - that has to be the absolute classic of Norse mythology.
  
  Wayland the Smith Said 25 Jun 2026
  
  Full record — everyone who holds this →
Show 4 more

Our own world seems to be turning more and more to the vengeance and bloodshed that Viking warrior culture celebrated.

Well, vengeance and bloodshed was something much more celebrated in a warrior culture such as the Viking had. Sadly, it’s something our own world seems to be turning to more and more.

Wayland the Smith Said 25 Jun 2026

Full record — everyone who holds this →

Because publishers are so risk-averse now, books likely to have a small readership struggle to get anywhere.

publishers are very risk adverse at the moment. As a result, any book that is likely to have a small readership is unlikely to get very far.

Wayland the Smith Said 25 Jun 2026

Full record — everyone who holds this →

Two or three hours of writing a day is enough; there is too much else in the world to enjoy to want to be a man of letters.

Frankly, two or three hours a day is enough for me, I’ve never had an ambition to be what used to be called a man of letters - there’s too much else in the world to enjoy.

Apologies and what next? Said 14 May 2026

Full record — everyone who holds this →

ambition

Self-publishing on Substack has the merit that no publisher decides what he can and cannot write.

I’ve enjoyed not having a publisher deciding what I can and can’t do.

Apologies and what next? Said 14 May 2026

Full record — everyone who holds this →
All 7 beliefs →

What is a korrent?

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Under a name here, the quoted block is what they actually said. The korrent beneath it is the claim those words support, in korrents' wording — tap it to see the record, its source, and who else holds it.

Nobody here wrote their own korrents. They are compiled from public statements, and a person can change their mind, which is recorded too.

Recommends rcmnd

rcmnd What they recommend 5 things — each backed by an exact quote.
Compiled by rcmnd.app, not by them: the quotes are theirs, and each links to the post it was copied from.
Recent
- Recommends Postcards from No Man’s Land 16 Oct 2011
  
  Postcards from No Man’s Land is undoubtedly his best book.
  
  fivebooks.com 16 Oct 2011
  
  What others say about Postcards from No Man’s Land →
- Recommends Martyn Pig 16 Oct 2011
  
  With Martyn Pig the lad accidentally kills his dad and it is such a great set-up and it is done so well.
  
  fivebooks.com 16 Oct 2011
  
  What others say about Martyn Pig →
- Recommends Heroes 16 Oct 2011
  
  I was reading Heroes recently, but you could pick any one of a number of his books.
  
  fivebooks.com 16 Oct 2011
  
  What others say about Heroes →
Show 2 more

Recommends The Hobbit 16 Oct 2011

Yes, I have always thought that The Hobbit was a better book than Lord of the Rings.

fivebooks.com 16 Oct 2011

What others say about The Hobbit →

Recommends The Wind in the Willows 16 Oct 2011

The very first one was The Wind in the Willows.

fivebooks.com 16 Oct 2011

What others say about The Wind in the Willows →
All 5 recommendations →

Where they publish

Newsletter Melvin Burgess Fiction, diaries and notes on writing

Open melvinburgess.substack.com

Link verified 1 Nov 2026.
YouTube Melvin Burgess Readings and videos

Open youtube.com

Link verified 1 Nov 2026.

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