Novelist's work all of a Twitter

UNDERGROUND music genre fan Craig Brackenridge is testing Psychobilly supporters – by launching his first novel on Twitter.

Craig's gritty novel of the same name will be serialised on the Internet blogging site from Saturday, April 2.

But the Scottish-born former Rednecks singer and record shop worker reckons a new Psychobilly revival can withstand his bold move.

With just a few hundred words available for each 'Tweet', the 42-year-old Woodbeck father-of-two is faced with another 1,800 blogs before the whole book is on-line.

"This will not only test the possibility that a narrative can be followed in such easily digestible chunks, but hopefully encourage impatient Twitterers to actually buy the book," said Craig.

"On the negative side, skinflint Twitter devotees may actually be able to eventually cut and paste the whole book into an electronic freebie.

"But in an attempt to bring the novel to a wider audience it is a chance I am willing to take.

"The book itself, Psychobilly, is my attempt to drag the youth-cult fiction novels of the 1970s into the 1980s.

"It's suitable for anyone with an interest in the output of New English Library, post New Wave UK Indie music or 'Confessions Of A Window Cleaner'."

The Brackenridges – Craig, his nurse wife Irene and their children – moved south six years ago without realising that Retford played a key role in the Psychobilly scene 20 years earlier.

"I have press cuttings of gigs at the Porterhouse in Carolgate where top bands played," Craig added.

"It was certainly a hotbed of live music and I only knew it was in Nottinghamshire.

"Now I realise that Retford was a major centre for Psychobilly.

"Since 2000 there's been a revival and I've written two factual books on the genre before this novel."

The book is available for £6.99 from shops, from Craig on 07989 967923 or by visiting www.myspace.com/stormscreenproductions