Welcome to the first in an occasional series of interviews with some of my favourite authors! I’ve called this series ‘The Essential Six’ for two reasons: first, writers need to write! I love the work of these authors so much I don’t want to take up too much of their precious scribing time. Secondly, I wanted to narrow down my questions to a core half dozen so that we could get down to the real nuts and bolts of their life and work.

What follows is an interview with debut author Dave Cousins. Last year, I was lucky enough to get hold of a proof copy of his moving and laugh-out-loud funny novel ’15 Days Without A Head’ - the finest Young Adult book I read in 2011…

Dave (with head)

Firstly, Dave, I want to congratulate you on a compelling and very moving read. I was hooked from the first page and finished the book in one sitting. It really is an incredible achievement – a work of great heart and humour. Please give us a brief introduction to your remarkable novel, 15 Days Without A Head.

Thanks, Bill – that’s very kind of you. 15 Days Without a Head is the story of two brothers – fifteen year old narrator Laurence, and his six year old, dog-obsessed brother, Jay. The action takes place over the fifteen days the boys are left to fend for themselves when their alcoholic mother goes missing. Scared they’ll be taken into care if anyone finds out, Laurence resorts to increasingly desperate measures to survive and keep their secret safe. There are some dark moments in the book, but plenty of laughs too – some dressing up, a dead man on the radio – even a hint of romance.

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