A recently-published novel, ‘Ruling Classes’ by Martin Dimery, will be launched at the Archangel in Frome, on Wednesday 5th December.
When not otherwise engaged as director of the Frome Festival or Somerset county councillor, Martin spends much of his time writing and performing – with 20 years touring as part of the enormously successful tribute band, Sgt Pepper’s Only Dart Board Band and more recently with The Unravelling Wilburys. He also appeared throughout the UK in his self-penned solo show ‘Shakespeare Rattle and Roll’.
In 2001, Martin published his tour diary, ‘Being John Lennon’, to excellent reviews. A further memoir ‘Without the Beatles’ was serialised in magazine form and became an eBook. Having long-harboured an ambition to write a novel, ‘Ruling Classes’ finally hit the shelves late this summer.
The darkly-comic satire draws on the contrasts between state schools and the private sector. “I had a long and mostly fulfilling teaching career”, Martin explains, “but I was beginning to feel burnout in the comprehensive system. When I was offered a position at Millfield (the eminent public school in Street, Somerset), it was too good a chance to turn down. I stayed there for nine, mostly-happy years.
‘Ruling Classes’ compares the fortunes of a comprehensive school and its independent counterpart in the fictional town of Storton as both battle for supremacy – and funds – in attempting to build a new theatre.
“At Millfield I discovered a very different world of privilege and entitlement, which, whilst providing great opportunities for the pupils, only served to make me realise just how badly the state system has been let down by successive governments. There are elements in this conflict drawn directly from my own experience, but the plot-line and characters are entirely fictional.”
Martin Dimery will read extracts from ‘Ruling Classes, along with songs and other pieces on Wednesday 5th December at 7.30pm in the Naval Room at the Archangel, King Street, Frome. Winstone’s Hunting Raven Books will be selling books on the night and the £3 entry fee will be redeemable against the price of a signed copy of the book. Tickets are available from Hunting Raven, by calling 01373 473111 or by emailing winstonebooks3@gmail.com
