The Cutting Room
Louise WelshWhen Rilke, a dissolute and promiscuous auctioneer, comes upon a hidden collection of violent and highly disturbing photographs, he feels compelled to unearth more about the deceased owner who coveted them. What follows is a compulsive journey of discovery, decadence, and deviousness that leads Rilke into a dark underworld of transvestite clubs, seedy bars, and porn shops. In this hidden city haunted by a host of vividly drawn characters, Rilke comes face to face with the dark desires and illicit urges that lurk behind even the most respectable facades.
“Astonishingly this is a first novel, catapulting Welsh straight into the superstar league while establishing Rilke as a true original." - The Times
“I was hooked from page one. Rilke is not Welsh’s only great creation. The huge supporting cast of misfits and outsiders… are equally memorable. And Glasgow becomes a character in itself: it is oppressive, foreboding - a dark place for a dark tale." - The Guardian
Louise Welsh is an award-winning author of eight novels. The Cutting Room, her debut novel, won the Crime Writers’ Association John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger Award and the Saltire First Book of The Year Award. In 2018, she was awarded the Most Inspiring Saltire First Book Award winner by public vote. She is Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Glasgow.