When is the right time to share your ballsy writing? You just have to do it.
The initial response to Euphoric Recall has been incredible. Reviews of close friends of Aidan, as well as strangers, have come in plenty, describing Euphoric Recall as a ‘page turner’ which they could not put down. Even the Scottish Parliament has put in a motion to discuss the topics of addiction and trauma dealt with in the memoir (what! so amazing). As we are flooded with support and praise, it is a good chance to reflect on what the word Guts actually means.
To have Guts, not only do you have to bare your soul, but you have a need to connect in the deepest sense with others. To have Guts is to explore the raw truth of human beings.
As you listen to Aidan speak, and especially when you read his writing, you know he has it. Guts to be vulnerable, to be honest, to not be afraid of shining a light (and keeping the light there) on topics which are uncomfortable. Topics that are taboo, hidden away and buried deep down.
It is difficult to know when the right time is to share such a story. For Aidan, it has been a long journey. He had the authenticity and openness to expose his life to others. Rather than living in a ‘euphoric recall’, Aidan stopped, looked back and relived all his past experiences, good or bad. It must have been extremely painful to write at times, especially as he reflects on moments of despair and suicidal feelings. By being bold and, in the end, fearless, Aidan has not only shared an incredible story with the world, but created a space for human beings, struggling with all sorts of past memories, of addiction, mental health and trauma, to connect with each other.
This is exactly what we want to share at Guts Publishing. Stories of those who are not afraid, or even those who are, but use the fear, the authenticity and the boldness, to uncover and take control of what makes us feel shameful. As Aidan has said, ‘hold nothing back.’
Tonight, 9 October, we have a live reading and Q & A with Aidan Martin and Mark Deans (cover artist), 7-8pm GMT. Join us to hear Aidan’s powerful, and vulnerable, prose in the (virtual) flesh! Just click here to grab a space.
In our August 2020 interview with Aidan, he tells us what Euphoric Recall is, how he feels about sharing his story with the public, and what writing means to him.
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Katy Dadacz (she/they) is an intern at Guts Publishing. She is currently doing an MA in Gender Studies, with a focus on contemporary feminist fiction.