''A Chancer'' is a novel by the Scottish writer

James Kelman James Kelman (born 9 June 1946) is a Scottish novelist, short story writer, playwright and essayist. His novel '' A Disaffection'' was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for Fiction in 1989. Kelman won ...

published in 1985 by

Polygon Books Birlinn Limited is an independent publishing house based in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was established in 1992 by managing director Hugh Andrew. Imprints Birlinn Limited is composed of a number of imprint (trade name), imprints, including: *Birlin ...

. This novel is the first to be written by Kelman, but it was published after '' The Busconductor Hines'' (1984). In a 2016 interview, Kelman said of ''A Chancer'': In that novel, there are no adverbs. There's only concrete. There wouldn't be anything with a value on it, unless it was said in dialogue. Because I tried to create a value-free novel.' He smiles, but there is a hint of resignedness when he says, 'That never gets picked up.

References

Novels by James Kelman Polygon Books books 1985 British novels {{1980s-novel-stub