Jem Calder ya fara aikin rubuce-rubucensa da kyakkyawan farawa. Sally Rooney ta aiko masa da imel bayan ta ji sha'awar wani ɗan gajeren labari da ya gabatar wa mujallar adabi da take gyara, jim kadan bayan fitowar Conversations with Friends. Wannan shine labari na farko da ya taɓa gamawa. Calder ya riga ya kasance "babban mai son" Rooney, don haka duk abin ya zama kamar mafarki, in ji shi a gare ni. "Ba zan iya tunanin abin da zai fi haka ba, a gaskiya."
Wannan labari daga ƙarshe ya shiga cikin Reward System, tarin labarai shida masu alaƙa na Calder na 2022 game da gungun matasa masu baƙin ciki da ke zaune a wani birni da ba a bayyana sunansa ba. An yaba shi a matsayin littafin shekara; wani bita a wannan jarida ya kira Calder daya daga cikin "mafi hazikan matasa marubutan almara da ke aiki a yau." Yanzu, littafinsa na farko, I Want You to Be Happy, ya ɗauki wasu daga cikin jigogi iri ɗaya: gwagwarmayar soyayya ta zamani, gajiyar matasa na ƙarni na millennials, al'adun mabukaci, fasaha, da kuma fidda rai na siyasa da muhalli. Ya riga ya sami wasu shahararrun magoya baya: David Szalay ya yaba shi, kuma Andrew O'Hagan ya ce Calder shine "sabon marubucin da ya fi so."
A farkon littafin, Joey mai shekaru 23 ya sadu da Chuck mai shekaru 35 a wani mashaya. Sun kwana tare kuma suka fara abin da za a iya kwatanta da dangantaka mai wahala: Joey ta ƙaunaci Chuck sosai, amma Chuck bai manta da tsohuwar budurwarsa ba. Joey tana kama da ta shafe rayuwarta gaba ɗaya tana jiran amsawar saƙo. Kamar Reward System, littafin yana da sauri da kaifi; ra'ayin marubucin mai shekaru 34 game da rayuwar matasa a yau ya yi daidai. Amma a cikin littattafan biyu, tsananin zargi yana daidaitawa da wata boyayyar ma'ana cewa wani abu mafi kyau yana zuwa, kuma ƙarshen ya zama mai ban sha'awa. Hakanan yana taimaka cewa Calder yana da ban dariya.
Ba da daɗewa ba ya bayyana cewa Joey da Chuck ba su kan hanya ɗaya ba. A cikin kalandar soyayya ta zamani, ana iya kiran Chuck "mai gujewa": ya bar budurwarsa sannan ya yi nadama; yana son kasancewa tare da Joey amma ba ya son zama da ita. Ita "tana son saurayi sosai, kuma shi yana son wanda zai fitar da shi daga kansa," in ji Calder.
Chuck yana jin kamar alamar tsoron sadaukarwa da ya yadu, wanda Calder ya danganta da "rashin kwanciyar hankali da rashin jin daɗi" na gaskiyar tattalin arziki da aka tilasta wa ƙarninsa. "Ba za ku iya mallakar gida ba, yana da wuya a sami iyali" – abubuwan da sau da yawa "sun kasance tabbatattu a cikin dangantakar da ta gabata." Waɗannan iyakokin "suna bayyana a matakin motsin rai" a matsayin gujewa, ko zama a cikin dangantaka na yau da kullun maimakon zama. Akwai son rai a ciki: saboda "a zahiri babu wani bege na gaskiya ga gaba, ƙarni na matasa dole ne su yi amfani da lokaci don yin wasa." Amma wannan "ya ƙare ya zama hanya mara zurfi ta rayuwa" – darasi da haruffansa "dole ne su yi ƙoƙari su fahimta."
"Na san cewa ni kawai marubuci mara kyau ne daga zama mutumin da ya tsufa ya daina zama mai kyau."
Yayin da duniya take kama da haske daga hangen Joey, Chuck yana da matukar rashin jin daɗi. Calder ya ce "yana firgita" da irin Chuck – maza masu shekaru 30 ko 40 waɗanda "sun tsufa su daina zama masu kyau," suna fuskantar wani nau'in rashin jin daɗi na ƙirƙira ko sana'a (watakila sun kasance a cikin wata ƙungiyar kiɗa kuma sun kusa yin nasara) – gabaɗaya, rayuwa ba ta kasance yadda suka yi tsammani ba. "Koyaushe ina sane da cewa ni kawai ɗaya mara kyau na littafi ne daga zama a wannan matsayi," in ji shi.
Calder ya girma a Cambridge, ya karanta Turanci a Leeds, kuma tun daga lokacin ya yi ayyuka daban-daban tare da rubuce-rubuce, gami da irin na manyan haruffansa – Joey ma'aikaciyar kofi ce, kuma Chuck marubucin kwafi ne. Ya ce "ba zan iya fahimtar" marubutan da ke korafin toshewar rubuce-rubuce ba – yin aikin rana "yana ba ni kwarin gwiwa don komawa gare shi kuma in tilasta kaina in magance wani abu mai wahala" a cikin rubuce-rubucena. Littafin, wanda ya ɗauki shekaru uku don rubutawa, yana canzawa tsakanin hangen Joey da Chuck. Dukansu suna rubuce-rubuce tare da ayyukansu na rana, kuma littafin wani ɓangare ne game da nau'ikan adabi biyu da ke soyayya – suna raba waƙoƙin Louise Glück da Frank O'Hara, suna nuna wa juna ayyukansu. Dangantakarsu tana ƙarfafa ƙirƙirarsu, wani abu da Calder ya taɓa fuskanta: ya fara rubuta littafin a farkon dangantakarsa da budurwarsa, wanda ya ba shi damar "rubuta wasu daga cikin abubuwan da ke cikin kaina a zahiri."
Ƙarfin iko tsakanin Chuck da Joey – shi ya fi girma kuma ya fi arziki – ya zama mafi ban sha'awa yayin da muka gane cewa ita ce mai hazaka. I Want You to Be Happy ya faɗaɗa kan labarin buɗewa a cikin Reward System, inda wata budurwa, Julia, ta yi soyayya da babban abokin aikinta. Dukansu Joey da Julia "a zahiri suna da wata manufa," kuma duka mazan "suna jin an maye gurbinsu da wannan budurwa," in ji Calder. Waɗannan al'amuran suna nuna wani babban wasan kwaikwayo da ke faruwa a fannoni da yawa, gami da fasaha – maza masu girma suna jin an maye gurbinsu da matasa mata masu hankali. "Yana da ban dariya a gare ni, mutane suna ƙoƙarin tsayayya da wani abu da ke faruwa sosai."
Kafin ya fara rubuce-rubuce, Calder ya karanta ayyukan Elizabeth Taylor da yawa. "Ita ce marubuciya da ta fi so," in ji shi – tare da "matakin yanke hukunci wanda wani lokaci yana karya zuciyarka, zaluncin motsin rai da za ta iya yi a cikin layuka biyu." Richard Yates shima yana da babban tasiri ga I Want You to Be Happy.
A cikin littafin, wuraren ba a bayyana su ba, kodayake Calder a hankali yana sakin alamun cewa muna gabashin London (tare da shirye-shiryen haya na ban mamaki – wani hali yana zaune a "gidan da aka canza daga sito tare da abokan zama tara da bandaki biyu"). Hakanan, yana ambaton samfuran mabukaci ba tare da suna ba – "sabulun hannu na alamar buri," katin banki "launin murjani" – wanda ke da tasiri biyu ga mai karatu: yana da gamsarwa don gane abubuwan (Aesop, Monzo), har sai kun gane cewa hakan yana nufin ku ma kuna da sha'awar samfura kamar Chuck da Joey.
Haruffan Calder suna da sha'awar jin daɗi nan take – siyan abubuwa, kafofin sada zumunta, shan taba, hotunan batsa – duk wani abu don guje wa munanan abubuwan duniya (a wani lokaci, Chuck ya karanta labarin Guardian game da canjin yanayi, wanda ya "manta ya damu da shi a yau, amma yanzu ya yi"). Ana iya kiran Chuck mashayi, amma daya daga cikin manyan tambayoyin littafin shine menene ainihin jaraba, yanzu da halin jaraba ya zama gama gari. "Ƙofar jaraba ta kusan raguwa," in ji Calder. "Yanayin zamani ne, zuwa wani matsayi." Kuma ya san cewa masu karatunsa suma suna shafa, cewa yana fafatawa da "gwagwarmaya mai wahala" a kan allon waya don hankalinsu.
Ana iya haɗa Calder da gungun matasa marubuta – kamar Rooney, Oisín McKenna, Madeleine Gray – waɗanda galibi ake kira "muryar ƙarni," marubuta da suka mai da hankali kan yadda yanayin tattalin arziki mara kyau ke tsara rayuwar matasa. Yaya Calder yake ji game da wannan lakabin? "Ba abu ne da nake bi da gangan ba," in ji shi. "Ba zai yuwu a kauce wa sukar tsarin jari-hujja ba idan kuna ƙoƙarin magance rashin hankali na yadda muke rayuwa yanzu, amma kuma ban damu da sanya ra'ayina na siyasa a cikin almara na ba. Manufar ita ce koyaushe in rubuta game da yadda rayuwa take ji a zahiri." I Want You to Be Happy na Jem Calder Faber ne ya buga a ranar 21 ga Mayu (£14.99). Don tallafawa Guardian, yi odar kwafin ku a guardianbookshop.com. Ana iya samun cajin isarwa.
Tambayoyi da Aka Yi Yawa
Ga jerin tambayoyin da aka yi yawa dangane da batun Jem Calder da Sally Rooney ta gano shi
1. Wanene Jem Calder?
Jem Calder marubuci ne na farko wanda aka buga tarin gajerun labaransa kwanan nan. Ya sami hankali bayan Sally Rooney, shahararriyar marubuciya, ta gano shi kuma ta tallafa masa.
2. Menene ma'anar Sally Rooney ta gano shi?
Yana nufin cewa Sally Rooney ta karanta aikinsa, ta ji daɗinsa, sannan ta yi amfani da dandamalinta na jama'a don yaba shi. Wannan goyon baya ya taimaka wa littafinsa ya sami hankalin masu bugawa, masu suka, da masu karatu.
3. Ta yaya Sally Rooney ta sami Jem Calder a zahiri?
Bisa ga rahotanni, Rooney ta karanta ɗaya daga cikin gajerun labaran Calder a wata mujallar adabi. Ta ji sha'awar sosai har ta tuntuɓe shi, kuma daga baya ta ba da bayani game da littafinsa.
4. Menene sunan littafin Jem Calder?
Littafinsa na farko tarin gajerun labarai ne mai suna Reward System.
5. Me yasa Jem Calder ya ce "Ban san abin da zai fi haka ba"?
Ya faɗi haka saboda yabon da marubucin da yake sha'awar ya yi masa ya ji kamar babban matsayi ne a aikinsa. Yana nufin cewa yana da wuya a yi tunanin wani babban ko mafi ma'ana matsayi na sana'a.
6. Wannan farfagandar jama'a ce kawai?
A'a, yana da alama gaskiya ne. Sally Rooney an san ta da zaɓin goyon bayanta, kuma an buga aikin Calder a cikin mujallar adabi mai daraja kafin ta lura da shi.
7. Wane irin labarai Jem Calder yake rubutawa?
Labaransa suna mai da hankali kan rayuwar zamani, dangantaka, da damuwar matasa a cikin shekarun 20 da 30. Masu suka sau da yawa suna kwatanta salon sa da na Sally Rooney, saboda dukansu suna rubuta labarai masu kaifi da motsin rai game da rayuwar yau da kullun.
8. Shin Jem Calder yana rubutu kamar Sally Rooney?
Akwai kamanceceniya – dukansu suna rubutu game da dangantaka ta zamani tare da harshe mai daidaito da lura. Duk da haka, aikin Calder ya fi gwaji a tsari kuma ya fi duhu a yanayi.
9. Menene ya kamata in fara karantawa idan ina son duba aikinsa?
Fara da tarin gajerun labaransa Reward System. Idan kuna son samfurin kyauta, nemo labarinsa "Future Me" a cikin tarihin mujallar The Stinging Fly.
