THE BUSINESS was published in 1999
Kate Telman is a senior executive officer in The Business, a powerful and massively discreet transglobal organization whose origins predate the Christian Church.
Financially transparent, internally democratic, and having once owned the Roman Empire for 66 days, it now wants to buy its own State to gain a seat at the UN.
Kate’s job is to keep abreast of current technological developments and her global reach stretches from Silicon Valley to the remote Himalayas. In the course of her journey Kate must peel away layers of emotional insulation and the assumptions of a lifetime. She must learn to control the world at arm’s length.
To take control, she has to do The Business.
Iain said, “The Business is probably the least vicious book I think I’ve ever written. Although I did tell people there was a torture scene at the end, but I didn’t tell them it was someone over-revving a car engine. Not quite the same thing.”
The germ of the plot came from a series of humorous letters he wrote to friends. “I love the idea of secret histories. I made up this ridiculous story about an Iain Banks Foundation which employs people to go round bookshops and place my books more prominently. They also get at the books of authors I’m either in competition with or just don’t like on principle – for some reason the words ‘Archer’ and ‘Jeffrey’ come to mind here – through a subtle combination of origami and Taekwondo. The agents twist the covers as they pretend to look at the novels so that no-one will ever buy them and the books will have to be returned. They are also employed to stand around in public areas reading my books in a conspicuous manner and laugh heartily every one and a half pages, no matter what!”
Also in 1999, the Songbook Series invited ten artists and writers to each compile a CD of favourite music, which would be packaged in a full colour booklet containing their work. Participants included Savage Pencil, Robert Crumb, Hunter S Thompson, Gerry Anderson, Ralph Steadman, Peter Bagge, Gilbert Shelton, Ivor Cutler, Clive Barker and Iain. The series formed the basis of an exhibition at the London ICA that April.
Left to right: Ivor Cutler, Iain, Gilbert Shelton, Savage Pencil and Gerry Anderson with Ralph Steadman (kneeling)