Michael Sweeney's Method, Sean Condon

Dud says, 'We're not gay,' probably mishearing the last word, which is crunched and skewed by Tom's accent. (These references Dud keeps making tonot being gay probably make you think that it will be revealed later that he's repressing his inner homosexuality because of peer pressure or whatever. But that's not going to happen; the reason he worries about being thought of as gay is because he's kind of an idiot.)

A natural outsider, Michael Sweeney lives on the wrong side of town and attends a flash private school. He lives life off to one side, until an American student, Tom Booth comes to the school and begins to involve Michael and his daggy mate Dud in a school play. But the American has a few secrets, too. And Michael has a new girlfriend, Lucy, another outsider thanks to her hearing impairment. Michael Sweeney's Method is a story if how outsiders can triumph, or at least put a damn good fight in the face of overwhelming indifference.

Michael Sweeney's Method is longlisted for the Golden Inky.