ðɪ ˈɜːli jˈɪɹz, ɹˈæŋkɪn sˈɛz hiː ɹˈoʊt ðɪs bˈʊk ʃˈɔːɹtli ˈæftɚ ɡˈɪvɪŋ hɪz fˈɑːðɚɹ ɐ dʒˈeɪmz kˈɛlmən bˈʊk ðə tˈaɪp ʌv bˈʊk hiː wʌz stˈʌdiɪŋ æt ðə tˈaɪm ænd bˌiːɪŋ ʃˈɑːkt wɛn hɪz fˈɑːðɚ sˈɛd ɪt wˈʌzn̩t "ɹˈɪʔn̩ ɪn ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ" ænd hæd nˈoʊ stˈoːɹi; ɹˈæŋkɪn sˈɛz ðɪs mˌeɪd hˌɪm ɹᵻθˈɪŋk wʌt tˈaɪp ʌv ɹˈaɪɾɚ hiː wˈɔntᵻd tə bˈiː.
The Early Years, Rankin says he wrote this book shortly after giving his father a James Kelman book (the type of book he was studying at the time) and being shocked when his father said it wasn't "written in English" and had no story; Rankin says this made him rethink what type of writer he wanted to be.