Jacket Notes | Kurt Ellis on the backstory of his latest novel

Sitting in my first MA in Creative Writing class, I couldn’t shake the thought: what on earth am I doing here? Surrounding me that day were award-winning writers, renowned journalists, publishers, political activists and poets. And then there was me — a manager in a sales call centre. Sure, I’d published two novels, but in my mind, I was just another “bruinou from the nims” who still felt like that kid dreaming of becoming a writer when he grew up. That boy had no business sitting at the same table as these acclaimed, creative minds.

Impostor syndrome hit me like a right hook from Dricus du Plessis. But to my surprise, the same award-winning and renowned writers who initially intimidated me welcomed me almost immediately, making that feeling short-lived.

One of the course requirements was to write a new novel. I toyed with several ideas, but ultimately, I chose Deadly Benefits. The story had been simmering in my mind for years, though it had always felt too personal to tackle. The backstory of my lead character mirrored mine so closely that the opening chapters can almost be considered a memoir. If there was ever a time and place to write it, though, it was here, in this supportive environment.

Deadly Benefits is a high-speed white-collar heist story doused with humour. It follows a young man from Eldorado Park who, through sheer hard work and discipline, climbs the corporate ladder despite lacking any formal qualifications. He's on top of the world, until that world crumbles out from under him. Office politics and his own arrogance, born of his sudden success, lead to his downfall. He loses everything — his job, his car and his home.

Broken, depressed and consumed by rage, he decides to strike back at his former employer. Assembling a ragtag crew of accomplices, he orchestrates a plan to defraud the company of millions. At first, everything seems to go smoothly, but a series of bad decisions and sheer misfortune draw the attention of dangerous individuals: a psychopathic hitman, a Ukrainian mobster, a relentless fraud investigator and a brutal local drug lord. What starts as a daring caper for riches turns into a desperate fight for survival.

Deadly Benefits is my third novel, following By Any Means and In the Midst of Wolves. Reflecting on its journey from idea to publication, I can’t help but think back to the lonely preteen boy who turned to books as an escape. That "lightie from the nims and the East" who dared to dream of one day walking into a library and seeing his name on a shelf.

I hope I’ve made that little boy proud.

Deadly Benefits by Kurt Ellis is published by Penguin Random House South Africa