Spud

SPUD, a new book by Brian Griffin, inspired by a

residency in Béthune-Bruay in Northern France, marks

the centenary of the end of World War I. Last year,

Griffin spent three weeks in the French town, near the

site of the Battle of the Somme and, also a large McCain

potato factory – one of the largest potato production

plants in Europe, producing around 1700 tons of frozen

chips each day. With the coincidence of `SPUD’, the

informal British word for potato also being slang for low

ranking British soldiers in World War I, Griffin

explores the relationship between the potatoes grown in

the soil and the soldiers who were killed in the very same

place, over 100 years ago.