Grits is the debut novel by British author Niall Griffiths, published in 2000 by Jonathan Cape. Set in and around Aberystwyth and concerning promiscuity, drugs, alcohol, and petty crime^[1] it gained for its author, who lives and works in the town^[2] the dubious honorific "the Welsh Irvine Welsh".^[3] The novel is largely autobiographical, Griffiths moved to Aberystwyth to research a PhD in post-war British poetry but soon became, as he puts it, an "enthusiastic participator in parties"^[4] and dropped out of his studies.^[5]

Ianto, a character briefly appearing in Grits became the anti-hero of Griffith's second novel Sheepshagger.^[3]

From the rear of the 2001 Vintage Books edition :

• "When it comes to kick starting the literary millennium, Grits - difficult, disturbing and unforgettable - may well be the book to back" - Independent
• "Griffiths is undoubtedly a writer of talent. In the breadth of his huge, pulsing first novel, he captures the tedium of a life lived from one fix to the next" - Observer
• "If you liked Irvine Welsh's Trainspotting you'll love Grits" - Daily Express