Devon Book Club discussion
Theme Weeks
>
Theme Week #1 Jan 2021 - "Worlds Beyond Borders: from folklore & fairytales to demons & dystopia"
date
newest »
newest »
Mod
@SJW_writer
introducing our #fantasyfortnight event "Worlds Beyond Borders: from folklore & fairytales to demons & dystopia" https://youtu.be/V5FaJwyTumE via our @YouTube channel
Begins 18/1
Looking forward to Monday's #fantasyfortnight chat with #devonbookhour. I came across the following quote recently, about the role sci-fi/fantasy plays in young adults, that I think applies to adults too, and is particularly relevant in these times of a pandemic. "What better way to deal with the uncertainty of this time than with forms of fiction that make us comfortable with being uncomfortable, that explore uncertainty and ambiguity, and depict young people as active agents, survivors and shapers of their own destinies?"
Mod
This is so thought-provoking - a great discussion point for the #fantasyfortnight - the idea that reading fantasy helps young people to make sense of their world is fascinating
Susie wrote: "Looking forward to Monday's #fantasyfortnight chat with #devonbookhour. I came across the following quote recently, about the role sci-fi/fantasy plays in young adults, that I think applies to adul..."That is so true. Fantasies and fairy tales are often an allegory for very adult themes, even if it isn't obvious to the child at the first reading. Stories that subtly instruct a child how to deal with the difficult situations that they may be facing or face in the future.
C S Lewis was encouraged to write 'The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe' when 3 evacuees came to live nearby at the start of of WW2. What on the surface is a fantastical story of good vs evil, talking animals and an evil witch, can be seen against the background of a terrifying war, and a way for children who are living with the effects of war and hatred to see through to a better future.
I know C S Lewis was very religious, and that is portrayed in the books too, through the Christ like character of Aslan, (we studied the Chronicles of Narnia in our catholic primary school) but even if you are not religious, the theme of 'doing the right thing for others' is so strong, that it can not help but inspire young children, and adults too.
Mod
That does seem to be a feature of the genre - very strong moral themes, especially the battle between good and evil, dark and light. Just teeing it all up now - more shortly
From children's books to adults books, there is wonderful scope in fantasy and all aspects of the wider genre, to reflect society and examine the human condition. Some do it through a good versus evil trope, others offer the morally grey. Those that do it well, that give us characters representative of society that we can relate to, with contemporary themes and an engaging storyline, are books I seek to write, and stories I love to read.
Mod
To start us off we are delighted to introduce you to Mich English and her wonderful Book of Fire YA fantasy trilogy which has often been marketed as ‘The Hunger Games meets Mythology,’ and ‘Percy Jackson meets The Bone Season’
I asked Mich to tell us a little about The Book of Fire Trilogy. Where did the inspiration come from?
"The Book of Fire YAFantasy trilogy follows wild girl Talia, surviving as a hunter-gatherer in a treehouse village valley, after a biochemical Great War has destroyed most of the world. The story focuses on two communities: a sealed off scientific population who believe the outside world to be poisoned, and a treehouse-dwelling community of foragers who believe they are the only Great War survivors - until a chance encounter changes everything…
The trilogy is rich in Roman mythology, science and history, with plenty of romance thrown in for good measure. The action is also set in and around a war-torn ruined Exeter (!)
The series has a strong themes, and raises questions about the frequent conflict between nature and science. Arafel, home to Talia and her hunter-gatherer community epitomises a healthy balance with nature, and yet the shadow of Pantheon and the scientific domes is ever-present, reflecting the pressure in our real world to exploit natural resources and pursue scientific advances.
Initial inspiration for the series grew from a visit to the Colosseum in Rome where they were burning torches of burning lavender at the end of every stand. The tour guide explained it was an authentic detail from the real gladiatorial games, where the scent was used to cover the scent of bloodshed. It was a tiny gruesome seed that lodged in my head, and stayed with me for nearly 20 years, before it grew into a trilogy."
I am always intrigued by the setting of books and this trilogy is based in Exeter. I asked Mich how important is setting to her and her books?
"I deliberately chose Exeter for my dystopian world setting because I wanted the landscape to be local and recognisable - partly because I like to ground my fantasy in a little reality, and partly because Exeter has a deep vein of Roman history that I knew I could tap into and use. I love living in Devon and feel very lucky to have the moor, coast and historical cities like Exeter on my doorstep, for inspiration.
For the launch of City of Dust we hid signed copies of the book in key locations around Exeter for a Book of Fire treasure hunt, and local bookshops have been very supportive throughout the series. As the trilogy progressed, I realised readers were enjoying the local setting as much as I was enjoying writing it, and it inspired me to research and include more local history and landmarks. These included the ruined Roman bathhouse beneath Cathedral Green, which I deliberately used as a backdrop to action in City of Dust, and of course Exeter City’s famous underground passages
Mich's trilogy has been a great success and I wondered whether, with the recent release of books such as The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Mich thought dystopian fiction is on the rise again?
"I think dystopian fiction is always bubbling away beneath the surface, but its popularity (like most fiction) can also be influenced by a particularly strong title. Unfortunately, it’s not difficult to imagine a dystopian world given recent world events, and this adds a factor of relatability at the moment too. The Book of Fire series imagines a world after a devastating Great War, and I’ve been surprised by the number of readers who’ve been in touch to say how the setting feels a little too raw and realistic to be entirely comfortable. However, this is a real measure of its success for me.
Book of Fire’s core themes: science vs nature, history vs future and questioning if we should, just because we can underpin the whole series; and every reader who reviews or gets in contact to say Talia represents so much more than a wild girl in a recovering world, makes me very happy.
I asked Mich whether here are any dystopian novels she particularly loves and what it is about them that she enjoyed?
"So many! The Bone Season series, The Handmaid’s Tale, The Hunger Games, 1984, Divergent, but perhaps the most influential for me was Robert C. O’Brien’s Z for Zachariah.
Z for Zachariah was the very first dystopian novel I ever read at the influential age of 13, and at that time it felt as though it changed everything.
Before then, I’d read a usual range of popular childhood authors including CS Lewis, Ursula Le Guin, Anne McCaffrey, Enid Blyton and Ruby Ferguson. But this one story turned everything on its head - a reimagining of a world after an apocalyptical war, where the race for survival is uppermost and no-one is who they first seem, felt so exciting and unique. Afterwards, I actively sought books that gave that same thrill. I think part of the reason I love YAFantasy, is that it’s brave and unafraid of taking chances or asking the difficult questions. "
Finally, I asked Mich to tell us a little about her writing journey and whether Book of Fire was the first book she wrote?
"I always scribbled stories as a child, and even had some short stories published in my local newspaper as a teenager/adult; however I didn’t start writing seriously until a traumatic event relating to the birth of my second child. While I always nursed secret hopes of getting published ‘one day’, the event was a wake-up call - a reminder that none of us are here forever, and fulfilling ambitions takes time and stamina! So I started writing seriously.
My first novel got an agent, but no deal. That same agent closed her business after a year, but by that point I had a second novel ‘Genetica’ and received four offers of representation within a week of subbing. Chloe Seager (of Diane Banks Associates - Northbank Talent Management now) really impressed me with her vision, and we worked on my ms for a few months before subbing to Publishers.
The initial feedback was great, but dystopia wasn’t in vogue and it went on the back burner while we worked on my next novel. Then, just as we were about to sub the new novel, a trilogy offer came in from HarperCollins HQ, a full twelve months after the original book was subbed! It was the most exciting moment of my writing journey, and while not typical of offer timeframes, it does show there is no set rule.
Genetica became Book of Fire, and was followed by City of Dust (2018) and Storm of Ash (2019/2020)
As always, it was a delight chatting with Mich and, if you've not read her work yet, I can thoroughly recommend her books. I love that she blends her own style with local place and string social themes - whilst telling a pacy, gripping story.
About Mich:
Biog:
Michelle is a firm believer in magic, and that ancient doorways to other worlds can still be found if we look hard enough. She is also a hopeless scribbleaholic and, when left to her own devices, likes nothing better than to dream up new fantasy worlds in the back of a dog-eared notebook. Doctors say they’re unlikely to find a cure any time soon.
In between scribbling, Michelle love reading, running, attempting to play bluegrass and beach treasure-hunting with her two daughters (dreamers-in-training).
Michelle holds a LLB (hons) degree, an APD in Public Relations and is an Accredited Practitioner with the CIPR (with whom she's won awards for Magazine & PR work). But she's definitely happiest curled up against a rainy window, with her nose in a book.
Michelle is represented by Northbank Talent Management, and loves chatting all things book-related at https://www.facebook.com/BookofFireMK Twitter: @mkenneypr and Instagram: @mich_kenneyauthor
Book of Fire is a new YAFantasy Trilogy published by HarperCollins HQ and the first book was published in July 2017. City of Dust, Book 2, was published October 2018 (digital) and December 2018 (paperback), and Storm of Ash, the final instalment came out in December 2019 (Digital) and February 2020 (Paperback)
Michelle Kenney
Author, Book of Fire YAFantasy Series, HarperCollins HQ
Represented by Northbank Talent Management
www.facebook.com/BookofFireMK/
www.michellekenney.co.uk
Twitter: @mkenneypr
Insta: mich_kenneyauthor
07971179045
Very happy to chat all things #BookofFire 🔥 Ian, and honoured to start off the #fantasyfortnight event! I’m really looking forward to finding out more about Devon fantasy writers over the next few days, and if anyone is keen to follow Book of Fire news & events (inclu giveaways), I can usually be found lurking over at mich_kenneyauthor (Instagram) & @mkenneypr (Twitter) 😉 Happy reading everyone 📚 ✨
Thanks to everyone for a great evening yesterday at #fantasyfortnight. I really enjoyed such a lively chat and input from so many. Also enjoyed reading Michelle's feature piece - Book of Fire looks really interesting and is now one for my to read list. Conflicts with nature are such important themes and ones I enjoy. I look forward to hearing more from our featured writers, and to next week's chat.
MIch is book is on my TBR. The brother of my sister-in-law is an archaeologist who spent his student years working on the Underground Tunnels. They weren't open to the public when I was a living in Exeter, but my brother went around it with Mark. Exeter's Roman history is fascinating, and the fact you can wonder around and see & touch remnants of them is exciting - well I find it exciting.
I agree. Exeter has got a wonderfully rich history. I love the architecture and the roman wall. So much to see and explore. I visited the underground tunnels a few years ago. Really interesting, and an eye opener.
Mod
About Sarah
Sarah Ash trained as a musician but writing fantasy novels has allowed her to explore her fascination with the way mythology and history overlap and interact (her second published novel Songspinners is set in an ‘alternate’ eighteenth century Bath, her home city). The novels in the epic fantasy Artamon sequence (Random House) are also set in an alternate late eighteenth century world – with daemons and dragons. The Arkhel Conundrum is the latest addition to the Tears of Artamon. The Tide Dragons series grew from Sarah’s love of all things Japanese (especially manga and anime which she regularly reviews). It draws on the ancient legend of the Tide Jewels and the lifestyle of the Heian imperial court. Book 2 Emperor of the Fireflies is now available in ebook format!
Sarah has strong links to Devon. Her father grew up in Plymouth and her husband’s family live in Exmouth, so is a frequent visitor and Devon holds a strong place in their families heart (even getting snowed in for days, one harsh winter!). Sarah's late mother-in-
law’s bungalow had breathtaking views over the estuary. Those ever-changing seascapes encapsulate the county for her. Sarah told me that her Devon is like Debussy’s La Mer, reflecting the sea in all
its different moods, from stormy to serene.
I love that
You can find out more about Sarah here:
www.sarah-ash.com
@Sarah_Ash7
The Arkhel Conundrum is Book 4 in The Tears of Artamon series
About The Arkhel Conundrum
“But what happened to Gavril and Kiukiu after Children of the Serpent Gate? When is the sequel coming out?”
Readers have been asking Sarah this question ever since Book 3 of The Tears of Artamon was published – and at last she's had the chance to provide an answer in Book 4: The Arkhel Conundrum.
Azhkendir, land of snow and shadows, harbours many secrets – and a powerful ancient winter deity is awakened when a foreign mining company begins to strip out the rare mineral resources beneath the mountains. Old clan hatreds are stirred up. The High Steward of Azhkendir, Lord Gavril, and his wife, Spirit Singer Kiukiu, hope to seek help from the Emperor Eugene. But their onetime enemy turned ally is distracted by the prestigious competition to build a flying machine he has set up. Is someone from their past trying to destabilize the fragile peace of the empire? Or are there supernatural forces involved? The Magus, Kaspar Linnaius, may have the answers...but he has disappeared and no one knows where he is or how to contact him.
I asked Sarah why she writes fantasy
"Why write fantasy? I’ve loved fantasy since childhood – but when I started writing my own fantasy fiction (way back in the last century) it wasn’t so easy to persuade UK editors to look at it. With the release of the Lord of the Rings films, everything changed! However, my fantasy novels are not archetypal quest novels or grimdark military sagas; I’m more interested in unravelling the origins of myths and legends. My love of music also finds its way into everything I write (Songspinners is about, among other things, the creation of an opera – and the central character in Alchymist’s Legacy is a singer who also works as a secret agent).
Catching up on a really interesting week with #fantasyfortnight. The following Tweet from @BookDevon sparked a train of thought... "Coming at familiar themes from a completely different angle. Does that free the writer and reader do you think? #DevonBookHour"
For me it does. One of the important themes for me when writing Return of the Mantra was representation of women/girls, as in a range of women with a range of relatable experiences, including hard hitting themes. While YA, I didn't want to shy away from issues around exploitation and violence, and I also wanted to incorporate messages of empowerment and self-determination. The genre gave me great flexibility to highlight difficult issues in a way that felt accessible.
Representation of experiences is something I consider under the umbrella of diversity, in addition to the obvious categories of sexuality etc... I think it's a genre that creates great scope to understand, process, and examine experiences that reflect life, both for the reader and the writer.
The question also applies to my covering of women loving women characters throughout the series. It's something I spent a lot of time considering how to approach, what setting to create around it. In books one and two I consciously decided to normalise it into the society, whereby it is seen on a par with heterosexuality. In book 2, one WLW relationship could be the most stable thing in an unstable world - which I liked creating. Absence of discrimination doesn't reflect society, but can be a model for it. In Book 3, which I am shortly returning to, I have a different approach with 2 different characters, whereby sexism/ownership impacts attitudes and intolerance. So yes there is great freedom in working within this genre. I enjoy the creative lens.
Mod
I realise that I have read one of Sarah's books, the first Tears of Artamon book. I must find the others and read them too so I can catch up with the new one.
Mod
About Su:
Su Bristow is a consultant medical herbalist by day. She's the author of two books on herbal medicine: The Herbal Medicine Chest and The Herb Handbook; and two on relationship skills: The Courage to Love and Falling in Love, Staying in Love, co-written with psychotherapist, Malcolm Stern. Her published fiction includes 'Troll Steps' (in the anthology, Barcelona to Bihar), and 'Changes' which came second in the 2010 CreativeWritingMatters flash fiction competition.
Sealskin is set in the Hebrides, and is a reworking of the Scottish and Nordic legend of the selkies, or seals who can turn into people. It won the Exeter Novel Prize 2013. Su's writing has been described as 'magical realism; Angela Carter meets Eowyn Ivey’.
About Sealskin:
What happens when magic collides with reality?
Donald is a young fisherman, eking out a lonely living on the west coast of Scotland. One night he witnesses something miraculous … and makes a terrible mistake. His action changes lives – not only his own, but those of his family and the entire tightly knit community in which they live. Can he ever atone for the wrong he has done, and can love grow when its foundation is violence?
Based on the legend of the selkies – seals who can transform into people –Sealskin is a magical story, evoking the harsh beauty of the landscape, the resilience of its people, both human and animal, and the triumph of hope over fear and prejudice. With exquisite grace, Exeter Novel Prize-winner Su Bristow transports us to a different world, subtly and beautifully exploring what it means to be an outsider, and our innate capacity for forgiveness and acceptance.
Amazon link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sealskin-Bri...
I absolutely loved this book. It is atmospheric, engaging and beautifully written. It may be rooted in legend but its themes are also very contemporary. I highly recommend it.
Mod
About Cliff:
Clint fell in love with Devon when he worked here as a geologist in the 1980’s. He returns for annual holidays and loves walking the Devon coast path. Clint went part time from lecturing in chemistry (a long story apparently) to write his first novel, The Geology of Desire, a crime story featuring the geology of North Yorkshire and an LGBT protagonist. It has been well received, gaining great reviews in many magazines, and has been reprinted.
The themes of individual liberty and the effects of science on our
environment led Clint to create the world of Tyrants Rex. His unique perspective, crossing the science/literature divide, has enabled him to populate his fantasy world with diverse creations whilst telling an emotionally engaging story for all readers.
He is influenced by authors such as Stephen R. Donaldson, Ursula Le Guin and Bernard Cornwell amongst many others and loves Fantasy TV series like The Witcher. Clint now lives with his partner Brenda on the Yorkshire Wolds seeking inspiration in the landscape and history of places he knows well as well as the joys of looking after grandkids! But Devon remains very close to his heart
www.clintwastling.webs.com
About Tyrants Rex:
You find out your father has been turned into a human-animal hybrid and want revenge on The Protector of Faires, only she’s the most powerful ruler on Earth. Tyrants Rex imagines a distant future, populated by the remnants of humanity and genetically engineered monsters created by a long-dead civilisation. Just before he turns 18, Mycul Zas is sent “to see the world” by his uncle. In reality he has been sold to geneticists. Ever resourceful, Mycul manages to avoid becoming the subject of an experiment; his father, however, does not. On the way to seek a cure, his father is murdered and Mycul’s journey becomes a dangerous game of survival and revenge.
Torn between fate and loyalty, Mycul teams up with a one handed assassin, an exiled prince, a scientist with a murky past, a drunken giant and a necromancer’s daughter. Together they strive to overthrow a tyrannical regime.
Tyrants Rex (Stairwell Books) ISBN: 978-1-939269-58-4
http://www.stairwellbooks.co.uk/autho...
Mod
Sounds like a plan :)
One of the sub-genres of speculative fiction that I'm really enjoying is African Futurism. Nnedi Okorafor writes in this genre and is one of my favourite authors. Her novel, Who Fears Death, stands out for me in relation to an earlier comment about representation of women/girls' experiences. Set in post-apocalyptic Sudan, I was drawn into this magical story and the Sudanese desert landscape. The author tackles hard-hitting themes which continue to impact on women and girls today, with sensitivity and insight. It was a powerful and poignant read that felt to be an example of how stories can give voice to marginalised people.
Ley wrote: "I realise that I have read one of Sarah's books, the first Tears of Artamon book. I must find the others and read them too so I can catch up with the new one."Thank you so much for your support! I hope you enjoy the other books in the series.
Mod
Love the sound of that - another for my list!
Mod
Jane's Story, in her own words:
"It’s 36 years since I started to work in publishing, as an editorial secretary at George Allen & Unwin Publishers on Museum Street, on a tip-off from a neighbour. What follows really is the trajectory of modern publishing in microcosm.
My skillset was not ideal: I loved books, especially the works of JRR Tolkien, and came with a first class English degree, a Masters in Scandinavian Studies (Old Icelandic) and absolutely no secretarial abilities at all. But I had worked for a year at Foyles and another as a boardmarker/cashier at Ladbrokes, and so had proved I could work hard and not be snooty about getting my hands dirty; and that I was numerate and understood the concept of gambling, which my new boss David John Fielder, head of Trade Books and Paperback, assured me was the essence of publishing.
These were the times of Telex machines and manual typewriters, which were just giving way to electronic typewriters (my nightmare) but David was remarkably patient with my Tippexed letters, blackened carbon copies and non-existent shorthand, and within a year had promoted me away from my disaster zone to become an editor. Paperbacks were a fairly new concept and rights were often licensed out. Hardbacks were the prestige edition, and vertical publishing was only just beginning.
It was my dream job and I loved every day of entering the historic building known as Ruskin House, to mark John Ruskin’s close ties with the company. It was a labyrinth of corridors and rickety staircases: to reach my tiny office with its original fireplace and cornicing I had to climb to the attic floor, pass through the work spaces of Philippa McEwan, Harriet Griffey, Nick Brealey, Adam Sisman and others; then down the other side. Unsurprisingly, when some of the ceiling fell down while I was away one week no one noticed until I reported that I couldn't open my door to get in. Just as well that it happened while I was on holiday…
GA&U was the quintessential small family publishing house: working there alongside Rayner Unwin and his son Merlin, and a small, dedicated cadre of talented publishing folk, felt like being part of that family and it's probably why so many of us remain good friends to this day.
It was a company that prided itself on its history of publishing important books and taking risks. Apart from JRR Tolkien, its backlist featured Marx and Engels, Arthur Waley, Bertrand Russell, Thor Heyerdahl, Roald Dahl, Halldor Laxness, and a wonderful poetry list, including the Liverpool poets: I became (amazingly) Brian Patten's editor, as well as being charged with looking after the Tolkien list and the burgeoning Unicorn fantasy list. Almost immediately I found myself working with Christopher Tolkien, Alan Lee, John Howe, Ted Nasmith, Guy Gavriel Kay, Barbara Hambly, Louise Cooper, Geoff Ryman, Colin Greenland, M John Harrison and Ellen Kushner.
But the book world was changing. Big corporate houses were making their presence felt, profit margins became ever tighter and overheads ever higher; there was talk of the demise of the Net Book Agreement. By 1986 it was clear GA&U couldn't survive on its own. So it merged with another independent house - Bell & Hyman - and we moved offices to a modern building on Broadwick Street, in Soho. I could lean out of my window and buy produce from the fruit-and-veg vendors in Berwick Market down below. Hyman came with feminist list Pandora Press, a large educational list and a variety of nonfiction. For a while, we all dovetailed relatively neatly. We celebrated the 50th anniversary of The Hobbit, and Unicorn books won the World Fantasy Award and Arthur C Clarke Award. I commissioned brilliant books from Kim Stanley Robinson, Megan Lindholm, Jack Womack, Gill Alderman, Adrian Cole, Garry Kilworth and Alison Spedding, amongst others.
But we were not to remain independent for long, and a couple of years later, just as we were building up to the 1991/2 Tolkien Centenary, suddenly we found ourselves bought by HarperCollins. Out of a workforce of 300, only half a dozen of us, including me and the royalty manager, Jim Holden, survived the axe. In Australia, Patrick Gallagher engineered a buy-out of the Allen & Unwin name and it’s wonderful to see that company go from strength to strength; and to illustrate how the wheel turns in publishing circles, A&U’s Jim Demetriou recently became HarperCollins ANZ’s CEO.
And so began my long haul in modern corporate publishing, working with Malcolm Edwards to manage the vast treasure trove of sf and fantasy that HC now owned - from Asimov, Clive Barker, Greg Bear, Ray Bradbury, Arthur C Clarke, Stephen Donaldson, David Eddings, Raymond E. Feist, William Gibson, Rob Holdstock, Katharine Kit Kerr, Paul Park, Jack Vance, to David Zindell and more. In 1995 I launched the Voyager list - 'for travellers of the imagination' - which showcased my 'new' acquisition: Robin Hobb (actually Megan Lindholm writing a different sort of fantasy under a new name), as well as many of our star authors. The following year we would publish a certain George RR Martin's A Game of Thrones, having acquired it in a heated auction.
Working at HC was a very different world: one of forensic P&Ls, spreadsheets, budgets and sales projections. The day of the editor as publishing supremo was on its way out: sales, finance and marketing teams began to dictate policy and acquisitions. It took a bit of getting used to after being something of a one-woman-band, but there were compensations. A well-oiled corporate house has a lot more muscle in the market than a small independent and if it backed your editorial hunches you could have runaway bestsellers from a standing start, as I discovered when branching out into thrillers and publishing Stuart MacBride, Michael Marshall Smith, Sam Bourne (Jonathan Freedland) and SK Tremayne (Sean Thomas). And of course if you acquired big authors like Stephen King and Peter Straub and Dean Koontz, the books flew.
Then along came Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings movie trilogy and the chance to spend months working alongside cast and crew in New Zealand: my life describing a perfect arc from the first time I took that Pauline Baynes single volume paperback home from the school library, through commissioning artwork from Alan Lee and John Howe for illustrated editions, covers and calendars; to seeing my totem book coming to life before my eyes. It was a magical 4 years, culminating in 11 Oscars for the final film, bestseller listings for my and Brian Sibley's tie-in books, and friendships that would last a lifetime.
By 2000 we were beginning electronic publishing, and of course before long people were predicting the death of the printed book. I always said it was just another format, as paperbacks had been: just another way to reach our readers.
And since 2005 I've been working remotely, often from Morocco, thanks to a visionary decision by my then MD, Amanda Ridout. I’ve been lucky in my bosses all the way from A&U through Grafton and HC, working with such stellar names as Eddie Bell, Jonathan Lloyd, Adrian Bourne and Kate Elton. I still look after my very select group of authors, who came to include the brilliant Mark Lawrence, whom we've just signed up for a new series, and World Fantasy Award-winning Nnedi Okorafor. During that time HBO brought Game of Thrones to our screens, making it the biggest global tv series ever released: and of course our book sales rocketed. I like to joke that I've published more bestsellers since not being in the office than when I was present week in week out, and it's pretty much true, even though during that whole time I’ve been writing novels during my spare time (what spare time?)!
The in-house team is now run by the talented Natasha Bardon, and she manages a brilliant collection of new Voyager writers, including such talents as Peter V Brett, Jay Kristoff, RF Kuang, SA Chakraborty, Anna Smith Spark, Anna Stephens, Kester Grant, Amélie Wen Zhao, Peter Newman and Den Patrick. It’s wonderful to see the list continuing to thrive".
Back to me:
I have published Jane's account in full. She has such a fascinating story to tell and I hope you've enjoyed reading it as much as I have.
Susie Williamson and I are grateful to Jane for her insights throughout our #fantasyfortnight event - more to come in the next week, plus we want to tell you more about Jane's writing.
fascinating stuff, the dream job if most fans of fantasy to work for A&U in those days.
Mod
Indeed it is. A unique journey. More on Janes writing later in the week
Mod
I asked M.S. Clements to tell us about The Third Magpie:
"The Third Magpie technically falls within the Dystopia genre, however I would describe it is more Alternative World/Speculative.
The Country where the story is set, is entirely fictional. New Albany might look very familiar - graveyards with memorial benches, pubs, village greens etc - but it is more an amalgamation of multiple places. For example, when the main characters visit Area Zone Eight, they pass towns with villas, and well-to-do New Albians dining al fresco. This is based on a visit to Puerto Banus in Spain, however the cove where most of the action takes place in that chapter is entirely reminiscent of Devon, complete with the iron rich red soil.
During the Beta Read stage, some of my readers were convinced it was the UK, others equally sure is was the US. Likewise, although Finn's home country is NEVER mentioned, more than one reader has decided he is Irish. (in the podcast version, which is in a hiatus due to lockdown, Finn and his family have an International School/Mid Atlantic accent, because, as my daughter put it, they are Citizens of Nowhere.)
In the novel, everywhere that isn't New Albany, is called Outer World - Finn is an Outer Worlder, an immigrant, a foreigner. Being an outsider is something many of us face and for a myriad of reasons. At a purely geographical stance this may be at a national levels - or if we are talking Science Fiction, interplanetary. And it can just as easily be seen at a micro level - local town rivalry, or even feuds between streets/families. Humans have a tendency to look for reasons to distinguish 'in their tribe' & 'Not in their tribe.'
When I got engaged to a young man in the Midlands, my future Sister in Law had an interesting encounter with an elderly lady from the village. First she congratulated my SiL on her brother's forthcoming nuptials, then said - 'I hear he is marrying a foreigner!' My sister responded, 'Yes, she's from Devon.'
There are several themes within Magpie, but it is the fear of other, that is the dominate one. How people are conditioned to accept a policy of division as long as it doesn't interfere with their own lives and troubles. IN recent weeks we have witnessed how a policy of "othering" can deteriorate rapidly into chaos and insurrection. Democracy is a very fragile thing.
Magpie is definitely a book about boundaries, the physical one of national borders, and the less obvious ones, boundaries imposed on women and their choices, boundaries because of race and beliefs, the boundaries forced on the ordinary people, still New Albians, but not the 'Elite', and in Finn's case, the mental boundaries he needs to overcome to survive in New Albany.
About the author (in her own words):
"Of Anglo-Spanish heritage, M.S. Clements grew up in Exeter, Devon. After gaining a degree in Economics and Spanish, she moved to London and trained for a PGCE at The Institute of Education, before working as a Spanish teacher at an all-boys’ comprehensive in Surrey, leaving full time teaching in 2000. Clements continues to run a Spanish club for primary aged girls at a local school and tutors privately.
M.S. Clements has published short stories and poetry both online and in print, and is a founding member of @Virtwriting, an online writers' group.
For those in the Devon Book Club who are Exeter based, some might remember, or even be, ex Mount St Mary’s girls. I left Exeter for University, and then London, but most of my family still live in Exeter and in Newton Abbot, so we head back as often as we can. Not so much these past 12 months ☹
I have fond memories of life in Exeter. We grew up close to the University and as a teen, I worked in the University Bookshop as a Saturday girl. I even wrote a very short story which brought in some of my memories from back then. It was the manager of that Bookshop who encouraged me to persist with my studies, despite messing up my A levels – I went on to study at Cambridge College of Arts and Technology, (now Anglia Ruskin University). It was also him who put a copy of The Handmaid’s Tale in my hand saying, ‘One day this book will be important to you.’ Now that was prescient, indeed!
Thank you. Hoping to get another podcast out today or tomorrow, for those that prefer audio. A lovely actress, Hannah Timms is reading the story, but with lockdown our ability to record has been halted. However the first ten episodes are up and available for all the major podcast platforms - The Third Magpie. I am a fan of audio while walking or driving, currently loving Tom Hanks rendition of The Dutch House.
I am also a big fan of audio books. Sometimes I feel guilty just sitting down to read when there are always other things waiting to be done. But you can listen to audio in your pocket while doing the housework, routine cooking, feeding the birds or wheeling off grass cuttings. I get through lots of books this way.
Mod
Me too - I'm listening to Tash Suri/s Empire of Sand -extends my walk so I get back at the end of a chapter
Mod
Do you enjoy them as much as reading a hard copy?
In a different way. Unlike a page where it's impossible not to see some of what's coming, each word is a surprise, and at the beginning I enjoy finding my way into the setting, the narrative, the characters. But it's hard to go back and check things, not like flicking back a few pages, so occasionally I get a paper copy from the library afterwards. The very best is listening to a book I'd read years and years ago, and sometimes coming to a bit and suddenly knowing 'Oh, this is where xxx happens' - it's exciting!
I was thinking of buying a copy of The Dutch House precisely for that reason. I want to be able to go through it to underline those turn of phrase that have me thinking ‘Wow, that is gorgeous’. There is so much to learn, & if audio helps, then why not? As for your guilt sitting with a book - I was discussing that very thing recently. I realised that during the first lockdown I felt so overwhelmed with guilt because I wasn’t spending the time, reading or writing, that it became a viscous circle, & I couldn’t even look at a book or my manuscript. It was a very odd feeling, but apparently quite common, especially those who had other family members at home and the responsibility for keeping them safe became all encompassing.
Mod
Today I want to introduce the work of one of our founder members, Terri Nixon, from Plymouth and, in particular (for this themed event) her The Dust of Ancients, which draw heavily on the folklore of the area in which they are based.
From Dust Of Ancients (Book 1 of the Trilogy)
"A curse uttered in the extremity of terror and death can reverberate for centuries. When the means to bring that curse to fruition are suddenly within reach, the innocents must look to their past to protect their future ... and their past wants no part of it. Richard Lucas has been plagued by vivid and disturbing dreams since the death of his wife eleven years ago, and, desperate to get his life back on track, he is persuaded by his best friend Dean to take a sabbatical. But when he arrives in Dean’s home village of Lynher Mill he discovers that, not only is Dean not who he seems, but that he himself is bound more tightly to the Cornish moorlands than he could have imagined. And far more deeply than he would ever want to be. As the events that began to shape his life over three thousand years ago continue their steady, unstoppable march towards a terrifying conclusion, Richard discovers the truth about his connection to the moor, and eventually has to do battle with his own history just to survive. Those who love him struggle with conflicting loyalties and come to realise that, if the land itself is to endure, they must make some devastating decisions"
Exploring Lynher Mill:
I asked Terri to tell us about her books:
"I’m delighted to have the chance to introduce myself and my work, particularly the books of my heart: the Lynher Mill Chronicles. I chose to self-publish these partly because my then-agent was of the opinion that the subject matter was too niche to appeal to a mainstream publisher, but also because I couldn’t imagine letting anyone else dictate, or even suggest, “improvements.” Unlike with my traditionally-published books, I’m unashamedly stubborn about this when it comes to this particular series!
The books are set on Bodmin Moor, in the village of Minions, which I’ve re-named Lynher Mill, after the River Lynher, to allow myself the luxury of playing with the landscape. I can remember spending whole days in the ‘70s roaming the moors, alone and with friends, and staring down into open abandoned mines... there had to be something staring back at me, didn’t there?
I decided to explore the possibilities as they existed in my mind, and although I did a little bit of research into the folklore of the area, I made the conscious decision not to do too much; my imagination was giving me the characters almost fully-formed, and I brought them into deliberate, though shady and often dangerous, contact with the humans who live in the village just to see what would happen.
What happened was initially three books, then a prequel... and a realisation that I’m nowhere near finished yet!
At the time of writing, the series comprises:
The Dust of Ancients
The Lightning and the Blade
The Battle of Lynher Mill
And
(civil war-era prequel) The Unquiet Dawn.
Bio:
Terri was born in Plymouth, Devon, but during her childhood her family moved to the moorland village of North Hill in Cornwall. There, at the age of 9, Terri discovered a love of writing that has stayed with her ever since.
She is a hybrid author, writing historical novels for Little Brown, and self-publishing Cornish mythic fantasy. She is also due to publish a series of Thrillers for Hobeck, under the name R.D. Nixon, with the first – Crossfire – coming out in the summer of 2021.
Terri has also written horror under the name T Nixon, and has contributed to various anthologies. She returned to Plymouth in 1993, and now works in the Faculty of Arts, Humanities, and Business at Plymouth University... where she is constantly baffled by the number of students who don't possess pens.
If you haven't discovered Terri's work yet, you are in for a treat
Such a wealth of experience. A most informative read. Thank you
Last thought of the evening: love how this genre can challenge the status quo, as in Naomi Alderman's 'The Power', and Malorie Blackman's 'Noughts and Crosses''. Subverting power dynamics, fostering empathy, might just provide a catalyst for change? #devonbookhour #fantasyfortnight
This has been a wonderful read this morning, and a real honour to have my work featured here! Thank you so much, and now I have a lot more books to go and investigate!
Thanks to everyone for their participation in #fantasyfortnight. More great recommendations and interesting chat transpired from yesterday evening's #devonbookhour. I've really enjoyed the ongoing discussions and thought provoking contributions. As well as being introduced to work from local authors. My reading list has grown and I look forward to hearing from more featured writers over the coming days. For now, I thought I would share a list of books recommended by our group on Twitter's #devonbookhour - or at least the titles I managed to get down. It's a wonderfully eclectic mix, perhaps representative of this diverse genre. Feel free to add your own. Brandon Sanderson; Skyward – Cytonic series
Carlos Ruiz Zafon; Shadow of the Wind (set in 1930s Barcelona, has fantastical elements)
Charles Stross; Trader War Books
Clive Barker; Weaveworld
C.L. Polk; Witchmark (&sequels)
Corry L. Lee; Weave the Lightning
Douglas Adams; Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
Edith Pattou; North Child
Frank Herbert; The Dune Saga
George Martin; Game of Thrones
Iain Banks; The Crow Road, Espedaire Street, Consider Phlebas
Jen Williams trilogy; The Copper Promise
Jostein Gaarder; Solitaire Mystery, Sophie’s World
Juliet E McKenna; The Green Man series
Katharine Addison; The Goblin Emperor
K.V. Johansen; Gods of the Caravan Road
Laurie J Marks; Fire Logic
Liz Williams; Comet Weather
Malorie Blackman; Noughts and Crosses
Margaret Atwood; The Handmaid’s Tale
Melinda Salisbury; State of Sorrow
Melissa Bashardoust; Girls Made of Snow & Glass
Naomi Alderman; The Power
Naomi Novik; Spinning Silver, Temeraire
Neil Gaiman; The Ocean at the End of the Lane
Nicholas Pekearo; The Wolfman
N.K. Jemison; The City We Became
Nnedi Okorafor; Who Fears Death, The Book of Phoenix
Octavia Butler; Kindred, Fledgling
Patricia A. McKillip; The Forgotten Beasts of Eld
Raymond Feist; The Magician
Rob Cowen; Common Ground
Robert Silverberg; The Face of Waters
Samantha Shannon; The Priory of the Orange Tree, The Bone Season
Silvia Moreno-Garcia; Mexican Gothic
Stephen King; The Green Mile
Susan Cooper; The Dark is Rising
Susanna Kearsley; The Rose Garden, Mariana and the Winter Sea
Tasha Suri; Realm of Ash
Ursula Le Guin; Tales of Earthsea, The Lathe of Heaven
V.E. Schwab; The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
Victoria Osborne Broad; Jewels of the Rainbow Trilogy
Amazing list, from different eras too. Patricia McKillip's Riddlemaster trilogy was one series which started my passion for this genre. And thank you very much for the mention of my trilogy; they're on Goodreads, on my website www.victoriaosborne-broadco,uk [there's a hyphen between osborne and broad]. And in Cornwall libraries. Do you think Devon libraries might like them too??
Mod
Thanks Susie - I'll cross-reference with my list
Mod
Great to showcase writers from our community Victoria
Mod
These were the intriguing opening words in a conversation I've had with Geoff Duck about his book, who is offering a giveaway to our community of his book Coat With Long Sleeves (see below for details of how to enter)
How could I not ask for more? This is what Geoff told me:
"This backdrop is the inspiration for my debut novel ‘Coat with Long Sleeves’. After three winters of writing, I published just as lockdown rocked up in March. Not the cleverest of timing. The landlord of my local has been selling it with his contactless takeaways.
My protagonist is a failed Tech entrepreneur who retreats to his family’s holiday home when things go pear-shaped, who endures breakdown and solitude until he chances upon an ancient relic from a forgotten age of witchcraft and superstition that he realises has lain untouched for five hundred years. The novel explores his attempts to unravel the meaning of what he has found and reconcile it with the modern world."
"It has imagined lives of other dimensions and near-death adventures, but it is soundly rooted in good old pagan folklore – of the North Devon variety. It’s an unusual book for readers who wish to tickle the soft underbelly of contemporary rural life and disturb what lies beneath. It’s not Agas and bellringing."
I can't wait to read this book and I know that those who have absolutely loved it - it sounds fantastic and blends beautifully with our "Worlds Beyond Borders" theme and, in particular local myth and folklore.
About the author:
"My name is Geoff Duck. I returned to my roots in North Devon with my wife seven years ago and we live on a sheep farm overlooking Exmoor. I love it here. I love the isolation and the wildness. This place is steeped in myth and tradition. There are green men in the church and mystic groves hidden down deep lanes, prehistoric settlements and ancient farmhouses lived in by families who have farmed for generations and are hefted to the steep river valleys and impenetrable woodlands.
To enter the giveaway simply respond to the event invitation saying that you'd like to be entered, by NOON ON SUNDAY 31ST JANUARY. If you could also share with your friends that would be fabulous. (UK Only I am afraid)
Great list! For those enjoying Bridgerton and willing to try something historically romantic mingled with magic and a flavour of the East, may I also suggest (prize-winning) Sorceror to the Crown and The True Queen by Zen Cho?
Mod
About the author:
Madeline lives on a farm in Devon, where she hangs out with her Shetland ponies and writes dark and twisty young adult books. She is pursuing her MA in Creative Writing from Kingston University, having obtained a BA honors degree in English from the University of Exeter. Madeline has a strong love for anything dystopian or ghostly, and she can frequently be found exploring wild places. At least one notebook is known to follow her wherever she goes.
Her books include the Untamed series, the Dangerous Ones series, and Captive: A Poetry Collection on OCD, Psychosis, and Brain Inflammation.
She is represented by Erin Clyburn at the Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency.
About her debut dystopian novel, Untamed:
**2017 SIBA Award Winner for Best Dystopian Novel**
In a world where addiction is encouraged, one girl must fight to stay clean...
As one of the last Untamed humans left in the world, Seven's life has always been controlled by tight rules. Stay away from the Enhanced. Don't question your leader. And, most importantly, never switch sides--because once you're Enhanced there's no going back. Even if you have become the perfect human being.
But after a disastrous raid on an Enhanced city, Seven soon finds herself in her enemy's power. Realizing it's only a matter of time before she too develops a taste for the chemical augmenters responsible for the erosion of humanity, Seven knows she must act quickly if she's to escape and save her family from the same fate.
Yet, as one of the most powerful Seers that the Untamed and Enhanced have ever known, Seven quickly discovers that she alone holds the key to the survival of only one race. But things aren't clear-cut anymore, and with Seven now questioning the very beliefs she was raised on, she knows she has an important choice to make. One that has two very different outcomes.
Seven must choose wisely whose side she joins, for the War of Humanity is underway, and Death never takes kindly to traitors.
"A fantastic dystopian tale. Highly recommended for fans of strong heroines and intriguing sci-fi worlds." Pintip Dunn, New York Times bestselling author of the Forget Tomorrow Series
We asked Madeline how Devon influences her writing. Thi sis what she told us:
Writing in Devon
"I moved to Devon when I was about ten or eleven years old--the same time when I really began to explore my love for storytelling. Sure, I'd written quite a bit before that--mainly stories about fairies--but it was seeing the breathtaking moors in Devon that really fuelled my writing. I began writing darker stories that looked at the power of the moors, and every walk I took up on the moors with my family had me secretly spinning all sorts of tales in my head.
To this day, Dartmoor is a huge inspiration to me. The rugged hills and granite tors are so atmospheric and many a time, when I've needed inspiration or have been battling a plot hole, a walk on the moors has freed my mind a little, enough to show me the answer of what I needed to do next in a manuscript. I now associate certain parts of the moors with certain stories and plots--the ones that I was forming when I first visited those places, and the relationship between creativity and place is so important for me.
While my first series was a dystopian saga that was initially set in a bleak desert land, I kept finding myself incorporating moorland settings into this world as my characters strove to get out of the desert and into different terrains that seemed 'friendlier'. Moorland seemed like the natural thing for me to write about, as it's a terrain that I identify so strongly with, and the wonderful thing about speculative fiction is that your setting can end up being an amalgamation of many different places. So, I have this high-action dystopian series that features so many different settings, as the main characters are constantly on the run, covering desert, jungle, mountains, moorland, and even tundra in their pursuit to find a 'safe' place to live in this dystopian world. But when you pay attention to how much danger is in each land, it soon becomes clear that the moorland is the safest by far. I actually didn't realise that was the case until after the series published--and I guess it just shows how influential our subconscious minds are, especially when writing about places we love.
I have since returned more fully to my beloved moorland setting in my latest works: my most recent YA thrillers are all set in Devon and Cornwall, and my gothic fairy tale, The Curse of the Winged Wight, has the roots of its fictional village in Chagford. I'm also the co-editor of an upcoming anthology, titled Unbound: Stories of Transformation, Love, and Monsters, and I've got a story in it too that's all about a mysterious power in the sky that turns Devon's inhabitants into stone. That story, called "Inside the Night", was a lot of fun to write, and the fictional Devon town where the action takes place in is based loosely on Okehampton, the town I went to secondary school in.
Mod
Marissa has penned more than forty novels of various genres. A British author, she lives in the Devonshire countryside with her three children and a menagerie of rescue pets. When she’s not writing—which isn’t often—she is spending time with her family, baking and binge-watching shows on Netflix. You can find out more about Marissa on her facebook page,
https://www.facebook.com/marissa.farr....
Or check out her books on Amazon - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Marissa-
Farrar/e/B004I6928I
I asked Marissa to tell us about herself and her work:
"I’m a Devon girl, through and through. I was born in Torquay, and though I went away for a few years in my twenties to go to university in London, I soon missed Devon, and moved back to Exeter. I now live in a little village just outside of the city,and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. I love that we can get to the beach within twenty minutes, or head inland to get to Dartmoor – where I’ve set a couple of books now. I couldn’t see myself living anywhere else.
I’ve loved fantasy since I first started reading and always knew I wanted to write one of my own. Like many people back in those good old days of 2018, I was a massive fan of Game of Thrones, and I loved that the dragons were real rather than dragon shifters, which was what I often came across in fantasy romance. Because I’m predominantly a romance writer (when I’m not writing crime fiction under the name M K Farrar), I wanted to combine my love of dark fantasy, bordering on horror, with a fantasy romance. And so, my trilogy, The Chronicles of the Four, was born.
The Chronicles of the Four tells the story of Dela, a young woman who discovers herself to be the chosen one, tasked with bringing the four warring factions of her world together. It is filled with lots of dark magic, warring leaders of different races, and, of course, dragons.
You can watch the video trailer here:
https://www.facebook.com/217588112305... or start with book one, Through a Dragon’s Eyes, which is available in ebook or paperback from Amazon and other book stores.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...
Mod
Today, I'd like to introduce Lizzie Fry Author and her intriguing and powerful book The Coven, which releases on 25th February. I asked Lizzie to tell us what it means to her to be a writer in Devon and about herself and her work
"Devon Writers
I love the West Country as a writer for two reasons. First up, the amazing scenery and history here, which inspire me so much. I love to write Devon into my books, so it made sense to start the action in my novel THE COVEN in Exeter. The city is officially the first *and* last place to hang a witch, the doomed Bideford Witches. You can see a monument to them at Heavitree. When I was a teacher I used to eat my lunch near there and vowed that one day I would write about the injustice such murdered women faced.
Secondly, I love how many creatives live here! Even though Tiverton is just a small town, there are novelists, screenwriters and new writers here from all walks of life. I have lived in much bigger conurbations with fewer. Devon-wide we have many more. Perhaps it is the rolling hillsides, sea air or slower pace of life? Whatever it is, this community really adds something and is the perfect place for me. "
Short Bio
Lizzie Fry is a script editor, author and blogger who helps writers. She lives in Devon and is the script editor and advisor on numerous UK features and shorts. THE COVEN is her first novel for Sphere Books, with a second out in 2022. Follow her as @LizzieFryAuthor on Twitter & Facebook and find out more on www.lizziefryauthor.com.
Book Blurb:
Imagine a world in which witchcraft is real. In which mothers hand down power to their daughters, power that is used harmlessly and peacefully.
Then imagine that the US President is a populist demagogue who decides that all witches must be imprisoned for their own safety, as well as the safety of those around them - creating a world in which to be female is one step away from being criminal...
As witches across the world are rounded up, one young woman discovers a power she did not know she had. It's a dangerous force and it puts her top of the list in a global witch hunt.
But she - and the women around her - won't give in easily. Not while all of women's power is under threat.
The Coven is a dazzling global thriller that pays homage to the power and potential of women everywhere.
Pre-order and signed copies available via Liznojan Books, Tiverton >> www.liznojanbooks.co.uk.
Mod
About Wicker Dogs:
After more than two centuries, Lady Melissa Dewer’s current body is wearing out.
Luring Patrick, the last of the Dewer bloodline, and his long-term girlfriend Polly to her remote Dartmoor town proves easy. Tricking them out of a child neither of them want to have will not.
On moving to their new home, Patrick finds a dismembered foot in a stone circle and soon discovers that, in Dourstone Nymet, there is always a mysterious disappearance during their ancient Winter festival.
Once Polly falls unexpectedly pregnant, Lady Melissa takes her under her wing and, amid rumours of Patrick’s infidelity, persuades her not to get rid of the baby.
It looks like Lady Melissa will get her wish and, unless Polly wakes up to the manipulations of this remote town and its odd traditions, it could be Patrick that disappears, along with her unborn child.
About the author:
D.A. Holwill lives in a cottage on the edge of Dartmoor with a wife, an adopted Alaskan Malamute and too many cats, in a town that you should never refer to as a village where they absolutely never practice human sacrifice.
https://daholwill.com/
Devon Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
Wicker Dogs (other topics)The Coven (other topics)
Chronicles of the Four: The Complete Series (other topics)
Untamed (other topics)
Coat With Long Sleeves (other topics)
More...
Beginning on 18/1 Susie Williamson will co-host a #FantasyFortnight. We are calling this "Worlds Beyond Borders: from folklore & fairytales to demons & dystopia"
That gives us plenty of scope.
Are you a writer of books in these genres who would like to be featured during the fortnight?
What books do you love to read from these genres? We want to hear from you during the themed event
Do you have any thoughts on what you'd like to see explored during the fortnight?
We will be live on Twitter on 18/1 for a specially extended evening of discussion - hope you'll join us there too
Can't wait to se where this topic takes us