Twitter’s Favourite Albums

David Bowie - Hunky Dory

David Bowie – Hunky Dory

After playing Hunky Dory once more for the umpteen millionth time, I was genuinly interested in what other people’s favourite album of all time was.

That one album you could play and have played forever, or would choose if given no other choice.

So of course I asked Twitter

I was pleasantly surprised by how popular a post it became, but very perturbed as the goal was to listen to every album that was suggested, more on this later.

What was also really nice is that everyone was really positive with no making fun of or belittling others choices and taste, which was very broad indeed and is going to make for some interesting listening for me.

Some of the albums suggested are very close to being that *one* album for me as well, The The – Soul Mining, Prefab Sprout – Steve McQueen, Joni Mitchell – Blue, which shows what great taste people have.

So I am going to listen to every album on the thread and post my thoughts on it across on my Ko-Fi crossposting to Twitter, this may take me a while as you will see from the list below.

These are the albums that were suggested by the lovely people of Twitter but only the ones where the poster played by the Highlander rules and mentioned only one! 13 others also thought Hunky Dory was the best album ever, and of course they are correct!

  1. 10cc – How Dare You
  2. 10,000 Maniacs – MTV Unplpugged
  3. ABC – Lexicon of Love
  4. a-ha – Scoundrel Days
  5. Air – Moon Safari
  6. The Alan Parsons Project – The Turn of a Friendly Card
  7. Alex Is On Fire – Watch Out
  8. Alternative TV – The Image Has Cracked
  9. Arctic Monkeys – Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not
  10. Aztec Camera – High Land, Hard Rain
  11. Courtney Barnett – Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit
  12. Bastille – All This Bad Blood
  13. Bauhaus – Press the Eject and Give Me the Tape
  14. The Beatles – Abbey Road
  15. The Beatles – Help!
  16. The Beatles – Love
  17. Beck – Mutations
  18. Ben Fold Five – Whatever & Ever, Amen
  19. Bjork – Biophilia
  20. Black Uhuru – Iron Storm
  21. The Blue Nile – Hats
  22. The Blue Nile – A Walk Across the Rooftops
  23. David Bowie – Low
  24. David Bowie – Young Americans
  25. Bring Me the Horizon – Sempiternal
  26. Jackson Browne – Late for the Sky
  27. Kate Bush – Arial
  28. Kate Bush – Hounds of Love
  29. Kate Bush – The Kick Inside
  30. Cafe Tacvba – Re
  31. Bill Callahan – Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle
  32. Carbon Based Lifeforms – World of Sleepers
  33. Captain Beefheart – Trout Mask Replica
  34. Carmel – The Drum is Everything
  35. Carolina Chocolate Drops – Genuine Negro Jig
  36. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – No More Shall We Part
  37. Tracy Chapman – Tracy Chapman
  38. Eric Clapton – Unplugged
  39. Guy Clark – Old Net
  40. Joe Cocker – Mad Dogs & Englishmen
  41. Coil – Horse Rotorvator
  42. Coil – Music to Play in the Dark 2
  43. Alison Cotton – All is Quiet at the Ancient Theatre
  44. Cowboy Junkies – The Trinity Session
  45. Randy Crawford – Secret Combination
  46. Credence Clearwater Revival – Chronicle
  47. The Cure – Disintegration
  48. The Damned – Machine Gun Etiquette
  49. Miles Davis – Birches Brew
  50. Miles Davis – Kind of Blue
  51. Dead Can Dance – Within the Realm of a Dying Sun
  52. Sandy Denny – The North Star Grassman and the Flowers
  53. Deus – The Ideal Crash
  54. Dire Straits – Brothers in Arms
  55. Dire Straits – Making Movies
  56. Dizraeli and the Small Gods – Engurland
  57. The Doors – LA Woman
  58. Rob Dougan – Furious Angels
  59. The Dukes of Stratosphear – Chips From the Chocolate Fireball
  60. Ian Dury – New Boots and Panties
  61. Bob Dylan – Blood on the Tracks
  62. Echo and the Bunnymen – Ocean Rain
  63. ELO – Out of the Blue
  64. ELO – Time
  65. Brian Eno – Another Green World
  66. Brian Eno – Apollo Atmospheres & Soundtracks
  67. Evanescence – Fallen
  68. Everything Everything – Man Alive
  69. Faithless – Sunday 8pm
  70. Fleetwood Mac – Rumours
  71. Vilde Frange – britten korngolo
  72. Frightened Rabbit – Painting of a Panic Attack
  73. Frightened Rabbit – The Midnight Organ Fight
  74. Peter Gabriel – New Blood
  75. Peter Gabriel – So
  76. Abel Ganz – The Life of the Honey Bee and Other Moments of Clarity
  77. Genesis – Foxtrot
  78. Goo Goo Dolls – Dizzy Up The Girl
  79. Matthew Good – Vancouver
  80. Gyasi – Pronounced Jah-See
  81. Hall & Oates – Abandoned Luncheonette
  82. Steve Harley and the Cockney Rebel – The Psycomodo
  83. Roy Harper – Stormcock
  84. Richard Hawley – Coles Corner
  85. HIM – Vebus Doom
  86. Hole – Live Through This
  87. Holst: The Planets – Stokowski
  88. Keith Jarrett – The Koln Concert
  89. I Am Kloot – Natural History
  90. I, Bificus – Bif Naked
  91. Enrique Iglesias – Escape
  92. Ijahman – Haile I Hymn
  93. Jackson C. Frank – Jackson C. Frank
  94. James – Millionaires
  95. Jason Isbell – Something More Than Free
  96. The Jesus and Mary Chain – Psychocandy
  97. Jethro Tull – Thick as a Brick 1+2
  98. Elton John – Tumbleweed Connection
  99. Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings – I Learned the Hard Way
  100. Nik Kershaw – 15 Minutes
  101. Killing Joke – Malicious Damage (live)
  102. Carole King – Tapestry
  103. King Crimson – In the Court of the Crimson King
  104. Lambchop – Nixona
  105. Led Zeppelin – Physical Graffiti
  106. Linkin Park – Meteora
  107. Lord Huron – Lonesome Dreams
  108. Low – I Could Live In Hope
  109. LP – Lost On You
  110. McGarrigle Sisters – Dancing With Bruised Knees
  111. Kirsty MacColl – Kite
  112. Madredeus – o espirito de paz
  113. Magnetic Fields – 69
  114. Magnolia Electric Co – Ohia
  115. Man – Maximum Darkness
  116. Manic Street Preachers – Everything Must Go
  117. Marillion – An Hour Before It’s Dark
  118. Michael Marra – On Stolen Stationery
  119. Hugh Masekela – The Best of Hugh Masekela
  120. Cerys Matthews – Cockahoop
  121. Anna Meredith – Fibs
  122. Joni Mitchell – Blue
  123. Joni Mitchell – Hejira
  124. Joni Mitchell – The Hissing of Summer Lawns
  125. Mohair – Small Talk
  126. MoJu – Native Tongue
  127. Moody Blues – In Search of a Lost Chord
  128. Alanis Morisette – Jagged Little Pill
  129. Mozart 4 Horn Concerto – Alan Civil
  130. Alexi Murdoch – Towards the Sun
  131. My Chemical Romance – The Black Parade
  132. Marissa Nadler – Avalanche
  133. New Order – Technique
  134. O’Hooley & Tidow – Shadows
  135. Pale Saints – The Comfort of Madness
  136. Graham Parker – Heat Treatment
  137. Graham Parker and The Rumour – Parkerilla
  138. Dolly Parton – Run Rose Run
  139. Art Pepper – Winter Moon
  140. Lee Scratch Perry – Arkology
  141. Peter and the Wolf – Nicolai Malko
  142. Pink Floyd – Dark Side of the Moon
  143. Placebo – Meds
  144. Prefab Sprout – Steve McQueen
  145. The Pretenders – Pretenders
  146. Prince – Purple Rain
  147. Pulp Different Class
  148. PXNDX – Para Ti Con Desprecio
  149. Queen – Queen II
  150. Radiohead – In Rainbows
  151. Radiohead – OK Computer
  152. Rammstein – Mutter
  153. Ravel, Daphnis et Chloe – Monteaux London Symphony Orchestra
  154. Chris Rea – On the Beach
  155. Red House Painters – Red House Painters I
  156. Lou Reed – Transformer
  157. REM – Automatic for the People
  158. Lana Del Rey – Norman Fucking Rockwell
  159. Ride – Going Blank Again
  160. The Rolling Stones – Exile on Main St
  161. Rush – 2112
  162. Rush – Grace Under Fire
  163. Rush – In Your Voice
  164. Sad Cafe – Facades
  165. Saw Doctors – If This Is Rock’N’Roll I Want My Old Job Back
  166. Scheherazade – Berliner Philharmoniker
  167. Schubert, Winterrise – Fischer-Diesku
  168. Gill Scott-Heron – Pieces of a Man
  169. Shriekback – Oil & Gold
  170. Simple Minds – New Gold Dream
  171. Paul Simon – Gracelands
  172. Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazelwood – Nancy & Lee
  173. Skepta – Konnichiwa
  174. The Slits – Cut
  175. Smashing Pumpkins – Siamese Dream
  176. The Smiths – Meat is Murder
  177. Soundtrack of the 1997 Dr Jeckyll & Mr Hyde Musical
  178. Soundtrack of the Animated Transformers the Movie 1986
  179. Soundtrack to Quadrophenia
  180. Elliott Smith – Either/Or
  181. Sparks – Angels in my Pants
  182. Dusty Springfield – Dusty in Memphis
  183. Bruce Springstein – Born to Run
  184. Steely Dan – Can’t Buy a Thrill
  185. Yusuf / Cat Stevens – Tea for the Tillerman
  186. The Stone Roses- The Stone Roses
  187. The Stooges – Funhouse
  188. Talk Talk – Spirit of Eden
  189. Talking Heads – Remain in Light
  190. James Taylor – October Road
  191. Television – Marquee Moon
  192. Tenor Giants Ben Webster Coleman Hawkins
  193. The The – Soul Mining
  194. Ali Farka Touré with Ry Cooder – Talking Timbuktu
  195. Traffic – Traffic
  196. Trashcan Sinatras – I’ve Seen Everything
  197. Turin Brakes – The Optimist
  198. TV on the Radio – Seeds
  199. Unbelievable Truth – Almost Here
  200. Gaetano Veloso – La Fina Estampa
  201. Rondo Veneziano – Venice in Peril
  202. Vivaldi: The 4 Seasons – Christopher Hogwood
  203. Von Hertzen Brothers – War is Over
  204. Tom Waits – Closing Time
  205. Tom Waits & Crystal Gayle – One From the Heart
  206. Tom Waits – Raindogs
  207. Scott Walker – Scott 4
  208. The White Stripes – White Blood Cells
  209. The Who – Live at Leeds
  210. World Party Goodbye Jumbo
  211. XTC – Oranges & Lemons
  212. Townes van Zandt – Absolutely Nothing Next 22 Miles

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The Tarot of Leonora Carrington

Susan Aberth, Tere Arcq. RM Verlag SL . (168p) ISBN 9788417975999

The Tarot of Leonora Carrington

The Tarot of Leonora Carrington

I was forwarded the Guardian article about this by a friend and immediately went down a rabbit hole, trying to find out everything I could about Leonora Carrington who I had never heard of previously.

After all that digging around I just had to get the book as soon as it came out and brilliantly enough the release coincided closely enough with Christmas for it to be one of my presents!

From the cover to the end this book is so opulent, glistening in gold, shining in silver, and all on excellent quality paper making it an object of desire within itself.

Once you start reading and finding all about the occult life of Leonora Carrington though you are transported to another time, a brilliant introduction, touching opening essay from her son, then onto the meat of the book, her work.

This initially explores her work and the influences from the occult learnings of various groups in the 19th and 20th century, including The Golden Dawn, mesoamerican myths and culture, Celtic gods and goddesses, feminism, Jungian theory, and explored this amalgam through examples of Leonora’s works.

It also talks about her relationship with other artists who used the subconscious and the occult as part of their practice and shows her influence on them, placing her firmly within the canon of surrealism and at the same time making you wonder how she was so firmly hidden for so long.

We then move on to the cards of the Major Arcana themselves and look at each one in turn. Each cards symbolism is explored in relation to traditional forms and how this was adapted to be significant to Leonora’s idea of divination from the card.

Some diverged greatly, with different colours and icons used whilst others stayed mainly the same though with important changes to fit into the mythology of the cards that were being developed.

A stunning book from start to finish, an object to lust after, and a stepping off point for me to discover more about Leonora Carrington.


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Mathreyi Kamoor – Q&A

Maithreyi Karnoor

Maithreyi Karnoor

Maithreyi Karnoor is a poet, award-winning translator, and recipient of the Charles Wallace India Trust Fellow in creative writing and translation at Literature Across Frontiers, University of Wales Trinity Saint David. She has been shortlisted for The Lucien Stryk Asian Translation Prize for A Handful of Sesame, her translation of a Kannada novel. She is a two-time finalist for The Montreal International Poetry Prize. She lives in Bangalore, India.

Maithreyi can be found at:
Twitter: @MaitreyiKarnoor

Tell me what inspired you to write your (debut) novel?

I was a published translator when I wrote Sylvia. Translation is intensely creative work. Thanks to the ease and control I had gained over words in the process, writing my own novel seemed like the next step. All I had to do was create a story and allow it to tell itself. It didn’t happen as a moment of reckoning, however. It was gradual. It wasn’t before I was almost midway into it did I realise I was writing a novel.

What came first the characters or the world?

Wordplay, puns, and clever use of language are important for me in literature. I seek it as a reader and it is an intuitive part of my writing. The character of Bhaubaab as a homophone for baobab came to me first when I was living in Goa and listening to the Konkani language being spoken all around me. ‘Bhau’ is Konkani for brother and ‘baab’ is the respectful address for a gentleman. When put together, it sounds like the great African tree. That’s how a character by that name who had a deep connection with the tree was born. Goa’s history with Africa gave him a plausible backstory. And then, the world I have known grew around this character rather organically.

How hard was it to get your first (debut) book published?

Because I had some experience publishing translations, I didn’t have to go through the exact trials and tribulations of a debut writer when I sought to publish Sylvia for the first time. I had a fair idea of how to go about it. Kanishka Gupta (who has agented both the Booker wins of 2022) agreed to be my agent and he got me a deal within a few months of submitting the manuscript. But the first edition of my book came out at the height of the pandemic which was less than an ideal time – for life in general and book releases in particular. I’m thankful the book is getting a second chance with the new international edition. I was sponsored by the Charles Wallace fellowship and Literature Across Frontiers to speak at the London Book Fair last year. I met someone from Neem Tree Press there This edition came out of that meeting.

How long did it take to write?

It took me about 10 months to write. I wrote sporadically as I came out of a bad marriage, moved cities, found work and the will to go on. Writing was the only meaningful thing in my life at that time.

Do you have a writing playlist? If so do you want to share it?

Gosh no! I need absolute silence to write. But I listen to Hindustani classical and semi-classical music at other times. I prefer vocals to instrumental music. I also listen to old Hindi film music.

How many publishers turned you down?

I don’t know for certain really. My agent told me two houses turned it down before Westland signed it on in India. But he may have been muffling the blow. Anyway, I was so excited to get a deal even as I was bracing myself for a hellishly long wait, that I didn’t register the rejections. I had pitched it to an independent publisher in the UK earlier (to an email address that the brother-in-law of a colleague who knew somebody had got for me) who sent me a kindly worded rejection. I had left it at that when Neem Tree Press happened.

What kind of reactions have you had to your book?

Sylvia

Sylvia

The title of the Indian edition is ‘Sylvia, Distant Avuncular Ends.’ My uncle asked me if I wrote the book to express my displeasure with him over something. I told him I hated the colour of the dress he bought me for my 5th birthday.

On a serious note, I have received largely positive reactions. I was told my experiment with the form was bold. People have written to tell me they found many instances in the novel very relatable. It is not just the story of the characters, it is also a story of the India I know and it is gratifying that many agree with how I see it. One reviewer, however, suggested I didn’t know what I was doing.

What’s the favourite reaction you’ve had to your book?

I love it when people send me photos of my book in bookshops in far-flung cities. It’s a great feeling to know I have travelled far and wide vicariously through my words.

What can you tell us about your next book?

I recently completed a collection of short fiction – a work of social satire – called Gooday Nagar. The stories are set in different towns in India all of which are called Gooday Nagar. The themes and material for each one is as different as it can be from the others: while one is a comedy ghost story about a hoover salesman in preliberation smalltown India, another one set in the pandemic is about a girl with vitiligo who sees the patches on her skin as maps of the world and aspires to travel to all these places, and another one about a playwright who writes hecklers into his political play to pre-empt real hecklers with darkly humourous consequences, another one is about a man who is cured of his erotic fantasies by gobi manchurian, and another one is a post-dystopian fantasy where everything is made of cake!

Do you take notice of online reviews?

Yes. I’m also practicing the spell that causes bad reviewers to be reborn as toads.

Would you ever consider writing outside your current genre?

I think strict compartmentalisation of literature into genres is little more than an academic endeavour meant to keep students busy. I feel it shouldn’t be a writer’s concern. The act of writing should be free from prejudices or constraints (unless you are an OuLiPo writer; then, you need constraints). Some of my favourite writers use elements of science fiction, fantasy, magic, humour, crime and whatnot in their prose and still their writing is sheer poetry. And then, some boringly ‘literary’ writers never get over quiet navel-gazing in their works. Sylvia was my first book where – although I experimented with the form – I might have played it safe with the realism in it. But in Gooday Nagar, you can see some strain on the leash.

What did you do before (or still do) you became a writer?

I wrote subtitles for films, I wrote ad-copy, I taught in a school, I edited translations of textbooks, I stretched my savings, I cat-sat expecting to be paid but was made to pay rent to the cat owner instead, I proved myself to be a rubbish farmer by writing more poems about crops than tending to them. I now teach writing to design students in a college in Bangalore.

Which author(s) inspire you?

Salman Rushdie, Kurt Vonnegut, P G Wodehouse, Bruce Chatwin, Mark Twain, Arundhati Roy, Amitav Ghosh, Italo Calvino, Rhys Hughes, Gabriel García Márquez, Goscinny and Uderzo, Bill Watterson, Bendre and Shrinivas Vaidya (in Kannada), Geetanjali Shree… the list is eclectic, meandering, and endless.

Which genres do you read yourself?

I read everything that is beautifully written without paying heed to the genre. I think speculative fiction ought to be declassified as such because – if you have been paying attention to the absurdist upheavals in the world in recent years – speculation is the new reality. I like my dystopian fiction presented with dry wit rather than morbid melancholy. If we are all going to die as consumer zombies in surveillance states let’s be clever and funny while we can.

I don’t read much non-fiction to be honest. At the end of the day, I need a good story.

What is your biggest motivator?

The promise of a daydream. The need for silence in chaos.

What will always distract you?

Bills.

How much (if any) say do you have in your book covers?

I am not much of a visual thinker. So, I wouldn’t be able to think of a visual metaphor for my book if asked to do so at the beginning. What works best for me is the option to choose from a selection of designs. I have been very lucky in that sense with my publisher. I’m absolutely chuffed with the cover of Sylvia. I love the bright, refreshing image that speaks as much as it intrigues. I chose the colours of the motif over the white background.

Were you a big reader as a child?

Absolutely. I grew up in northern Karnataka in a town that was so small even gossip wouldn’t get distorted doing the rounds. I lived on a farm with my parents and grandparents and no one my age to play with. My grandfather was a retired English teacher and he read all the time. I was fascinated by how he sat quietly for hours with little more than his eyes moving over a book. I began reading in order to imitate him.

What were your favourite childhood books?

Growing up in a smalltown with no bookshops and one library with little or no children’s literature, I just read what I found. I used my grandfather’s library card to borrow works of Agatha Christie, PG Wodehouse, and the classics. I liked Dickens, Mark Twain, George Eliot, Thackeray and R L Stevenson over Jane Austen and the Bronte Sisters (whom I learned to appreciate as a more aware woman in later life). I read Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children when I was 11. It was more out of a need to look as important as my grandfather rather than an emotional or sensible maturity for the book. I have been meaning to reread it as an adult but it is yet to happen. I did read the occasional Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, and Enid Blyton – hand-me-downs from distant urban cousins. I read Asterix and Tintin that were serialised in a popular weekly magazine. I read Amar Chitra Katha and had a subscription for Tinkle.

Do you have a favourite bookshop? If so, which?

I love Literati, the bookshop run out of a charming little bungalow in Calangute, Goa. Blossom is my favourite bookshop in Bangalore. The size and range of their catalogue for both used and new books is seriously impressive. I have absolutely fallen in love with Richard Booth’s bookshop in Hay-on-Wye which I was lucky to visit last year during my Charles Wallace days in Wales. A kingdom of books with a bookshop owner for king is as ideal as it gets.

What books can you not resist buying?

Poverty has made me a good resistor.

Do you have any rituals when writing?

I tidy-up before writing (because I need a clean, clutter-free space and not because I need to procrastinate). It is not always possible to shut out noise in most places in India. But I do my best to minimize it. When I had pets, I fed the cat and walked the dog before sitting down so they didn’t need my attention while I wrote. I talk to my mum on the phone before switching it off.

How many books are in your own physical TBR pile?

A couple of dozen. I dream of a time when I can sit down and read them all cover to cover without questions of livelihood making a demand on my time.

What is your current or latest read?

I just finished Kurt Vonnegut’s Hocus Pocus. I’m now reading Tomb of Sand by Geetanjali Shree in Daisy Rockwell’s translation.

Any books that you’re looking forward to in the next 12 months?

I have a copy of Tin Drum sitting on my shelf for goodness knows how long. And a copy of Borges’ collected fictions. I also want to read Quichotte by Salman Rushdie. My partner has recommended Calvino’s Our Ancestors, William Goldman’s Princess Bride and Mia Couto’s A River Called Time. I have been putting off the big volumes for smaller ones because of lack of time. I hope I will find the peace to sit down and read at some point this year.

Any plans or projects in the near future you can tell us about?

My teaching job takes up most of my time these days. I have a very hazy idea for a novel but it will take a while before it becomes anything tangible. Right now, I’m just chronicling my silly conversations with my partner as photo-comics. It might become a thing if I find an artist who would render them into publishable designs.

Any events in the near future?

I recently spoke at the Bangalore and Goa literature festivals. Before that, I had a session with the British Council. There have been a few smaller events here and there on translation and such like. There is nothing lined up for now – yet. And I’m quite enjoying the respite.

And finally, what inspired you to write the genre you do?

The love of a good story and the need to tell it well.

Lily Grim and the City of Undone

Andy Ruffell. Hodder. (300p) ISBN: 9781444969603

Lily Grim and the City of Undone

Lily Grim and the City of Undone

I knew as soon as Andy contacted the shop about signing this book that I wanted to read it.

Dropped a few subtle hints on Twitter and I settled down to read.

Another great book to come out of the Northern Writers’ Award and the work being done throughout the year to encourage new writing is brilliant.

Andy’s book sees us following the adventures of Lily Grim in a world of flooding, oppression, othering, them and us, scapegoating, and violence.

Lily finds out quite quickly that her life is much more than she always thought it was, secrets are slowly revealed as Lily comes to her full potential in the search for answers and Gabriel.

Fast-paced and full of intrigue, there are lots of hints dropped as to where this series may go but as an adult reading it I can see the world it is coming from and it is a great statement on a lot of current world problems.

Some great set pieces, Dekka is a great and true friend throughout who is a very Dickensian figure at heart, feels like a lot of the artful Dodger in that young man.

A great adventure with great potential for the series, looking forward to finding out where (and when) I think this world is set.

If you want a pacy, twisty, nail-biting adventure this is a great one for all.


If you want to help and support this blog and my other projects (Indie Publishers and Indie Bookshops) you could become a Patreon which would help pay for my hosting, domain names, streaming services, and the occasional bag of popcorn to eat while watching films.

If you can’t support with a monthly subscription a tip at my Ko-Fi is always appreciated, as is buying things from my Ko-Fi Shop.

You can always email me on contact@bigbeardedbookseller.com with any suggestions.

David Wragg – Q&A

David Wragg

David Wragg is the author of the Articles of Faith series (The Black Hawks and The Righteous) and the upcoming Tales of the Plains trilogy (starting with the Hunters). He is too tall and has tendons like banjo strings. He lives with his family in Hertfordshire, in a house steadily being overrun by animals.

David can be found at:
Website: www.davewragg.com
Twitter: @itsdavewragg
Mastodon: https://mastodon.me.uk/@itsdavewragg
Mailing List: http://eepurl.com/gBvwHH

Tell me what inspired you to write your (debut) novel?

My debut, The Black Hawks (2019), was something of a love letter to the fantasy I read as a teenager (which might sniffily these days be referred to as ‘landfill fantasy’); as well as the big names (from Tolkein onwards), I read just about anything that featured wizards, elves or dragons (or dwarves!). Some of it, on reflection, was not great, but it did leave me with the firm impression that I could have a go myself.

Of course, being a bit of a tittering contrarian, when it came to writing my own I wanted to subvert as many of the Great Fantasy Conventions as I could manage in 120,000 words.

What came first, the characters or the world?

A bit of both. The characters are absolutely paramount to the book, and the setting has sort of filled itself in around them. I wanted the classic archetypes of fantasy quest narratives, but mixed up and rearranged, and the setting had to go with that – familiar, yet unfamiliar. To get away from the classic Western European (cod-Tolkein) Fantasy feel, I decided on a southern hemisphere analogue of 13th century Transcaucasia as the setting for the books. And despite it being 100% fantasy, there’s no magic or mythical creatures in the books – just to be difficult.

How hard was it to get your first (debut) book published?

I was lucky – I wrote the first draft of The Black Hawks in 2015, then a draft of the sequel in 2016, then as I was polishing up the first book again in 2017, I won a lot in a charity auction in aid of the victims of the Grenfell fire. The spectacular writer and poet Francesca Haig reviewed my manuscript, gave me insightful feedback and recommended some possible agents. I submitted to those agents in early 2018, one of them – Harry Illingworth – read the submission within a week and requested a full ms, then offered representation a week later. The others never got a look in!

Publication was harder – after we submitted the book (with a few edits along the way), it went a long way with a few editors before eventually getting a thumbs down, and in the end only HarperVoyager offered, 2 months after I signed with Harry, in July 2018. The editorial schedule came and went over the next year, but the book made it into print in October 2019.

How long did it take to write?

The original Black Hawks took about a year and a half to plan and draft. Then another year to revise and submit. Then about 3 months of editing, spread over a year. The sequel, despite being considerably longer, only took me 9 months to plan and draft, and 2 months to revise. Unfortunately, its edits coincided with the pandemic, and it was getting on for 2 years between submission and eventual release in summer 2021.

I started writing the Hunters in 2019, while waiting for edits on The Righteous, and it took around 7 months to plan and draft. It was then parked for 2020 for other things, revived and revised, and then unrevised (long story) over the course of 2021, and submitted at the start of 2022. Edits were brief over the summer, and for once the book is completely on schedule for release in July!

The shameful reason for the specificity of my answer is that I keep a spreadsheet of what I have worked on and when…

Do you have a writing playlist? If so, do you want to share it?

I do, but it’s basically Seventh Son of a Seventh Son by Iron Maiden on repeat, occasionally broken up by a Silversun Pickups album for the sake of variety. For some reason, I know the music so well that it absolutely fades into the background while I’m writing, while also being energetic enough to keep me moving forward!

My year-end music wrap-up did not make for exciting reading.

How many publishers turned you down?

I can’t say for certain, but my guess would be four. “All but one” would be the accurate answer!

What kind of reactions have you had to your book?

The full gamut, from old colleagues messaging me to express their (astonished) delight to my mother telling me it had “too many fucks”. It’s been great, honestly, especially when a reader connects with what I was trying to do with the story and the characters.

What’s the favourite reaction you’ve had to your book?

Aside from my mother’s? It might have been Nate Crowley’s, who wrote a lovely review, but also expressed his enthusiasm in person when we met at an event. Not only is he a top fellow, he’s also an astute judge of genre fiction.

What can you tell us about your next book?

My new series, starting with The Hunters (2023), takes place in the same world as The Black Hawks and its sequel, but 13 years later and far to the north. When I set out to write The Hunters, it was driven by a combination of things – to scratch an itch of some dangling threads from the first series (did you ever wonder what happened to…) but also tell a different kind of story with a different kind of feel – something a bit more like a Western, with more clear-cut lines between good and evil, goodies and baddies. Fortunately, the world I created for the first series bordered a set of vast plains, mountains and desert, which made an excellent place to move the action for the new books.

The story follows a middle-aged horse farmer called Ree, who has something of a chequered past, and her 12-year-old niece Javani, who has designs on a profoundly chequered future. Some very nasty people come looking for them, and Ree is forced to confront some new foes and old lies if she’s going to keep them both alive.

Do you take notice of online reviews?

Only when they’re good. I keep an eye on the overall review count as a rough measure of whether people are a) reading and b) enjoying the books, but I try to get no more involved than that. That way lies madness.

Would you ever consider writing outside your current genre?

Try and stop me. I’ve got plans, such plans… watch this space!

What did you do before (or still do) you became a writer?

I work in software, and have done, in various forms, for the bulk of my adult life (and a bit before that). I was freelance for many years, but circumstances have forced me to become a full-time salaried employee in the last few years, which while not ideal does at least keep a roof over my head and my kids in shoes.

Seriously, you would not believe what they do to their shoes.

Which author(s) inspire you?

It’s glib to say “all of them”, but I’m genuinely so impressed by the astonishing talent of my contemporaries (and feel very lucky to be considered in the same bracket). If forced to choose (and look at my bookshelf), some names in no particular order would be: Terry Pratchett, Robin Hobb, Iain Banks, William Gibson, China Mieville, Katherine Addison, Anne Leckie, Margaret Attwood and Robert Jackson Bennet. But it’s also all the others…

Which genres do you read yourself?

Most of them, really. My heart is SFF, but I’ve got great gooey soft spots for crime, airport thrillers, spy novels, legal dramas and anything comic. I’m not big on horror or romance, but only because I already have too much to read.

What is your biggest motivator?

Reminding myself whenever I’m about to Not Do Writing that “this doesn’t get books written”. I have stories I want to tell, ideas I want to explore, and it’s a thrill to think my work really connects with people (some people, sometimes). I’m getting on a bit now, and it’s a challenge to get a book out a year, which means I have a limited amount of time to write a finite amount of books. I know that sounds morbid, but I’m squarely in mid-life crisis territory and it’s that kind of thinking that keeps me focused.

What will always distract you?

The BLOODY cat WALKING on the BLOODY KEYBOARD AGAIN like he just did. He just wants to be involved, bless him. Also feeling hungry.

How much (if any) say do you have in your book covers?

Not a huge amount, beyond preparing the character descriptions and reference material – now the publishers and I have an understanding on the style of the covers, I’ve got quite good at working out who’s going to feature, what they should look like, how they should be dressed or armed/equipped etc. It’s really, really exciting seeing it come to life.

Were you a big reader as a child?

Yup, shockingly so; although never a particularly fast reader, I made up for it with volume. My nephew has been the same – I witnessed him monster an 800 page Percy Jackson over the course of a family day out a few years ago, and my own kids are just reaching the Dangerous Reading age now. I have to hide the kindle at bedtime.

What were your favourite childhood books?

Depending on what age we mean, it’s probably going to be Pratchett (although I adored the Worst Witch which I read with my sister), the only question is which one…

Do you have a favourite bookshop? If so, which?

David’s, in Letchworth up the road from me, has been a recent favourite. They even stock my books, which demonstrates excellent taste.

What books can you not resist buying?

At the moment, anything new by William Gibson, or anything related to Gaiman’s Sandman. It’s difficult for me to leave a bookshop without buying something. It seems rude.

Do you have any rituals when writing?

Make a cup of peppermint tea, sit down, headphones on, arse about for 15 minutes, make another cup of peppermint tea, sit down again, arse around again, accidentally start writing something.

How many books are in your own physical TBR pile?

It’s really more of a TBR bookcase. My wife has had words.

What is your current or latest read?

I’ve just finished John Keegan’s The Face of Battle and am starting Indian Summer by Alex von Tunzelmann. I’ve got a load of reference books to get through too, then I’m going to reward myself with Gibson’s Agency and maybe a Peter F. Hamilton.

Any books that you’re looking forward to in the next 12 months?

The second Empire of the Vampire book is on my radar – I galloped through the first, despite its whopping girth (and despite thinking vampires weren’t really my thing). Beyond that, I probably ought to read some of the books I already own…

Any plans or projects in the near future you can tell us about?

The new series will be keeping me busy for another couple of years (book 2 is now with the editor, awaiting inspection, and I’m currently putting an outline of book 3 together), and after that I have plans for something a little different. Too early to say much, but you can always subscribe to my mailing list on my website!

Any events in the near future?

I’ll be at Fantasy in the Court in London in May, FantasyCon in Birmingham in September, possibly some kind of launch event in July, and maybe some other stuff besides. I really ought to sort my calendar out.

and finally, what inspired you to write the genre you do?

I think, on a fundamental level, that I just fucking love goblins. Dragons! I mean dragons.

The Laugh

Fay Evans, illus. Ayse Klinge. Flying Eye Books. (32p) ISBN 9781838740825

The Laugh

The Laugh

I received this a while back for a review, but found with everything that was going on it was just to much for me at that time.

The Laugh is a bright and lively book about loss and grief and about ways to remember someone you’ve lost.

It shows the process of loss extremely well, from the mother looking ill to using the word ‘died’ when the mother died. This is extremely important as children sometimes just don’t get the euphemisms that adults use around the subject of death.

The use of the sunflower as a motif throughout the book emphasises the warmth that the mother expressed along with the deadheading once the flower had died to symbolise the loss of the mother.

This deals with death in a very honest and straightforward way and explains that though there will be gaps there, there will be emptiness that the love and brightness that the other person inpired in you is still there waiting to blossom when the time is right.

A brilliant book and one I want on our shelves to recommend when required.


If you want to help and support this blog and my other projects (Indie Publishers and Indie Bookshops) you could become a Patreon which would help pay for my hosting, domain names, streaming services, and the occasional bag of popcorn to eat while watching films.

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Remington Blackstaff – Q&A

Remington Blackstaff

Remington Blackstaff

Remington Blackstaff was born in Nigeria and moved to the United Kingdom with his family at a young age. He was bitten by the martial arts bug in childhood and studied several disciplines into adulthood. Despite his obsession with fight choreography, he set aside any dreams of becoming a stuntman to study medicine at Royal Free and University College Medical School. Remington currently practices medicine in London, where he lives with his wife and son. He remains obsessed with martial arts, rugby and cinema. The Durbar’s Apprentice is his debut novel.

Remington can be found at:
Twitter: @RBlackstaff
Instagram: @remingtonblackstaff

Tell me what inspired you to write your (debut) novel?

A painting in my living room of Durbar horsemen that my son used to stare at while I held him as an infant. I held him in one arm while writing a completely different story, based on my mental health work, on my iPhone with my free hand. I thought “Wouldn’t it be cool if he could grow up and read a book from our heritage based on that picture?” The Durbar’s Apprentice is a love letter to my Nigerian heritage and to my son.

What came first the characters or the world?

The world. It had to be the world because the massive canvas that inspired the novel is striking but you can’t make out the faces of the horsemen. So I knew there would be warriors on horseback, conflict, royalty and I knew the locations before I knew the protagonists.

How hard was it to get your first (debut) book published?

The Durbar's Apprentice

The Durbar’s Apprentice

Bloody hard! I had 41 rejections from literary agents and RIZE, an imprint of Running Wild Press based in California, finally said yes to The Durbar’s Apprentice. I’d written two manuscripts before it without success so I’d developed a thicker skin by the third attempt. As you grind on and get less emotional with disappointment, the fatigue of sending your work out, with very little in the way of feedback (the copy and paste responses become very obvious) is the most frustrating part.

How long did it take to write?

About a year.

Do you have a writing playlist? If so do you want to share it?

I don’t. I can’t concentrate as well with music on in the background. I also can’t focus watching tv lying down either. If I do happen to listen to an original motion picture score like Tenet, The Mandalorian or anything by Hans Zimmer, once the music stops, I realise I haven’t written quite as well as I thought. I will say that listening to film scores does inspire thought processes/scenes and dialogue, it’s just a bit too distracting for putting thoughts on the page. I actually get my best inspiration while shaving.

How many publishers turned you down?

My luck was so bad with agents, I only tried one publisher. Back then, I didn’t know much about submitting an unsolicited manuscript to an independent publisher. Like a few things when you don’t come from a creative writing background or have never been to writing workshops, you learn things the hard way.

What kind of reactions have you had to your book?

Overwhelmingly positive. Most surprisingly from work colleagues who I’ll sheepishly mention the writing to in passing. When I next speak to them a couple of days later, they either bought the paperback version or are listening to it on audible. Apart from being lucky enough to receive such kind words, it does go some way to inspiring you to continue on that writer’s journey. Persistent rejections can be brutal and dim that enthusiasm to get your work out there. Kind feedback does vindicate that perseverance required for publication. It’s also a middle finger to those people that never actually read your submission properly or copied and pasted their feedback.

What’s the favourite reaction you’ve had to your book?

“I can so imagine this as a film!” “It reminds me of that Woman King film.” “I cried at the end.” These make me smile because it means (at least I hope it does) that readers are vividly visualising what they read. It means they’re absorbed and emotionally invested. If you’ve given someone even a modicum of escapism as a writer, you’ve done your job. Also, I wrote each chapter like an episode of bloody good tv, a Netflix episode for want of a better analogy, where the reader would be compelled to come back for more.

What can you tell us about your next book?

Book two of the Durbar trilogy. No spoilers. Watch this space.

Do you take notice of online reviews?

Not any more, it’s not worth it. When the book first came out, I read all the glowing feedback….until I got to that one 2-star review from some who actually gave faint praise and had no problem with the writing but listed all the things I hadn’t done, like write a history text book. The thing about reviews is that the work is done. It’s out there, fully exposed, naked, flapping in the wind and the barn door is wide open. The horse has bolted. What people may or may not realise is the hours, the late nights, the months of work you’ve put in when they chew up your baby and spit it out in a few lines. Don’t get me wrong, reviewers don’t owe you anything and they’re entitled to their opinions but if feedback isn’t in a professional capacity or from someone I trust that might help improve my craft going forward, it’s of little use to me.

Would you ever consider writing outside your current genre?

Absolutely, I have done. I wrote another novel while trying to get this one picked up. It’s still doing the rounds. Some writers recommend staying in your lane and I understand the logic but I don’t necessarily agree with it. Why confine yourself to your comfort zone?

What did you do before (or still do) you became a writer?

I’m a general practitioner and independent doctor in mental health. I’ve also been a prison GP and have worked as a doctor in professional, disability and amateur sport.

Which author(s) inspire you?

Any author who’s gritted their teeth and has persevered with getting published. I don’t think it’s fair to name one or two as I’ll invariably forget another five or six that I love.

Which genres do you read yourself?

Probably everything including non-fiction with the exception of romance.

What is your biggest motivator?

The desire to entertain, to grab someone by the scruff of the neck and drag them into my world, into my imagination, with periods of respite until we’re done. To put it more succinctly, to tell a bloody good story.

What will always distract you?

Social media. It’s a necessary evil of the modern writer. It’s a very useful necessary evil, dare I say it essential evil (a part of me just died writing that), especially when you’re just starting out. My problem with it is that it can take up so much time with little to show for it.

How much (if any) say do you have in your book covers?

I had quite a bit of say in The Durbar’s Apprentice but didn’t really need to as such a good job was done.

Were you a big reader as a child?

I was a voracious reader as a child. I was even a librarian at one point in my first year of secondary school from very hazy memory. We also had a mobile library near our house when I was in primary school so many a Saturday afternoon were spent perusing its contents. This was also pre-internet so there was even less distraction than there is now.

What were your favourite childhood books?

Any Doctor Who, The Hardy Boys, Stephen King, Tom Clancy.

Do you have a favourite bookshop? If so, which?

Not at the moment. There’s definitely been a slow killing off of local bookshops in my area, which is a crying shame. I do love visiting bookshops abroad or out of London though, especially the independent ones. They often have a kooky charm to them. The last one I went into was called ‘INDIE, not a bookshop’ in Cascais, Portugal.

What books can you not resist buying?

Anything by Ray Celestin or Jo Nesbo.

Do you have any rituals when writing?

No. I write on my iPhone, usually horizontal at home or sat upright when at work or on the move.

How many books are in your own physical TBR pile?

Four or five that I bought or that were gifted. Another ten that are lying around our bookshelf at home.

What is your current or latest read?

On Writing by Stephen King.

Any books that you’re looking forward to in the next 12 months?

The Year of the Locust by Terry Hayes. I Am Pilgrim was phenomenal.

Any plans or projects in the near future you can tell us about?

Get the second Durbar novel out then I can start work on part three of the trilogy.

Any events in the near future?

Thank you for asking, where are we going?

and finally, what inspired you to write the genre you do?

A desire to entertain but entertain with something rooted in my heritage, set in a time that isn’t talked about much in this part of the world but lends itself to action/adventure in a pure old-fashioned way. Historical fiction is perfect for this.


If you want to help and support this blog and my other projects (Indie Publishers and Indie Bookshops) you could become a Patreon which would help pay for my hosting, domain names, streaming services, and the occasional bag of popcorn to eat while watching films.

If you can’t support with a monthly subscription a tip at my Ko-Fi is always appreciated, as is buying things from my Ko-Fi Shop.

You can always email me on contact@bigbeardedbookseller.com with any suggestions.

Eileen Wharton – Q&A

Eileen F Wharton

Eileen F Wharton

Eileen Wharton is an Oscar winning actress, Olympic gymnast, and Influencer. She also tells lies for a living.

Her first novel was published in 2011 to worldwide critical acclaim. And she’s won awards for exaggeration. It did top the Amazon humour chart so she’s officially a best-selling author. She writes children’s books, comedy, women’s fiction and crime novels.
She currently has five ‘lively’ offspring ranging from thirty-four to fifteen years of age, and has no plans to procreate further, much to the relief of the local schools and police force.

She lives on a council estate in County Durham. She is hearing impaired, is allergic to cats and has a phobia of tinned tuna. She’s retired from arguing with people on the internet.

Eileen can be found at:
Twitter: @WhartonEileen
Instagram: @eileenscribblings
Facebook: @eileen.whartonwriter

Tell me what inspired you to write your (debut) novel?

I’d just left my husband and was living in poverty with four children. My phone had been cut off because I couldn’t afford to pay the bill and I wrote the first chapter as therapy. I entered it into a competition run by author Wendy Robertson and Bishop Auckland Library and was shocked when it was highly commended. The winning entries were added to an anthology which was read by a commissioning editor at Hodder who loved my story. It inspired me to write the rest of ‘Shit Happens.’

What came first the characters or the world?

I usually hear a voice (Yes, I know it makes me sound unhinged) and from the voice comes a character and then the world.

How hard was it to get your first (debut) book published?

Like trying to pull a basketball through a toilet roll tube. I could paper the Angel of the North with my rejection letters. It took me five years to finish it and by then the commissioning editor who loved it had moved on. I got lots of great feedback but no bites until it was seen by the wonderful Ed from Byker Books. They published it as an ebook initially and then as a paperback when the ebook sold well. I’ll be forever grateful to Andy Rivers (amazing writer btw) for my first big opportunity. I still owe him a pint!

How long did it take to write?

Oh I just answered that. Five years, but in my defence I was working, doing a degree and I had four kids.

Do you have a writing playlist? If so do you want to share it?

No, I can’t listen to music when I’m writing. I find it a distraction. I like absolute silence so I take my hearing aids out.

How many publishers turned you down?

I’ve lots count. So so many. They’ll be sorry one day! 😉 I’ll be more famous than JK and I’ll sweep past them at award ceremonies with my nose in the air, telling my entourage to tell them I’m too important and busy to speak to them but they could email me. Then I’d ghost them for eighteen months before sending a standard rejection which says:
Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to work with you but I’ll have to politely decline I’m afraid. Of course this is subjective and other rich and famous authors may feel differently. However, too bad suckers!

What kind of reactions have you had to your book?

Most of my books have had excellent reactions. The reviews are really good for the most part. Sales have been good. The latest has been a little disappointing. I’m not sure why it hasn’t taken off yet because I think it’s my best to date.

What’s the favourite reaction you’ve had to your book?

Someone gave me a one star review saying they were going to print it out and use it as toilet paper. HAHAHA! Another man gave Shit Happens one star and he gave a commode five stars. I thought that was hilarious.

What can you tell us about your next book?

It’s a contemporary comedy about a young woman who’s trying to navigate being a working mother while dating and dieting.

Do you take notice of online reviews?

Absolutely. The readers are the most important people. I welcome constructive criticism and I enjoy reading what others have to say about my books. One star reviews are never constructive but they’re often really funny.

Would you ever consider writing outside your current genre?

I’ve written in a few different genres: crime, women’s fiction, humour, children’s books, romance. So yes, I’m game for anything (Well anything legal)

What did you do before (or still do) you became a writer?

I used to be a teacher but I left in July. I love Mondays now.

Which author(s) inspire you?

Honestly too many to mention but I was first inspired by my big brother, Stephen, who’s a brilliant writer. He wrote stories when I was a kid that fired my imagination. In my early twenties I read Pat Barker’s ‘Union Street’ and ‘Blow Your House Down’ and it was the first time I’d seen people from council estates featured in contemporary literature. It made me think I could write stories about people like me, for people like me. I always knew that one day there would be a book on the shelf with my name on it.

Which genres do you read yourself?

I read most genres. I love anything from picture books to crime novels; literary fiction to contemporary romance. I like books which make me laugh, shock me, and make me cry.

What is your biggest motivator?

The desire for success. I’m not sure what that looks like because I keep moving the goal posts. The initial goal was to be published. I achieved that. Then I wanted to write full time. I’m doing that. Next I’d like an agent and a big publisher, Netflix deal, and Hollywood movie. BAFTA and OSCAR. You have to dream big.

What will always distract you?

My kids and my phone.

How much (if any) say do you have in your book covers?

None initially but I’ve since helped design some of them. Blanket of Blood was illustrated by the exceptionally talented Graham Stead, and Emmy Ellis designed the cover of my latest psychological thriller, ‘Hear Me Cry.’

Were you a big reader as a child?

Yes, I’ve always loved reading. My parents took us to the library every week when we were kids and I loved choosing new books and having them stamped. I was competitive at school when it came to moving through the reading schemes, and I used to bump into people and lampposts because I always had my head in a book.

What were your favourite childhood books?

So many! I loved Enid Blyton, The Twins at St Clare’s and Mallory Towers. The Mystery books series fuelled my love of crime literature early on. The Narnia books. I loved Judy Blume’s ‘Blubber’ and ‘Are you There God? It’s Me Margaret’, Judith Kerr’s ‘When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit.’ ‘The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole age 13 ¾’ by Sue Townsend and ‘This Is David Speaking’ by Stephanie Ward.

Do you have a favourite bookshop? If so, which?

I love all bookshops, particularly ones with a café where I can smell coffee and write. I can lose days of my life in there. It’s given me an idea for a children’s book series. Hang on while I go and write it down before I forget it. I love the smell of books, the feel of them, everything about them. My name is Eileen and I’m a book sniffer.

What books can you not resist buying?

Novels. I have more than I’ll ever be able to read yet I still can’t go in a book shop without buying one. I also have Kindle Clickitis. It’s a very painful condition.

Do you have any rituals when writing?

No, I’m not a ritualistic kind of person. I write best when I’m at my desk in my writing room with the phone turned off and the family tied up and gagged.

How many books are in your own physical TBR pile?

I’ve never counted but it’s a lot. I have many author friends and I try to read at least one of each of their books. My latest son always buys me books for birthdays and Christmas and he’s chosen very well so far. I’m still getting through my Christmas gifts.

What is your current or latest read?

I’m currently reading ‘Skin Deep’ by Liz Nugent. I’ve only discovered her recently and I’ve devoured all of her books. Before that it was Alice Feeny, and KA Richardson. I usually have about seven books on the go at once. I’ve just started Miriam Margolyes autobiography. I don’t read many biographies but I love her so I’m making an exception.

Any books that you’re looking forward to in the next 12 months?

The next one by Susie Lynes, Alice Feeny, Liz Nugent, C.J Tudor, and KA Richardson.

Any plans or projects in the near future you can tell us about?

No, it’s all top secret. If I tell you, I’ll have to kill you. But if you want to start a rumour I’m going to be working with Idris Elba that’s up to you.

Any events in the near future?

Dinner with Idris Elba.

and finally, what inspired you to write the genre you do?

I like being able to kill people who annoy me 😉


If you want to help and support this blog and my other projects (Indie Publishers and Indie Bookshops) you could become a Patreon which would help pay for my hosting, domain names, streaming services, and the occasional bag of popcorn to eat while watching films.

If you can’t support with a monthly subscription a tip at my Ko-Fi is always appreciated, as is buying things from my Ko-Fi Shop.

You can always email me on contact@bigbeardedbookseller.com with any suggestions.

Arch-Conspirator

Veronica Roth. Titan Books. (128p) ISBN 9781803363578

Arch-Conspirator

Arch-Conspirator

It had been a forever age since I’d read anything by Sophocles, 40 years maybe. So when I won the ARC from Titan Books for Arch-Conspirator I was intrigued as to how this would fit in with the slew of retelling of Greek myths that have been coming out lately, especially since it was set in a speculative fiction Earth where there are no other towns on a barren and destroyed planet.

I went back and re-read several versions of the source material before starting to read this to familiarise myself with the themes and story once more and was stunned by Roth’s take on the material.

The tragedy that was to unfold was there from the beginning and threaded throughout the story in a masterful way, from pulling in the shameful acts of Oedipus (though adapted for the setting) to the final choices made by Antigone.

Characters were fleshed out extremely well in such a short story, and knowing the source material quite well by this time you could feel the shadow of Sophocles originals within them all and what was intriguing was how was that shadow going to show itself in the finale.

The final conflict and sacrifices were masterfully played and as it finished it felt as though there was more to tell, as though the saga would continue from there as all good Greek tragedies do. Each a domino in ancient Greek history, one treachery begetting another.

Loved this and since I’ve never read any other Veronica Roth may have to look to her other works soon.


If you want to help and support this blog and my other projects (Indie Publishers and Indie Bookshops) you could become a Patreon which would help pay for my hosting, domain names, streaming services, and the occasional bag of popcorn to eat while watching films.

If you can’t support with a monthly subscription a tip at my Ko-Fi is always appreciated, as is buying things from my Ko-Fi Shop.

You can always email me on contact@bigbeardedbookseller.com with any suggestions.

We Are Here

Kate Rafiq. Dune Books. (36p) ISBN 9781838346133

We Are Here

We Are Here

Kate has kindly let me have a sneak read of “We Are Here” due to be published by Dune Books on the 19th of May 2023.

A mother plays games to make her child feel safe as they flee from their home to what the mother hopes is a safer place for them, each step of the journey shows a different ‘game’ but if you look closer there is danger for them both ever present on each leg. It shows the length a mother will go to to protect their child, both from what happened at home and what is happening on this arduous journey.

Beautifully and sympathetically illustrated throughout. Each illustration uses a palette to reflect the story being told in the frame, but none of the palettes used are garish, they are soft and even the cold blues have a warm feeling to them. I think this all shows. the love the mother has for their child, at least this is what it made me feel.

Another important text to help children explore what it is like to be the other and to have to flee, how this decision isn’t taken lightly and how families support each other in their travel, that though this could be seen as an adventure it is not, it is a decision to live.


If you want to help and support this blog and my other projects (Indie Publishers and Indie Bookshops) you could become a Patreon which would help pay for my hosting, domain names, streaming services, and the occasional bag of popcorn to eat while watching films.

If you can’t support with a monthly subscription a tip at my Ko-Fi is always appreciated, as is buying things from my Ko-Fi Shop.

You can always email me on contact@bigbeardedbookseller.com with any suggestions.