Cormac James and the search for the Franklin Expedition

THE SURFACING, a striking Arctic-set historical novel by Cormac James, is published this month by Sandstone Press, and the timing could not be better. THE SURFACING tells the story of the Impetus and her crew, setting out in 1850 towards the Northwest passage in search of the lost Franklin expedition. And, in 2014, the search continues, as a Canadian expedition has recently set sail to find the missing ships.

Cormac James was recently featured on the Today Programme talking about the Franklin expedition, the new search for the ships, and how it relates to his book. If you have access to BBC iPlayer, you can hear him at 08.50. Bookbrunch have also published a feature on THE SURFACING’s topicality.

The Irish Times gave a great review to THE SURFACING, writing: 'The cool precision of James’s writing draws you on as surely as if you’re there... Plenty of bitchy, scrappy dialogue adds a blackly comic note, but James’s overarching storyline is measured, stately, assured... great start to the new reading season.'

Rights to this powerful novel have already been sold in the US to Bellevue Literary Press, in Australia to Text publishing, and in Romania and Slovakia. You can see the three stunning English Language covers next to each other on our Pinterest board.

Joseph O’Connor’s THE THRILL OF IT ALL will be next week’s Book at Bedtime on BBC Radio 4

THE THRILL OF IT ALL is next weeks Book at Bedtime on BBC Radio 4. ‘The Ships’ will be hitting the airwaves at 22:45 on Monday 25th August. Book at Bedtime will then broadcast the rest of the novel at 22:45 every evening on Radio 4 for the following fortnight. For more information, see the BBC’s website here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04f9lmn 

THE THRILL OF IT ALL narrates the life-cycle of a band, The Ships, from a first friendship between two students at Luton College in the early 1980s, to their rise on the global stage and beyond. In essence, it’s the tale of four people trapped in the dysfunctional family of a band by the whirlpool of their addiction to music. 

In Radio 4’s production, Robbie Goulding the prime mover of the group will be played by Philip Glenister. Ramon Tikaram takes the role of Fran, the band’s brilliantly verbal, sexually protean lead singer. Sister and brother, Trez and Sean, round out the quartet as cellist and drummer and will be voiced by Natasha Little and Shaun Dingwall respectively. Finally, Robbie’s daughter Molly will be played by Jennifer Armour.

Joe’s novels have won prizes including the American Library Association Award, the Irish Poet Award for Fiction, and the Prix Millepages. In 2012 Joe won the Irish PEN Award for outstanding achievement in literature. 

THE THRILL OF IT ALL was nominated for the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse prize. It is out now in paperback from Harvill Secker. 

Lizzie Bates: ‘I was going to have to grow the balls to write my own show’

Originally published on 4 Aug 2014 by Edinburgh Festivals on Wow247.co.uk. Click here to see the original post.

Comedian Lizzie Bates on the nerves of a first Fringe performance solo…

Lizzie Bates

After seven Edinburgh Fringe festivals nestled safely within the bosom of my sketch group, The Boom Jennies, it was time to go it alone.

The prospect of bringing up a solo show was exciting and nauseating in equal measure. If the other two Boom Jennies hadn’t already committed to doing it, would I have? Who knows, but the thought of the pair of them panicking together on the train up, and then sharing a celebratory haggis after their first day of shows was too much for me. I was going to have to grow the balls to write my own show and that was that.

Adjusting to life as a solo performer has been a funny old business. In the absence of my comedy cohorts, I’ve found myself seeking artistic reassurance and emotional solace from the first person I lock eyes on after each show. Inevitably that’s my long-suffering techie and now involuntary life coach, Simeon.

He’s always trying to bring it back to the lighting and the sound, no matter how much I tell him this is about me. After one particularly tricky preview, when I was recovering from a throat infection, I genuinely found myself weeping in the face of the theatre manager: a middle-aged man I had not met until moments before the show. Need I say, this was an awkward evening for both of us.

Some habits are hard to shake. Before the Boom Jennies’ shows, we shared some pretty memorable adrenaline-fueled moments backstage: teasing each other, jumping up and down, attempting to control our flatulence. Now I find myself talking to myself (‘Come on Lizzie, knock their Scottish socks off!’) and failing to control my own flatulence. And this time round, there is no one else to blame those dressing room smells on.

Sometimes it seems baffling that it’s only me on stage. (What? It’s my line next again?!) But the wonderful thing is that it forces you to really engage with your audience. I have started creating conversations between them and me, mostly so I don’t have to listen to my own voice for an hour. (What? I’m doing this for a whole hour?)

Marketing decisions are all my own, the money has to come from my (rapidly diminishing) bank account and at times I have found myself drowning under a sea of admin which used to be split three ways.

But the highs are also all my own. When I can feel the audience going with it – when a joke that I’ve written works – it’s the most amazing feeling in the world. I’ve created a show that I’m immensely proud off. I’ve booked an Edinburgh venue and a train ticket all on my own. It’s time to start seeing that nervous backstage flatulence for what it really is – the wind of triumph.

Lizzie Bates: Reprobates, Until 25 Aug, Pleasance Courtyard, more info.

KNIGHTLEY & SON: K-9 out today from Bloomsbury

K-9 UK final cover.jpg

KNIGHTLEY & SON: K-9 by Rohan Gavin, the much anticipated sequel to KNIGHTLEY & SON, is out today in the UK from Bloomsbury.

Darkus Knightley, tweed-wearing, mega-brained, thoroughly logical 13-year-old investigator of the weird, was just getting used to having his dad back in his life. Then Alan Knightley went off-radar, again, leaving Darkus with a traumatised ex-bomb-disposal dog as his only partner in crime-solving. Now things are getting even stranger. Family pets are being savaged by a beast at a top London beauty spot. Policemen have been tracked and attacked by a particularly aggressive canine. And two curiously alert hounds seem to be watching Darkus’s house. No one is using the word werewolf – yet – but as the full moon approaches, it doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes to work out that someone or something sinister is messing with the minds of London’s dog population. A mysterious canine conspiracy is howling for the attention of Knightley & Son…

K-9 has already been chosen as one of Sunday Express Summer Picks for Older Children 2014, and KNIGHTLEY & SON was a Sunday Times Pick of the Week, a Guardian Best Kids’ Book, who called it “full of intrigue, suspense and humour ... a modern day classic detective mystery” and a Daily Mail Summer Book Choice, who wrote “the tweed-loving Doc is a young Holmes for our times”

There’s a great chance to get involved with some sleuthing yourself on swapit.co.uk who are hosting a KNIGHTLEY & SON treasure hunt from 13 August.

On 18 August, Rohan will be appearing at Edinburgh Book Festival, running a workshop on one of his favourite books, and inspiration for K-9, THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES.

Be sure to look out for copies of KNIGHTLEY & SON: K-9 on the London Underground as part of the Books on the Underground campaign from 11 August.

Rohan Gavin is a screenwriter and author based in London. He is the son of award-winning children's author Jamila Gavin, and recently became a father himself. KNIGHTLEY & SON: K-9 is published in the US in February 2015, and Rohan will be touring in the US next year. Rights have been sold to Gallimard in France.

See here for Knightley & Son profiles and case files…

Follow Rohan Gavin on Twitter

Some praise for KNIGHTLEY & SON:

'A rousing page-turner with one fault: It ends.' - Kirkus starred review

‘An engaging, characterful debut’ – Nicolette Jones, Sunday Times Pick of the Week

'This book surpasses all expectations... Any fan of Sherlock Holmes will find this book very appealing ... full of suspense, mystery and some very clever detective skills.' – Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

'Just too good... a fun adventure story that the whole family should read... I hope there are more adventures to come' – Girl-who-reads.com

'In Darkus Knightley, author Rohan Gavin has created a protagonist that readers will grow to love... clever, action-packed and humorous adventures' – bookzone4boys

‘His first novel, owes much to the world of film – especially the non-stop, tongue-in-cheek movies that are aimed at a family audience – Indiana Jones and most recently, Sherlock. …  Action is high on the agenda … Aimed firmly at an audience who are steeped in Tintin and who have enjoyed The Diamond Brothers, this is a lively romp which will certainly please young readers.’ –Booksforkeeps