Eleanor of Aquitaine trilogy sold in US

Elizabeth Chadwick's forthcoming Eleanor of Aquitaine trilogy is now commissioned on both sides of the Atlantic: Sourcebooks have just acquired US rights and Sphere are publishing the trilogy in the UK. Chadwick chronicles the compelling life of Eleanor of Aquitaine, taking an entirely fresh approach to this Queen who was a wife to, and the mother of, kings. The first in the series, THE SUMMER QUEEN, is delivered and will be published in the UK in June. The next two novels in the trilogy are THE WINTER CROWN and THE AUTUMN THRONE.

Chadwick, who was winner of the Romantic Novelists' Association Historical Novel of the Year Award in 2011, is a New York Times bestseller. Sourcebooks have reissued a number of her backlist titles with stunning new covers, including SHADOWS AND STRONGHOLDS which they have just published. We are thrilled that Sourcebooks have continued their dedication to this brilliant author.

Praise for Elizabeth Chadwick:

'The best writer of medieval fiction currently around.' -- Historical Novel Review

'The author blends authentic period details with modern convention for emotional drama.' -- Elizabeth Buchan, Mail on Sunday

'No one does medieval historical fiction quite like Elizabeth Chadwick, and her latest novel, LADY OF THE ENGLISH is just one more example of her enormous talent for bringing the past to life!' -- Passages to the Past

ARCHIPELAGO longlisted for prestigious OCM Bocas prize for Caribbean Literature

Monique Roffey's vibrant homage to the Caribbean, ARCHIPELAGO, has already incurred clamorous international praise. The book has now been longlisted in the Fiction genre category for this year's OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature.

The annual award allows Caribbean writers to submit work to a panel of distinguished Caribbean and international writers, editors and scholars and gives hopefuls the chance to win $10,000. The winners in all three genre categories will be announced on March 17, and the prize presented a month later, at the NGC Bocas Literature Festival in Roffey's native Port-of-Spain.

ARCHIPELAGO chronicles the geographical and psychological journey of a man, his daughter and their dog across the sea.  Leaving a home haunted by memories, the trio travel to unknown harbours and encounter the natural world around them like never before.

 Praise for ARCHIPELAGO:

'[ARCHIPELAGO]… is a major contribution to the new wave of Caribbean writing: energetic, uncompromising, bold in the choice of narrative devices, and a great read. Roffey is a magical storyteller…' - Olive Senior, Jamaican poet, short story writer and Commonwealth Prize-winner

'A sparkling portrayal of the Caribbean, the outer layer of the plot is a magical sea voyage through the islands between Trinidad and the Panama Canal. The real story of ARCHIPELAGO, however, is a deeply moving journey through grief… Roffey conjures up pictures of the Caribbean without glossing over the problems.' -- Kate Saunders, We Love This Book

'ARCHIPELAGO travels to new, intoxicating latitudes… The result is an adventure blazing with a lust for life… …[This is a] big-hearted Moby-Dick story for our times.' -- Kapka Kassabova, The Guardian

'Islands are everywhere in this stunningly rendered novel, reminding or teaching us anew about our individual selves against their history-mired backdrops… The novel is replete with achingly beautiful descriptions of the world that frames these seafarers…' -- Shivanee Ramlochan, Trinidad Guardian

Orion Signs Two More Essie Fox Novels

Orion has bought a further two novels by Essie Fox. Essie was recently shortlisted at the National Book Awards for New Writer of the Year for her debut novel THE SOMNAMBULIST, which was picked up by TV Book Club and optioned by Hat Trick Productions. It is also published by Castelvecchi in Italy and Damm in Sweden and sold to Bertrand in Brazil.

Essie Fox's second novel, ELIJAH'S MERMAID, published by Orion in November 2012 has also received glowing reviews. 

Her new novel THE GODDESS AND THE THIEF, which will be published in November 2013, tells the story of a young woman raised by a spiritualist medium and her involvement in a secret plot to steal one of India's sacred jewels: the priceless Koh-i-Nor diamond claimed by the British Empire at the end of the Anglo-Sikh wars.

Kate Mills says: 'She's a wonderfully talented author, drawing her readers into the shadows of Victorian London and weaving her stories seamlessly together with fascinating research. She has a unique and captivating voice, and we're delighted to have two further novels to look forward to.'

To read more about the deal click here
See Essie Fox's website here
See Essie Fox's blog The Virtual Victorian here

Praise for Essie Fox:

'Essie Fox [is] a specialist on the Victorian Era.' -- BookOxygen

'Essie Fox's style is like the great writers of the Victorian era [such as] Wilkie Collins: flowing and full of subtleties of meaning.' -- Words and Pieces (blog)

Praise for ELIJAH'S MERMAID:

'[ELIJAH'S MERMAID] delights in the underworld and the exotica of Victorian Britain... Memorable and unusual.' -- Nick Rennison, Sunday Times

'Dark secrets, hidden pasts and childhood mysteries are the focus in this sensual melodrama...an entertaining slice of Victoriana, rich in historical detail...a tale of obsessive love and betrayal.' -- Marie Claire Magazine

Praise for THE SOMNAMBULIST:

'Gothic Victorian tale of complicated thespian lives, old secrets and many a twist and turn. It's an absorbing easy read, well worth recommending.' -- The Bookseller

'Essie Fox's debut novel paints a vivid picture of Victorian Times.' -- The Star

Paul Hodson’s GARAGE BAND opens at the Mercury Colchester

GARAGE BAND, written by Andy Barrett and directed by Paul Hodson, has started its run at the Mercury Theatre, Colchester.

Four middle-aged, middle-class misfits try to spark a punk revival in this funny, touching and distinctly loud new play, featuring electric guitars, head-banging and existentialist philosophy!

But thirty years on from the mohicans, the glue sniffing and the safety pins through the nose, is there really any place for the 'spirit of punk' in a world full of babies, life-insurance and pasta machines?

"A must-see for anyone wanting to put a few teenage kicks back into their life" Nick Brunger -- What's On Stage

"A comic delight" Alfred Hickling -- The Guardian

"An iconic period which resonates with today's turbulent times, I very much doubt that audience attendances will be Pretty Vacant for this nod to the punk phenomenon." Nick Dines -- thestage.co.uk

Catch the show before it closes on March 9th.

http://www.mercurytheatre.co.uk/event/garage-band/

Julian Friedmann to speak at BVE 2013

Julian Friedmann will deliver seminars on 'How Scripts Can Make Drama Globally Successful' and 'How to Make Money Scriptwriting' at the BVE Expo on Tuesday 26th February at ExCeL, London.

BVE is a broadcast, production and technology event for the UK media industry. The show hosts 16,000 industry professionals, showing the latest in broadcast and production technologies and offering a comprehensive programme of expert-led seminar content and the Future of Media Summit.

Links to the seminars can be found here and here.