WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING...
I last posted a blog entry on the 2nd of May, and though a month seems an awful long time to go without speaking, it is not for lack of want, but lack of time. (That just seems like the weakest excuse!) I have been busy – working, writing, travelling etc. I have done events in a number of libraries – Cradley, Stourbridge, Hamstead to name them, and I also ran a Writers’ Seminar at Waterstones in the centre of Birmingham. I have been to Glasgow to speak at the exposition given by WF Howes, the company that produce both my Large Print and unabridged audio books, and I attended the Orange Prize for Fiction awards on Wednesday evening, the winner of which was Rose Tremain.
I have been back and forth to London a half dozen times – meetings to discuss the new book, the previous books, the website, the marketing campaign (both for A Quiet Belief in Angels and A Simple Act of Violence), and I have troubled my editor no end by refusing to stay in hotels and camping out in his spare room.
One of the highlights of the last month has to be the backlit 96-sheet poster (called so because it is 96 times the size of a sheet of A1 paper) that was put up by the exit to Birmingham’s New Street Rail Station to advertise A Quiet Belief In Angels. The plans to modify and upgrade the website will allow for a gallery of pictures to be added, and I will post a couple so you can see how magnificent it looked. I also have in-situ photographs of the poster campaign running on the London Underground system, and for these I have to thank Julie at Orion who not only designed them, but made the whole thing happen.
I last posted a blog entry on the 2nd of May, and though a month seems an awful long time to go without speaking, it is not for lack of want, but lack of time. (That just seems like the weakest excuse!) I have been busy – working, writing, travelling etc. I have done events in a number of libraries – Cradley, Stourbridge, Hamstead to name them, and I also ran a Writers’ Seminar at Waterstones in the centre of Birmingham. I have been to Glasgow to speak at the exposition given by WF Howes, the company that produce both my Large Print and unabridged audio books, and I attended the Orange Prize for Fiction awards on Wednesday evening, the winner of which was Rose Tremain.
I have been back and forth to London a half dozen times – meetings to discuss the new book, the previous books, the website, the marketing campaign (both for A Quiet Belief in Angels and A Simple Act of Violence), and I have troubled my editor no end by refusing to stay in hotels and camping out in his spare room.
One of the highlights of the last month has to be the backlit 96-sheet poster (called so because it is 96 times the size of a sheet of A1 paper) that was put up by the exit to Birmingham’s New Street Rail Station to advertise A Quiet Belief In Angels. The plans to modify and upgrade the website will allow for a gallery of pictures to be added, and I will post a couple so you can see how magnificent it looked. I also have in-situ photographs of the poster campaign running on the London Underground system, and for these I have to thank Julie at Orion who not only designed them, but made the whole thing happen.
Additionally, we have just learned that A Quiet Belief In Angels has been shortlisted for the Barry Award for Best British Crime Fiction Novel. The nominees for this award are decided by the American crime fiction magazine Deadly Pleasures.
We have also secured a good number of translations for A Quiet Belief In Angels since Christmas, and since I often get e-mails requesting details of publishers etc I thought I should list the languages and the names of the publishers through which these translated versions will be available.
Candlemoth
German - List
Italian - Sonzogno Editore
Dutch - AW Bruna
Swedish - Ordbilder
Ghostheart
Dutch - AW Bruna
A Quiet Vendetta
French - Editions Sonatine
City of Lies
Bulgarian - Era 2000 Book Publishing
Portuguese - Editorial Presenca
English Abridged Audio - Orion
English Large Print - WF Howes (Clipper)
Serbian - Stylos
Czech Republic - Millennium Publishing
A Quiet Belief In Angels
English Abridged Audio - Orion
English Unabridged Audio - BBC Audio
English Large Print - WF Howes (Clipper)
French - Editions Sonatine
Japanese - Shueisha
Brazilian - Intrinseca
Lithuanian - Jotema Publishing House
Norwegian - Vega Forlag
Taiwanese - Business Weekly Publications
Portuguese - Editorial Presenca
Polish - Wydawnictwo Dolnoslaskie Sp Z.oo
Korean - Woongjin
Dutch - De Fontein
Icelandic - Skuggi Publishing
A Quiet Belief In Angels
English Abridged Audio - Orion
English Unabridged Audio - BBC Audio
English Large Print - WF Howes (Clipper)
French - Editions Sonatine
Japanese - Shueisha
Brazilian - Intrinseca
Lithuanian - Jotema Publishing House
Norwegian - Vega Forlag
Taiwanese - Business Weekly Publications
Portuguese - Editorial Presenca
Polish - Wydawnictwo Dolnoslaskie Sp Z.oo
Korean - Woongjin
Dutch - De Fontein
Icelandic - Skuggi Publishing
Romania - Editura Leda
Italy - Neri Pozza
Czech Republic - Millennium Publishing
Serbian - Stylos
Serbian - Stylos
A Simple Act of Violence
English Abridged Audio - Orion
Italian - Neri Pozza
We are also in discussion regarding several other languages, and as they become available I’ll let you know.
So, aside from that, I have been working on the book for 2010, the one for 2009 now complete. Provisional date for the untitled 2009 hardback release is June, just a year from now.
As you possibly already know, the release date for A Simple Act of Violence was moved from September 4th to October 2nd 2008, not because the book wasn’t ready, but because there was a logistical reason that prevented its September release. A limited number of hardbacks will be produced, primarily for library consumption, and the main release will be in trade paperback format. This is basically a paperback that’s the size of a hardback. The reason for this is to lower the cost and make the new book that much more affordable. The mass market paperback version will be released in April 2009, a couple of months before Book Number Seven is released in hardback in June.
You will also be pleased to know (some of you!) that I have secured a four book contract with my publisher, the first of which will be A Simple Act of Violence. So taking into consideration that the last of those books will be released in paperback in 2012, I will now be employed for four more years!
Oh, on to the subject of movies. I’ve seen some recently that I would like to recommend. Breach (Christ Carter and Ryan Philippe), Little Children (Kate Winslett and Patrick Wilson), Hard Candy (Ellen Page, and Patrick Wilson once again), Harrison’s Flowers (David Strathairn, Andie McDowell, Adrian Brody, Brendan Gleeson), In Bruges (Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson), and I have also enjoyed a number of great French comedies with the likes of Daniel Auteil and Gerard Depardieu such as Aprez Vous, Le Diner de Cons and The Closet. I also highly recommend 36 with Auteil and Depardieu, a tremendous movie that is touted as ‘the French version of Heat’.
Music I have listened to recently, apart from the staple diet of Tom Waits, Dr. John, Holly Beth Vincent, Frank Sinatra and Dave Brubeck (eclectic, eh?), I have been listening to Bireli Lagrene, Emily Loizeau and Aldo Romano…the French influence again, you see? French music, French movies, and me learning French cooking…this will all end in tears, n’est ce pas?
Anyway, that’s what I’ve been up to. I have a busy couple of months ahead – events in Milton Keynes (three in one day), an online discussion forum on the evening of Tuesday 17th June, Bristol (twice), Margam Festival in South Wales and the Harrogate Festival. Events keep being added, and you can keep up-to-date with them on the ‘Signings and Appearances’ section of the website.
And if the website suddenly changes appearance at some point in the next few weeks don’t worry, it’s being upgraded and modified and made more user-friendly.
So there we are – a monthly update. If there’s any exciting news I’ll post again, but in the meantime keep the e-mails coming through the website. It’s great to hear from you, and I will answer every one.
Oh, just one little thing…I received an e-mail from Mark Russell. I replied, of course, but my reply kept coming back as ‘undeliverable’. I wouldn’t want Mark to think that I hadn’t responded.
Take care, speak soon, best wishes.
8 comments:
Many congratulations on the contract - and the Marketing Campaign. You clearly have wonderful support from your publisher.
Looking forward to seeing more of your work.
Regards, Ray-Anne
Great to hear from you Ray-Anne! Trust all is well with you and yours. Next book is out in early October, so even though I know we'll be in touch before then you'll still have to drop me a line and let me know what you think of it!
Best wishes, as always.
Congratulations Roger on the contract - that's four more books for me to read!
Disappointed though that 'Simple Act Of Violence' has been put back even if is only a month.
Keep up the hard work and speak soon
Yes indeed...and it's ages since you e-mailed, and why don'tcha e-mail more often? Good to hear you're okay, and apologies for the added-on month before the publication of Simple Act. Not my fault! It was something to do with a marketing campaign or something.
Speak soon, eh?
Hey, congrats, Roger. I'm sure no one had any doubts about you securing that contract. I'm still gutted I missed you in Glasgow.
Since you've mentioned movies (and just in case you didn't know), you may want to watch Capote (Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Allie Mickelson - 2005) and In Cold Blood (Robert Blake and Scott Wilson - 1967). There's a newer version of the latter (2007), but I don't recommend remakes of any old movies.
I'm reading In Cold Blood now, and I second, third and fourth your fascination with Truman Capote.
All the best.
Have seen 'Capote' three or four times. Not so keen on 'Infamous' however. Have also seen the original 'In Cold Blood' with Blake and Forsythe, also the newer version with Eric Roberts (which isn't a patch on the original, but does expand a little on the relationship between Perry and Hickock). All good stuff. I also managed to get a copy of the 1967 Life magazine covering Capote's return to Holcomb when the first film version of ICB was being made. Interesting reading!
Good to hear from you, and trust all is well.
I just started reading 'A Quiet Belief in Angels', I have to say it is a fantastic read and I will be eagaly awaiting your new books. I shall be getting stuck into your other published books while I wait :D
Congratulations on the contract~ :)
Best wishes,
Sarah
That's really extraordinarily kind of you Sarah, and I am so pleased that you are enjoying the book. You'll have to e-mail me through the website when you're done and let me know your thoughts on it!
Take care, and have a wonderful weekend,
Roger.
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