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Niffenegger praises Jonathan Strange, JK Rowling tweets and thumbs up for Ghost Hunter
Here follows a round-up of the best fantasy-related news items from the past seven days.
Audrey Niffenegger’s novel The Time Traveller’s Wife has sold more than five million copies. In a recent interview she was asked “What book do you wish you’d written?” And her reply?
“Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke. It’s mind-bending – a perfect blend of historical reality and fantasy.”
We completely agree with Audrey Niffenegger’s thoughts on this wonderful and truly unique novel – read our review to find out why.
In an attempt to counter numerous fake Rowlings on Twitter, JK Rowling has set up her own account. But she warned that she didn’t plan many tweets.
"I should flag up now that although I could twitter endlessly, I’m afraid you won’t be hearing from me very often as pen and paper is my priority at the moment.”
To follow Ms Rowling’s likely-to-be infrequent tweets, visit http://twitter.com/jk_rowling.
October 12, 2009 will be the 30th anniversary of the launch of Douglas Adams’s The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. It will also be the day on which the sixth instalment, And Another Thing? (penned by Eoin Colfer), will be unleashed upon a slightly-wary public.
To celebrate this, Colfer will be touring the UK, promoting and signing copies of his new book beginning with Hitchcon’09 in Central London, where a gathering of the largest number of Hitchhiker fans ever will take place.
The History Channel will air an episode on JRR Tolkien and The Lord of the Rings as part of its “Clash of the Gods” series. The episode airs at 10 pm EST, Monday October 5 and again at 2 am EST on Tuesday, October 6.
Karen George, an undiscovered illustrator from London and graduate of the Royal College of Art, has been named the winner of Waterstone’s and Macmillan Children’s Books ‘Picture This’ competition. She beat more than 900 aspiring artists to take the prize of illustrating a new book by Julia Donaldson. George receives a full publishing contract, with advance and royalties, to illustrate Freddie and the Fairy, a charming tale of a boy and a hard-of-hearing fairy told in Donaldson’s trademark rhythmic rhyme. Freddie and the Fairy, by Donaldson and George, will be published by Macmillan Children’s Books in Autumn 2010.
Ghost Hunter, Michelle Paver‘s six-part series comes full circle. Torak, the boy orphaned in the first book, Wolf Brother, is drawn by a tantalising glimpse of the ghost of his adored father into the clutches of the most powerful of the Soul-Eaters, the Eagle Owl Mage. The Independent says that “the finale is a climax as intense as Tolkien’s fall of Mordor, with demonic dogs, fiendish one-time children, and Soul-Eaters summoned from beyond the grave. Best of all, Paver succeeds in creating a conclusion with no mawkishness when she resolves the relationship between Torak and Renn – and, of course, Wolf.”
Posted: September 26th, 2009
Author: Floresiensis
Categories: Eoin Colfer, JK Rowling, JRR Tolkien, Julia Donaldson, Michelle Paver, Susanna Clarke
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