Originally published in Esquire Magazine it later appeared in his best-selling novel Just After Sunset which is where I first discovered it.

Synopsis(as written by Stephen King)

Author John Dykstra, who writes under the pen name of Rick Hardin, has had too much beer to drink at his mystery writer’s group meeting and desperately needs to find a rest stop on his return from Jacksonville to Sarasota. There is only one other car at the rest stop and he hears its occupants in the Ladies’ Room. It is a woman’s and a man’s voice he hears coming from the bathroom and clearly the sounds of domestic abuse. John Dykstra has to decide how, or even if, he will act to stop it.

After contacting Stephen’s office with my proposal, they were impressed enough to send me the contracts. These were recently signed and exchanged.

Pre-production is due to commence in 2013.

It is now available in the iTunes store by clicking here where you can subscribe to the podcast and download the clips to your device.

The Velvet Abstract

A narrated poem about the environmental age set against a plethora of CG, Illustrations, and Animations from a team spanning six continents

The Stars & The Stones

A man dying of Aids narrates his reflections of hurt about the woman he loves as his own life slips away

“It would appear that I am to be the first to write a book on Gillespie. Who, if not me, was dealt that hand? Indeed, one might say, who else is left to tell the tale?

Ned Gillespie: artist, innovator, and forgotten genius, my dear friend and soul mate.”

And so begins this reminiscence in the Bloomsbury area of London, England, in April 1933, as the Narrator Miss Harriet Baxter writes the memoir of her life with Ned Gillespie over four decades earlier. A time when their lives were intrinsically linked in the emerging city of Glasgow, Scotland.

“Glasgow had assumed the air of a cosmopolis, resembling, perhaps, Seville, Paris, or even Naples.”

It is at the Glasgow International Exhibition of 1888 that the thirty-five-year-old Harriet first encounters the Gillespies, when she comes to the aid of Ned’s mother, Elspeth. What at first seems an insignificant moment in someone’s life, soon becomes a poignant fragment of how destiny lays down the tracks one must invariably follow.

Grateful for her help, both Elspeth and Ned’s wife, Annie, invite Harriet to call upon them for tea at their home in Stanley Street. There she meets Ned and Annie’s offspring, the three-year-old Rose, and the seven-year-old Sibyl. Two children, whose characters and stories yield a deeply moving emotional pull throughout the novel. As does Elspeth’s own daughter, Mabel, who has a captivating presence on the page. Having recently returned from America, after her fiancé had broken off their engagement, she is now struggling to adapt back into the society of nineteenth century Scotland.

It is within these tensions, that Harriet inadvertently tries to become the glue to end the family frictions. Something Annie in particular, takes a dislike to. As a result, the story is a fascinating study of the fine line between help and meddling. At what point does one exert too much kindness? Can the gesture of a friend ever be truly selfless? Questions demonstrated superbly by the author to the extent that one will ponder their own acts of good will towards others. This brilliantly executed juxtaposition will leave a lasting impression on every reader.

During all of this, when the need for Ned’s first appearance reaches a peak, the craft of the author is such, that she knows the precise moment for Harriet to turn away from her world and look directly at us:

“Ah yes: Ned Gillespie. You may be wondering, dear Reader, when he is going to make an actual appearance in this overwhelmingly feminine account.”

Only twenty-seven pages into a five hundred page novel, it is a magical moment of charm and bravery, that one instantly relaxes into the arms of an extremely gifted writer.

When Ned appears, and how their worlds collide should be completely left for readers to discover for themselves. Because despite her old age, Harriet Baxter has lost none of her faculties, and lucidly recounts these events which have defined her character, all these years later.

“The past is so vivid in my mind that it seems more tangible to me even than my real life.”

The unravelling of the structured layers, is encapsulated in a single foreboding line by Harriet, which resonates long after the final page.

“I was fast becoming a believer in the inexorability of Fate.”

The second novel of any author’s career is always the clearest indication of what their canon of work will encompass when their writing ends. Consequently, this author is heading towards greatness.

It is not just the entwined narrative threads which are impressive, it’s the way in which the author dexterously switches the tone from laugh out loud humour, to a chilling dark undertone. Time and time again, she flicks the tonality with incredible skill that it not only keeps the reader on their toes, but frequently assures them that their eyes are witnessing a perfection of literary technique.

So many times, one reads a novel where the author is trying to write a book like this, but their tonal balance is off, or the voices of their characters suffocate with over elaborate prose. Here, everything effortlessly flows, the voices sing, the prose pulls the reader deeper. So it is of no surprise that it has become one of the most universally praised second novels in modern English Literature.

The nineteenth century had Austen, the twenty-first century now has an equal, in Harris.

Jane Harris is not an author you could read, she is an author you must read.

This appetite devours literature over a diverse range of genres, and includes well known authors and debut novelists.

However the genre my eyes return to the most is the one I myself write in: Literary Fiction.

I do own a Kindle but still happily read hardbacks and paperbacks; for the printed editions have a magic about them that digital text is a long way from competing with.

So any selection below will have entertained and inspired across all formats, throughout 2012.

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Second Son by Lee Child

On The Kindle Now:

The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach

Background To The Novel

In 2006, South Florida’s leading Industry newspaper, SoFlim, posted an ad seeking a Writer of short stories for their publication. I was fortunate enough to beat off the competition, and decided to write one story, with each chapter appearing monthly. The first chapter was published that year and was distributed to over 60,000 readers in Florida.

Shortly after, the Owner received an offer for the paper and decided to sell up and he moved to Hollywood to work as a TV Producer. I had already written the next two chapters, but was so busy on other projects that I was unable to pursue the story as a novel. However, during the subsequent two years I still developed the characters and story in numerous notepads.

When my schedule was clear in late 2008, I spent time in Florida and did extensive research on the novel. This encompassed many locations across Fort Lauderdale and Cudjoe Key. With the invaluable help of numerous experts in their field from Doctors, Lawyers, Sergeants, and local residents, I was able to begin working on the manuscript in 2009.

Throughout the writing process I was in regular contact with those that I had met and their guidance ensured that the state’s procedures were adhered to and not fictionalised.

When the first draft was completed I put it in a draw for several months, so that I could approach the rewrite with completely fresh eyes.

The novel will go out for submission in September 2012.

Rejection is an imperative test of one’s character.

Some writers continually submit the same manuscript until it is accepted. Others chose to do a more polished draft before sending it out again. While a select few learn from the lessons to write a completely new novel.

But what they all have in common is a persistence to never ever give up on their dream; a dream that elevated them from writer, to best-selling author. There are countless examples in literary history, and here are just a few:

After 500 rejections spanning 4 years, the writer finally lands a publishing deal: Agatha Christie. Her book sales are now in excess of $2 billion. Only William Shakespeare has sold more.

The Christopher Little Literary Agency receives 12 publishing rejections in a row for their new client, until the eight-year-old daughter of the Bloomsbury Editor demands to read the rest of the book. The Editor agrees to publish but advises the writer to get a day job since she has little chance of making money in Children’s books. Yet Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling spawns a series where the last four novels consecutively set records as the fastest-selling books in history, on both sides of the Atlantic, with combined sales of 400 million.

Louis L’Amour received 200 rejections before Bantam took a chance on him. He is now their best ever selling Author with 330 million sales.

“Too different from other juveniles on the market to warrant its selling.” A rejection letter sent to Dr Seuss. 300 million sales and the 9th best-selling fiction Author of all time.

“You have no business being a writer and should give up.” Zane Grey ignores the advice. His 90 books have now sold 250 million copies.

The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter was rejected so many times she had to initially self publish. To date: 80 million sales.

“It is so badly written.” The Author tries Doubleday instead and his little book makes an impression. The Da Vinci Code sells 80 million.

140 rejections stating “Anthologies don’t sell” until Chicken Soup for the Soul by Jack Canfield & Mark Victor Hansen sells 80 million copies.

Having sold only 800 copies on its limited first release, the Author finds a new Publisher and The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho sells 75 million.

“We feel that we don’t know the central character well enough.” The author does a rewrite and his protagonist becomes an icon for a generation as The Catcher In The Rye sells 65 million.

5 Publishers reject L.M. Montgomery‘s debut novel. L.C. Page & Company does not, and Anne of Green Gables sells 50 million.

“Nobody will want to read a book about a seagull.” Richard Bach‘s Jonathan Livingston Seagull went on to sell 44 million copies.

“Undisciplined, rambling and thoroughly amateurish writer.” But Jacqueline Susann refuses to give up and her book the Valley of the Dolls sells 30 million.

Margaret Mitchell gets 38 rejections from publishers before finding one to publish her novel Gone With The Wind. Sold 30 million.

“A long, dull novel about an artist.” Publisher rejects Lust For Life by Irving Stone. 25 million sales.

“An irresponsible holiday story that will never sell.” Rejection of The Wind In The Willows. 25 million sales.

His Publishers Doubleday rejects the first 100 pages. So the author Peter Benchley starts from scratch and Jaws sells 20 million.

Thor Heyerdahl believes his book Kon-Tiki: Across The Pacific is unique. 20 Publishers disagree. The 21st takes it on and sells 20 million: one for each rejection.

Despite 14 consecutive Agency rejections Stephenie Meyer‘s Twilight goes on to sell 17 million copies and spends 91 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list.

“An absurd and uninteresting fantasy which was rubbish and dull.” Rejection letter sent to William Golding for The Lord Of The Flies. 15 million sales.

After 20 rejection letters, WM Paul Young self publishes his novel The Shack. 15 million sales and a cultural phenomenon.

Despite 17 Rejections, Meg Cabot continues sending her manuscript out. It gets taken on and The Princess Diaries sells 15 million copies.

“Too radical of a departure from traditional juvenile literature.” Frank L. Baum persists and The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz sells 15 million.

Little, Brown & Company passes on a two book deal for Alice Walker. When complete her novel The Color Purple sells 10 million and wins The Pulitzer Prize.

26 publishers reject A Wrinkle in Time. It wins the 1963 Newbery Medal and becomes an international bestseller. 8 million sales and counting.

“Unsaleable and unpublishable.” Publisher on Ayn Rand‘s The Fountainhead. Random House takes a chance on it. It sells 7 million copies in the US alone.

To deal with publisher rejections, Hugh Prather decides to write a book about them in his early struggles and Notes To Myself sells 5 million.

To prove how hard it is for new writers to break in, Jerzy Kosinski uses a pen name to submit his bestseller Steps to 13 Agents and 14 Publishers. All of them reject it, including Random House, who had published it.

“It was rejected 60 times. But letter number 61 was the one that accepted me. Three weeks later we sold the book to Amy Einhorn Books.” Kathryn Stockett on The Help the current best-seller in both the US and UK.

Rejected by Publishers, Ruth Saberton leaves her 400 page manuscript Katy Carter Wants a Hero on the holiday home doormat of Richard and Judy in Cornwall. They love the book so much that their recommendation secures a publishing deal with Orion.

5 London Publishers turn it down. The little book finally finds a home: Life Of Pi by Yann Martel, winning The Man Booker Prize in 2002.

100 Agents and Publishers reject it. Anderson Press does not and Out of Shadows by Jason Wallace wins the Costa Children’s Book Award.

Rejected by 20 Agents and Publishers, one Editor believes in the book and Catherine O’Flynn‘s What Was Lost wins the 2008 Costa Book Award.

Rejected by his agent because it is narrated by a dog, Garth Stein switches to Folio Literary Management and The Art Of Racing In The Rain sells for 7 figures.

“An endless nightmare. I think the verdict would be ‘Oh don’t read that horrid book.” Publisher rejects the War Of The Worlds by H.G. Wells.

“Our united opinion is entirely against the book. It is very long, and rather old-fashioned.” Publisher rejects Moby Dick.

After 22 Rejections, The Dubliners is finally published. But it only sells 379 copies in the first year. James Joyce bought 120 of them.

T.S. Eliot as head of Faber & Faber rejects it because of “Trotskyite politics.” Secker & Warburg spot potential, and George Orwell’s Animal Farm becomes a best-seller.

“An absurd story as romance, melodrama or record of New York high life.” Yet Publication see The Great Gatsby become a best-selling classic.

“Stick to teaching.” Louisa May Alcott refuses to give up on her dream. Little Women sells millions, and is still in print 140 years later. Unlike the name of the Publisher who told her to give up.

“I haven’t the foggiest idea about what the man is trying to say. Apparently the author intends it to be funny.” Publisher rejects Catch-22, a novel given its name because it was the 22nd Publisher, Simon and Schuster, who agreed to take it on. 10 million sales.

“Older children will not like it because its language is too difficult.” On Watership Down one of the fastest-selling books in history.

After Random House reject his debut novel The Long Walk the author puts it away and ponders his next move. He decides to write a new novel: Stephen King.

“We are not interested in science fiction which deals with negative utopias. They do not sell.” Stephen King’s Carrie sells 1 million in the first year alone.

“The American public is not interested in China.” Pearl S Buck‘s The Good Earth becomes the best-selling US novel two years running in 1931/32, and wins The Pulitzer Prize in the process.

With 23 Rejections, Frank Herbert finally lands a publisher, and Dune becomes the best-selling science-fiction novel of all time.

24 Agencies turned down The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks. The 25th did not and sold it to Time Warner one week later for $1 million dollars.

31 Publishers in a row turn down The Thomas Berryman Number. It wins the Edgar for Best Novel becoming a best-seller for James Patterson. An author with 19 consecutive #1′s on the New York Times best-seller list and sales of 220 million.

16 Agencies and 12 Publishers reject A Time To Kill. Its modest print run of 5000 quickly sells out, as it goes on to become a best-seller for its author: John Grisham. Combined sales of 250 million.

Despite 17 rejections Patrick Dennis in 1956 becomes the first author in history to have 3 books ranked on the New York Times best-seller list at the same time. He had worked through publishers in alphabetical order. The one that finally agreed to take him on: Vanguard Press.

30 Publishers tell Laurence Peter that his book The Peter Principle will never sell. In 1969, a mere 18 months later it is a #1 best-seller.

“This will set publishing back 25 years.” Rejecting The Deer Park. Its author Norman Mailer goes on to win The Pulitzer Prize, twice.

Alex Haley writes for eight years before selling a single short story. His novel Roots becomes a publishing sensation and wins The Pulitzer Prize in 1977.

Taking on the advice of his 76 rejections Jasper Fforde writes a new book The Eyre Affair and it becomes an instant New York Times best-seller.

“Every last publisher in England rejected my first two books.” So Simon Kernick writes a third and The Business Of Dying lands him a publishing deal with Bantam.

“Utterly untranslatable.” Jorge Luis Borges tries a different Publisher. He wins 50 Literary Prizes and dies with his books in many languages.

“We suggest you get rid of all that Indian stuff.” Publisher to Tony Hillerman, on his best-selling Navajo Tribal Police mystery novels.

Rejected by several Publishers Jonathan Littell‘s Les Bienveillantes becomes #1 best-seller in France and wins The Goncourt Literary Prize.

Her Agent believes in her. The publishers of New York do not. So Emily Giffin flies to London to write Something Borrowed and it becomes a New York Times best-seller.

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis as an Editor at Doubleday sees potential in Dorothy West‘s unfinished novel The Wedding and it later becomes a best-seller.

“Rejection slips could wallpaper my room.” Dennis Kimbro on Think and Grow Rich: A Black Choice used in seminars throughout the US.

Despite initial rejections, E.C.Osondu persists with his book Waiting and it wins the 2009 African Booker.

Rejected by everyone except Heinemann. Chinua Achebe‘s Things Fall Apart becomes the most widely-read book in modern African literature.

“We found the heroine boring.” Mary Higgins Clark switches genre to suspense and her second book gets a $1.5 million advance. She is now on a $60 million book deal.

The Alfred A. Knopf publishing house turned down: Jack Kerouac, George Orwell, Sylvia Plath, and Mario Puzo‘s The Godfather.

The E.E. Cummings best-seller The Enormous Room has a dedication page ‘With No Thanks To’ all 15 publishers who turned it down.

Robert M. Pirsig‘s Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is in the Guinness Book Of Records for 121 rejections, more than any other best-seller.

The estate of best-seller Jack London in San Francisco, the House Of Happy Walls has a collection of some of the 600 rejections he received before selling a single story.

© James Hughes

The digital age has broadened the reading habits of all, and I am no exception.

In 2011 over 60% of the fiction I read was written by women.

In the previous year the figure was just 10%. Based on the superior quality I would be happy if 2012′s percentage is even higher.

In an era where men unfairly dominate the main literary awards, it is their female counterparts who are actually writing the prominent fiction.

Consequently, 70% on my list were written by women. Whatsmore, the same percentage were also debuts.

There are a number of excellent books not included, simply because the competition was extremely fierce. Also non-fiction, and short story collections (such as the superb Perfect Lives by Polly Samson) are also excluded, as this is purely a list of novels.

So these were, in no particular order: My Favourite Reads of 2011

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sister by Rosamund Lupton

The debut from an author who previously plied her trade as a screenwriter, and it shows, for this is a storyteller who perfectly demonstrates how visuals can drive a story as much as dialogue.

“I saw the darkness move – a monstrous, living thing, filling the building and out into the night beyond, no skin of sky to contain it.”

The story builds towards a thrilling climax, totally encapsulating how inventive a writer can be with narrative voice. For the ending alone, this novel is unmissable.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gillespie and I by Jane Harris

You could almost hear the intake of breath from the publishing world when this was not on the Man Booker Prize Longlist. It was an extremely surprising omission, and was certainly not for lack of quality. The skill with which the author weaves the story threads and keeps the reader engrossed for all five hundred pages, is nothing short of phenomenal.

“I was fast becoming a believer in the inexorability of Fate.”

It remains one of the most universally praised second novels, and one of the best.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

This Bleeding City by Alex Preston

The central story of a city trader in the midst of the crash, is both topical, and terrific. Juxtaposed with the demise of his material world, is the developing bond he finds with family, and both strands are written with an intelligent turn of phrase throughout. It is brimming with poignant lines, including an all-time favourite:

“Memory dyes these days golden.”

As such, there is no question that this author will become a leading light of literature over the coming years.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Devil’s Music by Jane Rusbridge

Another debut, and such a poetic one at that, with page after page of wonderful prose. Just when a reader thinks it cannot get any better, the author knocks out another beautiful image:

“I lie on the sand while the sea washes over me, quiet as if it’s dreaming.”

Any upward trajectory in the forthcoming releases from this author will signify a must read canon of work.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

City of Bohane by Kevin Barry

A quite extraordinary linguistic feast. The author creates a new dialogue in order to tell the story of a drifter returning to a futuristic town on the west coast of Ireland. Readers will instantly be hooked and blown away by the use of language itself as a character.

“In the Bohane creation, time comes loose, there is a curious fluidity, the past seeps into the future, and the moment itself as it passes is the hardest to grasp.”

If Raymond Chandler were alive today, this is a book he would envy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Tiger’s Wife by Téa Obreht

A family saga set across the Balkan Wars it was the deserving winner of the Orange Prize For Fiction. What had so captivated the judges, is shared by readers the world over. It is those magical moments of story, those snippets of memories that seem so real and personal to each individual reader.

“The tiger’s wife might have immediately been regarded as a vila, as something sacred to the entire village.”

The author has a real gift for pulling a reader into a story, and with this debut you never want to leave.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Somnambulist by Essie Fox

The journey of discovery for a seventeen-year old in Victorian London, and what dark secrets can do to the rectitude of such a teenager. I had to double-check the publication date twice, in the belief that this was a reissue of classic literature, since the Victorian life it portrays is so vivid.

“Some nights I still dream of her as Galatea, her face streamed with liquid ribbons of light.”

A sumptuously elegant novel from an outstanding talent.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Terror of Living by Urban Waite

An author who writes with such assurance that it is incomprehensible that this is a debut. Many of his contemporaries endeavour for years to write such an accomplished work. In contrast to the grand scale, are some intimate moments between characters, where the subtlest of nuances linger against the backdrop.

“He knew he had to earn the name back, earn it back for himself and for his father.”

With a consummate skill to engage the reader on every single page, it makes Urban Waite one of the finest literary discoveries of recent years.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

There is such a deft hand of deception at work in this debut, with chapters crafted to mean one thing on their own, but changing context when another is read, and again later on. This structural sleight of hand is breathtaking; each chapter a tarot of fiction.

“We will destroy the presumptions and preconceived notions of what a circus is and make it something else entirely, something new.”

The author whisks us towards the exhilarating denouement, with one of the best chapters in 21st century literature: Incendiary. Despite the ingenuity of what has preceded, nothing prepares the reader for this stunning cinematic moment.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

We Had It So Good by Linda Grant

Spanning decades and continents, and staring a former US President, this is a tremendous work, befitting a novelist at the peak of her powers. Packed with so many memorable scenes, and dialogue exchanges, it is practically a greatest hits of prose.

“The relentless averageness of English life.”

Linda Grant could get in the ring with any of the world’s literary heavyweights, and write them off the page. This novel should have been longlisted for the Man Booker Prize, it should have been shortlisted, and it should have won.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

All in all, 2011 heralded a golden year of reading, and the fiction these authors produced, will stay with me for a very long time.

“This is it. Her head was strangely clear despite the blood filling up her nose and mouth. An inch from her eye, the floor of the toilet was that kind of speckled plastic you got in public buildings, the dots like islands marooned in a sea of blue.”

The prologue of this debut paints an evocative picture of an initially unknown character superbly depicted on the jacket cover.

As with this clever design, the one page opening hooks the reader and propels them into the investigation of a nightclub murder. Seamlessly divided into six parts, the novel’s intertwined structure focuses on three very distinctive characters:

Charlotte Miller

As the fiancé of a wealthy banker, with an idyllic London apartment, Charlotte is living the dream. With her imminent wedding to Daniel Stockbridge less than a week away, she is on the cusp of achieving everything she has ever yearned for. Yet she still longs to be accepted wholeheartedly by his parents, and especially her neighbours.

“Wishing she could lose whatever it was about her that so screamed middle-class.”

Her very essence is encapsulated within a few pages, so that the reader utterly comprehends who she is as a person, and more importantly, what would break her.

“She felt the weakness in her, that her world was built all around him like a fragile plant on a trellis, and if he pulled away it would tear her up.”

The consummate skill of the author to achieve this understanding so quickly, reveals an authoritative grasp on characterisation.

DC Matthew Hegarty

At the centre of the murder investigation, is a Detective Constable enamoured with London, and all it has to offer a single man on the up. A country boy now in the big city, his love affair with it has never waned.

“London had shops, theatres, and beautiful sexy women you hadn’t gone to school with since you were four.”

Yet it is this wandering eye, which allows him to pick up on every single detail of a room, and a witness’s gestures.

“You never knew. That was what he’d learned, if anything, from being in the police.”

So that despite overwhelming evidence, and the convictions of his superiors, Hegarty has a niggling doubt that something is awry. Although his susceptibility to new evidence leads him down a very dangerous path, which threatens to compromise his own command.

Keisha Collins

A key witness in the investigation, she is at first, extremely reluctant to help the Police. But with the chance to regain custody of her daughter, Ruby, from Foster care, she strives to uncover the truth for herself, despite the constant threat to her own safety.

“She looked about her and drew up her hood. You never knew who might be around.”

Consequently, she is the driving force of the novel. A living, breathing person who becomes part of a reader’s own life, to such an extent that it is hard to comprehend that she is fictional. Her blistering narrative is unforgettable.

“She’s a riot. Mouth like a sailor on shore leave.”

Keisha Collins is a character who jumps off the page and headbutts you.

With the uncompromising style of this debut, one gets the impression that the author has been held in restraints for several years, aching to write. Now with the opportunity to show readers what she can do, she relentlessly lets every part of her talent pour onto the page. The incredible speed with which the three narrative voices carry the reader along, makes this stunning debut unputdownable.

The merits of the writing has already seen the novel finish runner-up in the inaugural Sony Reader Award for the Dylan Thomas Prize. Which in turn landed the author her two-book publishing deal with Headline.

The high level of skill demonstrated by the author recently secured her the prestigious role as Director of the Crime Writers’ Association (CWA). The experience gleamed from this position will invariably mean the reader will enjoy a succession of riveting page-turners from this author throughout her career.

The Fall sees Claire McGowan burst onto the crime-ficition scene with one of the strongest narratives in the entire genre.

The same could be not be said of the book. Arriving with the kind of fanfare usually thrust upon established authors, the publishers are unequivocal that this debut is something very special.

A proclamation reinforced by their innovative digital campaign to pique the interest of readers with an interactive experience; to such an extent, that it could become the paradigm for future book campaigns. Consequently, this novel might just be a watershed moment in publishing.

However, to become this milestone every facet of the publicity hinges on the quality of the fiction.

With a deliberate nod to Shakespeare, the reader is first introduced to Prospero’s daughter. In 1873 Celia Bowen is just five years old, and yet her Father, Hector, known by his Illusionist stage name of Prospero the Enchanter, binds her to a dual with his old adversary Mr A.H. Defined by his grey suit, Alexander agrees to the wager in which he must find his own student to compete against the gifted Celia. He plucks the nine-year old Marco from an orphanage, and so begins the prolonged years of training for them both. Hector consents to Alexander’s suggestion that the theatre producer Chandresh Christophe Lefèvre will be the Proprietor responsible for the creation of a suitable neutral venue in which the two illusionist students can do battle:

“Two schools of thought pitted against each other, working within the same environment.”

Touring the world by her scrupulous father’s side, Celia learns that all activities can be mastered by magic. This practical approach of forcing her to think on her feet, enables Celia to develop into a transcendent illusionist, referred to by herself as:

“Grounding, making the unbelievable, believable.”

Marco on the other hand is isolated with only volumes of magic books for company. His years of home study shapes an altogether contrasting illusionist, whose powers are finally revealed in the chapter: Le Bateleur. Now almost nineteen and with his own apartment near the British Museum in London, he chances upon the eighteen-year old tarot card reader Isobel Martin. What begins subtly, builds towards a dazzling climax. The meticulous design of the story beats and the pay-off they reveal, should be used in creative writing courses to understand how to perfect a scene; for this is a quintessential chapter in what can be achieved through visual expression.

One year later, in the chapter Associates and Conspirators the culinary desires of the much coveted Midnight Dinners at la maison of Chandresh Lefèvre will undoubtedly become iconic dinners of literature. Readers will crave an invitation to dine at one of these feasts, in the hope that an events company might recreate them. It is at one of these dinners, in the selected company of: Mme. Ana Padva (a retired Romanian ballerina); Ethan Barris (an architect); and the Burgess sisters, Tara and Lainie (business consultants) that Chandresh reveals the plans for his new project, Le Cirque des Rêves:

“We will destroy the presumptions and preconceived notions of what a circus is and make it something else entirely, something new.”

Unaware themselves as to how the venue will be used in the ensuing contest between Celia and Marco, they nevertheless create a spectacular setting. One which the reader should be allowed to experience for themselves, because:

“It is rare to discover places that are truly unique.”

As insisted by Chandresh, these fantastical tents become the epitome of the contortionist Tsukiko:

“Unusual yet beautiful. Provocative while remaining elegant.”

Accordingly the circus attracts a devoted following, known collectively as the rêveurs, attired in black with an emblematic dash of red. Their founder, Herr Friedrick Thiessen, is commissioned to design a manifestation for the circus which inadvertently symbolises his own beliefs about the nocturnal extravaganza:

“The circus is itself a complex illusion of illumination.”

In the midst of this, the reader is introduced to three more characters of note: Penelope Aislin Murray (nicknamed Poppet), her brother Winston Aidan Murray (nicknamed Widget); and Bailey. The latter of whom is only ten years old in 1897 when he enters their lives in Truth or Dare, but it is some years later before the reader glimpses his destiny hidden within the masterful chapter of subtext: Cartomancy.

With the players in place, and the venue set, Celia and Marco are free to express themselves to the amazement of their audience, and the reader. In chapters such as Tête-à-Tête where Marco demonstrates his prodigious abilities, and the reader fully comprehends the contest which lies in store, it leads to the paramount question of the entire novel:

“How can you checkmate a circus?”

The author whisks us towards the answer in the exhilarating denouement, with one of the best chapters in 21st century literature: Incendiary. Despite the ingenuity of what has preceded, nothing prepares the reader for this stunning cinematic moment.

The three-hundred and eighty-seven page novel is evenly divided into five parts of concise chapters. Which in turn alternate between character POV’s, world cities, and decades of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This non-linear construction is brilliantly executed by the author. In accordance to the thematic threads, the reader is never quite sure if the words are an illusion. There is such a deft hand of deception at work with chapters crafted to mean one thing on their own, but changing context when another is read, and again later on. This structural sleight of hand is breathtaking; each chapter a tarot of fiction.

Within this tight structure is an abundance of visionary creativity, that will charm the reader and leave them buzzing with images to infuse their own dreams. So much so that it would be an injustice to read it in sunshine. This is a novel for the night, preferably to be read by candlelight. A book that could have materialised from a quill, with an hypnotic gravitational pull of the reader’s eyes.

Very few books live up to the hype, or exceed it. The Night Circus manages to do both. For this reason, the publishers are right to be so enthusiastic, because this debut is something very special.

Some have drawn parallels with the book’s imminent success to that of well known bestsellers, which is naive and disrespectful. The Night Circus is unique, written by a unique voice, and consequently it will have its own unique success, incomparable to anything else.

It is by no means a YA novel either as others have erroneously alluded to. This is adult literary fiction of the highest order which will see it in contention for all the world’s major literary prizes next year.

Erin Morgenstern has created a mesmerising book, enriched by her aptitude for nuances and subtext. So expect The Night Circus to be just the first in many distinguished adult literary novels from this author.

Although in terms of this debut, while in conversion with Marco, the architect Ethan Barris perfectly encapsulates the reading experience:

“The circus itself has pushed the boundaries of what I dreamed was possible.”

So when reality gets too much; when a smile is hard to find; when there is an incessant ache to become lost in a sophisticated adult fairy tale; one can do no better than open these pages, and once again disappear into the magical world of The Night Circus.

With a twenty year history, one would expect a well oiled machine upon first attending; a clear demonstration that this is the standard by which all literary festivals are judged.

Will this barometer claim find a home on the shelf of historical non-fiction, or fantasy?

Let us start by pitching our tent in the field of ‘Hey! That was amazing!’ Those moments that leave an indelible impression. At least ten, and any festival deserves an annual attendance.

THE HEY!

1. Covered Walkways

There are a number of interconnecting walkways between each of the venues which are covered from above, sheltering you from the elements. An excellent feature of the site. On my last day there, it unfortunately rained very hard, and yet even though we are effectively in a field of tents, I did not need an umbrella to go between each venue, and remained dry throughout.

2. Pembertons

The official bookstore. It keeps a well stocked supply of all the books authors are promoting at the festival. Bear in mind they are at full price. So bring a credit card if you plan on buying lots of hardbacks. This is also the venue where all the authors do their book signings, making it a focal point of the site. There is a noticeboard outside the store which is updated after every talk to indicate which desk each author will be signing at. A display of the authors books are set-up on desks prior to their signing, so you can, and are encouraged to buy from Pembertons themselves. However, you are of course allowed to bring your own books for signing. Apart from the talks, this is the only place on site where you will be able to interact with the authors.

3. Chairpeople

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the entire festival, because each Chair Person has thoroughly done their research and ask a range of questions that make the talks utterly absorbing. So much so that by the time the Q&A comes around, it would be hard for any audience member to ask a better question than those posed by the Chair. I was fortunate to attend events hosted by: Kathryn Gray, Nik Gowing, David Aaronovitch, John Mitchinson, Stephanie Merritt, and Lisa Dwan. All of whom were superb. So be sure to book tickets for any event Chaired by these individuals.

4. Range Of Topics

From gardening, science, philosophy, and art classes, to live comedy and music, you could easily enjoy the festival without having any interest in fiction. In fact I met several people who had never read a novel, and were attending for the variety of other events that the festival offers. There literally is an option for every taste, and more importantly, every age. For example, Hay Fever is completely dedicated towards entertaining the children of those who attend, with a wide array of activities.

5. Authors

With an extensive selection of authors from predominantly the literary fiction genre, I was thrilled to finally meet some I have admired for years: Linda Grant, and Polly Samson, who were both compelling in their talks and extremely gracious at their signings. I also discovered new authors who I had yet to read such as Mohsin Hamid, Sarah Winman, and Téa Obreht. The latter of which was unknowingly just four days away from winning the Orange Prize For Fiction. At their signings, both Sarah and Téa took time to engage with their readers. There were no airs and graces at all. Just two people who wanted to hear about your own passion for books, and even asked for recommended reads. If you ever get a chance to attend a talk by any of these five authors, make sure that you do.

6. Whisky

Free shots of single malt whisky were continually on offer from staff carrying trays throughout the walkways. We are not talking full shots here, just a tickle to warm the throat. In the evenings when the temperature dropped considerably, it was a welcome relief to able to take a shot on your way to your next talk. In hotter weather, perhaps another drink would be more appropriate, but the idea to offer drinks in this way was a lovely gesture.

7. Richard Booth’s Bookshop Bus

An endless stream of shuttle buses run between the festival site and the town centre. A £1 ticket allows you to travel on any of these during one day, and there is always one outside the main gates. This accessibility allows you to nip into town for a wander or something to eat, and be back later for your next talk. They are still turning up after 11pm to pick people up, so you will never be stuck for a ride home, should you be lucky enough to be staying in Hay-on-Wye.

8. Bedfinder Service

The festival now offers an accommodation service for all those attending. For an administration fee of £10 the festival will source somewhere for you to stay during your visit. They do not just limit themselves to B&B’s, or Hotels, they also check with local residents who are interested in renting a bedroom, or their entire property. You will need to allow around ten days for them to respond with options. But when you are booking at the last minute, this is the only way you will find accommodation within twenty miles of the festival site.

However, all of this only tells half of the story…

THE WHY?

1. Why Is There No Mention Of The Phone Signal Issue?

A word of warning: there is no O2 signal anywhere in Hay-on-Wye. Not a single bar. Vodafone is not much better. All locals informed me that Orange is the only network that works properly in Hay. Yet there is no indication of this anywhere on The Hay Festival website. For three days I had no signal, and a huge portion of people I met were venting their frustration at this issue as well. I have been to the far reaches of the globe and have always got a phone signal. But I had to go to a place within my own shores not to get one. People were having to arrange pre-meet times because there were unable to send a single text message. We certainly do not expect the festival to install a mast, just to show some common courtesy and inform us in advance. Attendees could use Orange sim cards to eradicate the problem. The festival could even garner sponsorship from Orange since it is the only signal within twenty miles. If they were really smart, they could rent out Orange pay as you go phones. But not to tell those attending of the signal issue, was simply unforgiveable.

2. Why Do So Many Events Run Late?

Ignore the time slots in the programme guide. They are merely a rough guide as to when you will start waiting in line. My first event was due to take place at 5.30pm. At 6pm we were still standing outside and none of the Stewards informed us as to why. With so many events crammed together, this causes a ripple of chaos throughout the day. With only a thirty minute window between each talk (when the book signings occurred) you are constantly faced with the dilemma of: (a) Stay for the duration of your current talk and subsequent signing, and miss the first 20-30 minutes of your next talk; (b) Leave your current talk when it finishes and go straight to your next and miss the book signing altogether; (c) Or miss segments of each to ensure you are able to be present at them all. On my first day, all three events were late starting and I was unable to stay for the duration for fear of missing the next. Like many I poured over the programme and carefully picked events that did not clash but this was soon made redundant, through no fault of my own. I was brought up to respect that 11.30 means 11.30, not 12.15. It gave the impression that some of the events were being run by a budget airline.

3. Why Experiment With Untested Audio?

My first talk was one I was very much looking forward to: Eduardo Sacheri author of ‘The Secret In Their Eyes.’ On our way in, thirty minutes late (see above) we were handed a pair of headphones and an audio box with a twelve channel dial and many other buttons. I knew we were in Wales but I had not been expecting a Welsh translation of the talk. Nevertheless, Philippe Sands, the Chair, took to the stage with the author and informed us that Eduardo did not speak any English. Furthermore, Philippe said he did not speak any Spanish. We all laughed, because we thought he was joking. He was not. A Translator was off stage in a sound booth and would translate the talk simutenously on channel two. But we had to press a red button and wait for that light, and then adjust the volume. However, after a run through, it was clear channel two was dead. We were asked to ‘try channel three’ and sure enough there was the Translator. However, she was translating both the English into Spanish for Eduardo, and the Spanish into English for Philippe…on the same channel. The more technical savy quickly learned to switch between channel two and three so as not to mix the two. But many were not, and threw their boxes on the floor. Things did not improve.

They decided to show two clips from the Oscar-winning adaption of the book, and I immediately frowned, because surely that was going to interfere with the audio channel? Sure enough, when the clips ended, so did the clarity of the translation. Eduardo continually went bright red as he struggled to listen to the extremely faint crackling audio of the Translator. We were practically squirming in our own seats at the embarrassment the festival were putting him through. They had flown him out from Argentina and had made the bizzare decision to stage his talk as if we were at the UN. If you are used to sitting on the United Nations Security Council, you would be comfortable with the set-up. Nobody in the audience was. The elderly lady next to me, said she heard all the questions in Spanish, and all the answers in English, because she had obviously not been told to switch channels to avoid all of the Translator.

By the end we were running extremely late, resulting in an image I will never forget: when Philipe asked for questions from the floor, one hundred people simutaneously stood up and left. Not because we did not want to engage with the author, but because we were already so late for our next talk, and how on earth did they plan to do the questions in two different languages? Watching a hundred people walk out on him, will no doubt send the wrong message to Eduardo, which is a shame because we had all been so looking forward to seeing him. This was my first ever event at The Hay Festival.

4. Why Is The Rearranging Of Locations So Disorganised?

One aspect of The Hay Festival that quickly becomes apparent to all, is that if the event you are attending is actually in the location listed, you are lucky. Often events are shifted to new locations due to ticket sales. This relocation is put on a noticeboard at the main entrance. However, it is not announced in any other way, or made clear to attendees on their way to an event. It also fluctuates throughout the day. So your next event could very well change location while you are in your current talk, without your knowing. Instead of putting a noticeboard outside every location, they only put one at the main gate. It costs nothing to put one outside each tent so you can see any location changes as you leave your current talk. It is a common courtesy that the organisers seem to have no interest in extending to its attendeees.

5. Why Is The Communication Between The Stewards Non Existent?

On several occassions when waiting in line because the event is running late, people would ask the Steward the reason for the delay. Every single time we were told ‘we don’t know they don’t tell us.’ They were referring to those inside the tents getting things ready. At one point an irate gentleman behind me said ‘well why don’t you go and ask?’ The Steward walked off and never came back.

6. Why Is The Cusine So Poor?

Cusine is perhaps too nice a word to apply here. The food will not make you ill by any means, but it is very pricey and short on flavour. I ordered lamb shanks and chips at around £14. She gave me five chips. I of course pointed this out to her. She told me that was my quota. I didn’t realise we were at War. I must have missed the food rations annoucement at the gate. It is almost as if they want you to leave site and eat somewhere else. My advice is always make sure that you do.

7. Why Is The Sky Shuttle Bus Frighteningly Chaotic?

On paper it sounded wonderful. Three shuttle buses that would operate every hour from the main gate to the surrounding villages. All for the small fee of a £2 donation to the Sky Rainforest Rescue. Sky Shuttle 1, Sky Shuttle 2, and Sky Shuttle 3 go to different villages so only one will be applicable to you if you are staying in one of these locations. They are not for Hay-on-Wye town centre. Only for the villages that you would not otherwise be able to get to. But there is something they do not mention: the last bus of the day. Between 11pm and 11.20 the last three buses appear. Each of them have 16 seats. Let me say that again, 16 seats. So what happens at 11pm is complete chaos. It reminded me of the lifeboat line from Titantic ‘There are not enough for everyone onboard.” Often with everything running late, a hoard of people suddenly arrive at once and it is survival of the fittest to make that last bus. On my first evening, an elderly couple waited in the bus shelter in a classic stance of English reserve. I myself waited behind them. But when I saw the bus and the people rushing out of the festival I darted for the bus. I was one of the lucky ones that made it inside. The couple remained at the shelter expecting the bus to come over to the stop. When it didn’t, they came over and asked to come onboard. They were informed by the staff that it was full and they would have to ‘make other arrangements.’ They argued they had been waiting for twenty minutes where the sign told them to. Sky had no interest in their argument. It was disconcerting to watch elderly generations victimised in this way, and clearly frightened by the mayhem. For without speed, and aggressive elbows, you simply have no chance of making the last shuttle bus. So if you are attending The Hay Festival, do not wait in the shelter. As soon as you see the bus arrive in the layby make a run for it.

8. Why Are There No Networking Events For Writers?

I have been to, and taught at similar events in the US, and there are always networking events for writers to attend. In some cases these are networking parties in the evening, in others they are over lunch. It is always one of the highlights of other events. Non-existant at The Hay Festival. If you are are a writer there is no real benefit of attending. The Hay Festival is almost exclusively geared towards the reader.

9. Why Is There No Storage Facility?

You will sometimes encounter suitcases being lugged around at The Hay Festival. Either from those who have just arrived, or from those who have just checked out, and are attending a few events before leaving. One would assume there would be a simple storage facility on site for those few hours. But no. People are left to struggle with luggage inside the venues, applying an additional level of stress to them before they leave the festival. Security of such a storage facility will always be a big concern, but there must be a suitable solution to this issue.

10. Why Is The Friends Desk Such A Secret?

With most tickets only costing £5, I had bought a few extra ones before arriving, and then decided on the day which event to go to. I asked the assistant at the box office what I should do with the ticket I didn’t need. He informed me they do not issue refunds, and to ‘just throw it away.’ Frowning, I turned to leave and ran into someone I had met the day before, who told me about the Friends Desk. The idea behind it is that you put any unwanted tickets on there, and pick up any you need. There is no fee, just a desk full of tickets. I placed mine into the pile, and managed to find a ticket for a sold out event the next day. It is not an exchange service either. You can literally go there anytime and look for tickets you might need, and get them for free. This desk is twenty yards from the box office counter, in the same room. I met six people in a row who knew nothing about the Friends Desk, and they were all annoyed they had not been told by the staff. Such a unique and excellent service, and yet it is chinese whispers as to its location or purpose.

11. Why Is There No Innovation?

We live in a digital age. One where the very nature of the book publishing ecosystem is changing daily with Apps, eBooks, and Interactive Storytelling. Unfortunately, this is all but ignored by The Hay Festival. Across the board, they believe that the author and the book are invariably enough. It is no longer the case. A view shared even by authors themselves, such as Claire McGowan. Readers, by their very nature, want to be entertained. They crave events where the organisers, perhaps in conjunction with the author’s publicist have been inventive on how they convey the information of the talk. Visual Aids; Book scenes acted out on stage; Quizzes on the books in question; Book trailers, Musical spots, different lighting, are just some of the many suggestions I heard from readers discussing between themselves. It is certainly not a case of all the talks needing to be interactive, or alternatively simply being interviews. Merely a case of mixing up for the audience who could very well attend eight back-to-back talks. At the very least there should be a reflection of how much the digital technology is changing the industry with a series of events and discussions. The Hay Festival is by no means alone in this lack of innovation, but that does not make it inexcusable on their part. When a reader leaves an event they should be buzzing from the way that book has been presented to them. The whole point of the talk is to make readers spread the word about the literature in question. Some US festivals are beginning to wake up to this, with: Webcam questions; Video diaries of the book in gestation; and Trailers. Yet, for all its wealth of events The Hay Festival is strangely ignorant of the digital revolution where some of its authors were initially discovered.

SUMMARY

A festival will always have glitches. But when the same ones recur, you have to question how a festival is being run. If you are going to cram more events in than any other book festival, and then subsequently advertise this, the absolute minimum requirement is that the events start on time. However, there is an unfortunate disregard for punctuality. This reflects badly on both readers and authors. The latter of which are sitting in their events watching a flood of people arrive late, and another group leave early. While the readers themselves are frequently late due to fluctuating start times, and a change of venues at the last minute. It is almost as if the organisers have taken on too much, and then do not have the resources to cope when the schedule spirals out of control.

Thirty-five minutes after one event was due to start, and we were still standing outside, a stressed couple rushed towards our line. The lady, who was upset, complained to the Steward for constantly being given the runaround. The Steward refused to respond. Either he was used to the complaints, or he had no interest in being helpful. Two American families I met said they would never come back because of how they had been treated. To watch readers get this angry, and others break down in tears, means something is fundamentally wrong with how the festival is being run. One couple, who had been to the festival seven years in a row, said that this was the first year that had unsettled them. So perhaps it was a one-off. A blip maybe. Others were not so sure. Many blamed the current newspaper sponsors. I do not think that was a fair judgement, because they are not responsible for the running of the festival. But one wonders who is, because the extent of disorganisation was staggering.

Authors and Journalists will have an altogether contrasting experience. They are isolated in their own green rooms and on-site VIP restaurant. So the only time readers are allowed a glimpse of them, is during their event or book signing. This elitist attitude of ‘them and us’ enforced by the organisers, is absent at most other book festivals.

However, by giving journalists their own media centre, in the belief that their publicity is enough, is extremely niave in the 21st century literary world. Readers today, are now tweeters and bloggers, so they actively spread the word about which festivals to attend and avoid; in the same way their word of mouth increases book sales, especially those appearing at the festival itself. They rely on the views of other readers, not journalists, whose access to green rooms and VIP areas inevitably influences their viewpoint. For a festival promoting books which communicate to readers, Hay seems to have little interest in communicating to those readers themselves. Just because they are in a field, it does not mean they should be treated like cattle. The Hay Festival needs to rectify this, and understand that the readers are the publicity.

I actually met several local residents who all said that The Hay Festival is no longer even the best festival in Hay itself, that How The Light Gets In, beats it hands down. To hear this repeatedly was disheartening. The Hay Festival should be the benchmark: the place where others go to learn how innovative and organised a festival can be.

Consequently, the barometer claim fits comfortably on the fantasy shelf. Although I would still recommend you attend The Hay Festival. To allow for a stress free experience just plan your visit accordingly. Avoid the optimistic temptation to book several events back-to-back, because it will cause you more problems than your blood pressure can handle.

So be flexible, be patient, and most of all, do not worry about being late. Hay will make sure that you are.

“The Kid had taken a bus north from Seattle and stood outside studying the bar for a long time, weighing the options.”

The significance of this opening sentence is underpinned by the three final ominous words; by virtue of the irreversible choices that the characters are repeatedly thwarted by. Divided into five distinctive sections, rather than chapters, this novel has both the structural framework of literary fiction, and the prose to match.

Part one, Air, focuses on an outstanding thirty page narcotics drop deep in northern Seattle, on the border with British Columbia. The Kid, fresh out of Monroe prison has hooked up with Phil Hunt, a local rancher, and veteran of the trail, who is apprehensive, and suspicious about why such an inexperienced contractor has been assigned to him by his boss Eddie. Unbeknown to them, Deputy Bobby Drake, is patrolling the wilderness in a one man attempt to guard the borders. He is still haunted by his own Father, who had also been a Deputy, before sucumbing to the allure of drug running, resulting in a long stretch in prison. With such large quantities being exchanged all along the border, Drake is constantly faced with the dilemma of being corrupted by the same temptations which had enticed his Father, or restoring credibility for the family name.

“He knew he had to earn the name back, earn it back for himself and for his father.”

Part two, By Sea, is notable for two things. The first of these is the exhilarating drug exchange attempted by Hunt using Eddie’s Bayliner in which he discovers the innovative means now being used to ensure the heroin arrives undetected. Advised against partaking by his wife Nora, Hunt understands this is his last chance to settle scores and his unyielding desire to be a good person in a bad situation, creates compelling empathy. The entire sequence is written with an innate ability to drag the reader into the atmospheric setting to such an extent that one feels frightened for the characters in a section which aptly encapsulates the terror of living.

The second momentous factor is the introduction of Grady Fisher, a psychotic hired killer who at all times carries a case of knives: one for every occasion. His bloodlust and meticulous fascination with the insides of his victims, whether they be animal or human, makes for an enduring character of twenty-first century fiction. He is so well written, his mannerisms so attuned in poetic prose that he will consume a reader’s nightmares and make them jump any time they hear knives being sharpened.

“He believed truly and gave himself completely to the expression ‘The eyes are the windows of the soul.’”

Part three, By Land, and part four, Confessions, form a one hundred and fifty page chase sequence as Hunt is pursued by not only Deputy Drake, and the head of the DEA Agent Driscoll, but also Grady Fisher, a man nobody wants on their trail. These sections will invariably remind readers of No Country For Old Men. However, this is not a Cormac McCarthy novel, nor is it a Cohen brothers film. This is an author with his own unique voice. One who writes with such assurance that it is incomprehensible that this is a debut novel. It takes time for a writer to become this good. Maybe three or four novels into their canon of work, they will publish something of this stature. But to produce it straight out of the shoot as a debut, is extraordinary. Consequently one simply cannot disagree with the comments of Stephen King:

“A hell of a good novel, relentlessly paced and beautifully narrated. There’s just no let-up. An auspicious debut.”

The climatic part five, Snow, is where the authoritative voice of this author differentiates from the influences mentioned above. For the sole reason, that the reader is rewarded with a brilliant ending packed with wonderful cinematic scenes and intimate moments of poignancy, which are distinctive to the author’s own voice.

In a recent Interview the author revealed that the writing of this debut took exactly one year from the first word, to the final draft published. Many of his contemporaries endeavour for years to write such an accomplished work, and those that do, struggle to do it within a calendar year.

This, combined with the stunning prose and consummate skill to engage the reader on every single page of The Terror of Living, makes Urban Waite one of the finest literary discoveries of recent years.

“The safest way to write a diary was to imagine Stalin reading every word.”

A foreboding opening sentence, and the prevailing thread for the entire story. Preceding the events of Child 44 throughout the first fifty pages, the reader discovers how our protagonist Agent Leo Demidov met his wife Raisa, and more importantly, understands why their love for each other is so unyielding.

At twenty-seven years old, Leo has risen through the ranks of the MGB, to become a key Agent in 1950’s Russia. He is assigned to the detail in charge of protecting the African-American singer and dedicated Communist from America, Jesse Austin, on his tour of their motherland. But Leo is put under the utmost pressure from Jesse to break from protocol and show him the underbelly of Russian society. Instead of the planned route where:

“A man’s status had become defined by how much empty space surrounded him.”

While dealing with these pressures Leo spends more time with Raisa as his career builds to a defining moment on the Austin tour. It is a wonderful opening to the four part story structure of this novel, and many readers will relish seeing the younger Leo during these early formative years, which define the character we see in the subsequent novels.

Picking up on their lives fifteen years later in 1965, after the events of both Child 44 and The Secret Speech the next section reunites us with their adopted daughters, Zoya and Elana, who were just children in Child 44 but are now twenty-two and seventeen respectively. Elana is very much a focal point of Leo’s suspicious nature, with her increasingly odd behaviour, and her secret diary discovered in their apartment. Along with her sister and Raisa, they are preparing to leave Leo behind and visit America. Restless at being separated from Raisa for the first time since they were married, Leo listens to her sleeping by his side:

“He imagined that she was breathing for both of them.”

The delegation of Soviet students are to perform concerts in New York City and Washington D.C. in a bid to improve relations between the two nations, and Raisa, now a prominent figure in the education system, is tasked with leading them. One of the propaganda experts assigned to them, Mikael Ivanov, is determined to ensure the students are not seduced by the American lifestyle during their visit. The Russian contingent is watched closely by the scrupulous FBI Agent Jim Yates, who has spent the last nine years monitoring the Communist Party of America, and whose very presence on the page makes a reader uncomfortable. This is a man who will stop at nothing to achieve his objectives.

What is most remarkable about this second section, is that when the girls leave Leo behind, so do the readers. Our protagonist is pushed into the background and we spend over two hundred pages away from him. This is an extremely audacious move by the author, but one that works brilliantly. For we finally get to spend time with Raisa in this trilogy, and see how she herself operates under pressure. Her strength and guile allows us to fully appreciate why Leo has found his soul mate, and her paternal instinct that something is awry hurtles us towards a chilling mid-point climax that this reader never saw coming. Consequently it is one of the very best sections in the whole series.

It propels us reeling into the third section of the novel, which takes place fifteen years after the climax in America. For seven of those years, Leo, now based in Kabul, and separated from his family, has been acting as an Advisor to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Joining him in 1980 he is a changed man from the vigorous Agent we saw at the beginning of the book. He has become weary and disillusioned with the atrocities happening around him, some of which he is indirectly responsible for as an Advisor. A young Afghan recruit, Nara Mir, is assigned to watch and learn from him. Someone whom Leo observes:

“Her optimism had been painted over a troubled soul.”

Forced to work together by Captain Vashchenko, it is soon apparent that Nara is struggling to comprehend the lengths that the Soviets will go to to maintain order. But as Leo astutely points out:

“Try to realize the awfulness of your position today isn’t remarkable, or exceptional, it’s ordinary.”

This line resonated a great deal while reading the consequences of the 80’s war unfold in Afghanistan. At two hundred pages, this section is by no means concise, and yet readers will not want it to end. It is gripping, moving, and packed with poignant scenes that makes one question the current war in this country. There is one particular chapter set in the village of Sokh Rot while children innocently play that will stay with this reader for a very long time. The only thread of hope that Leo clings to is to escape across the border into Pakistan, and to one day reach America. It is this driving force that puts us in the midst of the Soviet-Afghan conflict as Leo risks everything to achieve his goal.

The final section of the novel should be left for a reader to discover on their own, because it does not disappoint. Building towards a terrific cliffhanger in the pursuit of Agent 6, the climax could not have been better written.

The quest of Agent Leo Demidov throughout this novel is an excellent character study of what melancholy can do to the human psyche over a sustained period. This is not a fast paced thriller with convoluted plot points. It is far more intelligent than that. Events happen when they would naturally occur, not because they are convenient to whatever page number we are on. Spanning decades and continents, this sweeping cinematic epic of a novel, never fails to impress.

The author has an innate skill for creating scenes that linger, and his protagonist is one of the truly great fictional heroes of the 21st century.

With Agent 6, Tom Rob Smith emphatically confirms that he is one of the finest literary talents working today.

“I’d been to Wilton’s hall before. I would have been seven or eight at the time, and somehow Aunt Cissy persuaded Mama to allow me a trip to the pantomime. Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves it was, and as rushed off to climb in a cab, Mama called after us down the front steps, ‘You watch that child…there’ll be forty thieves in the audience!’ Well I suppose she was right, because something was stolen – and that was my heart.”

And so begins the journey of discovery for the seventeen-year old Phoebe Turner,a girl living with her strict Mother, Maud, in Victorian London. Idolising her glamorous Aunt Cissy, a former opera singer, she often speculates why she had quit at the height of her powers.

“Some nights I still dream of her as Galatea, her face streamed with liquid ribbons of light.”

At just over three-hundred and fifty pages, the novel is broken down into fifty-two succinct chapters, which allows for the story to flow towards the defining moments. Such as chapter thirty, and how it reverberates throughout the remaining section.

The preceding chapters focus on the financial struggles endured by Phoebe and her Mother, when they become the victims of a robbery. It puts Maud under extreme pressure to garner financial security for her family. Exploiting their situation, the mysteriously debonair Nathaniel Samuels makes Maud an offer she cannot refuse, and much to Phoebe’s reluctance, she soon finds herself whisked away to the Hertfordshire countryside. Taking up residence in Dinwood Court, Phoebe learns she is to be a companion for Mrs Lydia Samuels, Nathaniel’s aloof wife. Her new home, based on the real Hampton Court, is superbly depicted, both in the grandeur of its setting, and the loneliness its giants walls create.

“The garden’s black puddles were splintered with silver, reflecting the rays of a rising sun. It seemed that something had broken – both out there, and inside the house.”

The mood of the house, is lifted somewhat by the fleeting visit of Nathaniel and Lydia’s son, Joseph, and his new bride Caroline. Having met in India, and honeymooned in Paris, they restore the vitality of Dinwood Court, while also instigating the tensions which unravel every subsequent layer of the story’s plot. Joseph in particular, is an extremely well written character, whose very nuances and discourse give meaning to the fascinating background of animosity between his parents. Mrs Samuels, under the watchful eye of Phoebe is very much a woman at breaking point, both emotional and physically. But it is only through the subtext of her son’s interactions that we finally begin to understand why.

“I turned to see Mrs Samuels, and even beneath her parasol’s shade, her blue eyes were shining, unnaturally bright as she fixed her son with a steady gaze.”

A constant shadow and source of comfort for Mrs Samuels, is her devoted butler, Mr Stephens, who is despised by her son. Although certainly not by the reader. His quiet reflective demeanour serves the conflict well, and in many ways one could make the argument he is the real eyes of the house. So captivating are his gestures and glances, that the novel could easily have been written from his perspective.

“His words were like balm to my ears, soothing the tense atmosphere.”

Yet by choosing Phoebe Turner as her protagonist, the author has given the reader an insight into this world through wondrous eyes. As the events unfold, and Phoebe’s life transforms, the reader experiences what dark secrets can do to the rectitude of a Victorian teenager.

“I felt myself spinning through spirals of time.”

Through some exquisite prose in The Somnambulist, the author transports the reader to a Victorian age that they will invariably yearn to be part of. To the extent that this reader had to double-check the publication date twice, in the belief that this was a reissue of classic literature. At times it was hard to comprehend one was reading a modern novel, let alone a debut, when the Victorian life it portrays is this vivid. A reader is absorbed by the narrative until it blurs with the reality they live in, making them question the technological advances of today, in light of how the family network has suffered since.

As a testament to the quality of the fiction, The Somnambulist has already been nominated for a number of awards, on account of the ubiquitous belief that this book will endure.

Furthermore, for such a sumptuously elegant novel to be wrapped in a stunningly designed book jacket makes the print edition even more desirable.

Essie Fox is an outstanding talent, and her debut novel The Somnambulist is one of the best books in the genre.

A circle of light draws me to the surface. Bursting through, a wave crashes against my chest and sweeps me onto a foreign beach. There is no sign of the wreckage. I am marooned in complete isolation.

Days blur into weeks and all I can think about is story. The flawless novels whose stories have seeped into my skin and defined me. None more so than the three treasures I ache to read. Their pages are the only rescue I seek. Perched on the sand, gazing at the horizon, I know they will haunt and inspire me for the rest of my days.

American Tabloid by James Ellroy

An exhilarating account of the JFK presidency featuring a stellar cast from: Howard Hughes; Sam Giancana; J Edgar Hoover; Jack Ruby; Jimmy Hoffa; the Kennedy Brothers; and one of the truly great fictional characters: Pete Bondurant. Written in an incomparable hard boiled prose of staccato style, it stretches across a vast canvas of interwoven story, as it hurtles towards my favourite final sentence. A denouement whose ultimate punctuation left me breathless, and certain that I will never read a better novel.

The Stand by Stephen King

A post-apocalyptic epic about the surviving 0.6% of the world’s population who must take a stand against the forces that seek to destroy them. The enormous empthatic cast allows for readers to cherish their own personal favourites as the battle between good and evil escalates. Throughout this breathtaking scope it is littered with a multitude of iconic images that have influenced countless movies and television shows since. So that after only a few short chapters I found myself reading just five pages a day to savour a novel that is a tour de force of storytelling, and an undeniable masterpiece.

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky

The morality tale of Raskolnikov’s journey from murder to redemption, is a gripping psychological study of the human condition in the midst of extreme circumstances. The existentialist nature of the novel propelled me into its pages while I read Philosophy at University, for here was a character redefining the boundaries of ethics and testing the philosophical questions we studied. So that anytime I huddle in the cold I still always think of Raskolnikov and smile. His quest is so utterly mesmerising it remains the only novel that upon finishing I turned to page 1 and began reading again.

The Production

Having discovered my previous short film The Stars & The Stones online, Barbed Wire FX sent me an email of praise in which they outlined their intentions to work together on a future project.

At their request I flew to Los Angeles for a meeting with the CEO, and they soon committed their involvement to The Velvet Abstract.

The following year was spent recruiting Artists to work remotely from their own studios. Spanning six continents, the production now has talent working on the film in America; Switzerland; the UK; Germany; Sweden; Australia; Serbia; Malta; Austria; Canada; Malaysia; France; Mexico, South Africa, and New Zealand.

Individually they have worked on:The Hunger Games; Avatar; The Amazing Spider-Man; Rise of the Planet of the Apes; Shutter Island; The Day After Tomorrow; Spider-Man 2; Traffic; Air Force One; The Golden Compass; Solaris; Shrek 2; AVPR: Aliens vs Predators – Requiem; Angeles & Demons; The Manchurian Candidate; The Incredible Hulk; Ali; The Cabin in the Woods; Snow White and the Huntsman; I Am Legend; Alias; X-Men; Star Wars; Lost, and many more.

Teaser Trailer 1

The short film is due to be released in 2013.

My weekly assignment consisted of reading a new screenplay and supplying detailed ten page development notes that focused on improving the work that conventional coverage is not able to. Extensive suggestions were encouraged as the Readers chosen by the Agency were often experienced Writers and Teachers that the unsolicited could learn from. In certain cases, the Agency would pair a reader with a specific client with a view to becoming an Associate Producer on the movie.

The screenplays were an assortment of new specs; projects from existing clients that needing polishing before sending to the studios; and green-lit movies that the Agency were considering joining as additional Producers.

My development notes were highly commended and I soon found myself being asked to handle the pitches that the company openly sought. With over fifty per week my responsibility lay in selecting which ones the Agency should request the screenplays for.

During my time with the Agency in 2009 I read a great deal of scripts, and it has been stimulating to see some of them now released in Theatres and doing well.

On the flip side, reading from the slush pile was a challenging endurance. One that has certainly given me a deeper understanding and sympathy towards the day-to-day life of a Literary Agent.

We discussed the various productions that we had worked on individually, and the possibility of helping each other out on future ones.

Prior to her leading role in the feature film North by El Norte, Isabel began developing her own intriguing project about the horrors of the Iraq War.

She asked me to come aboard as a Story Editor and critique the screenplay for PIN that she had written herself over the preceding year.

Towards the end of 2008 I worked on the edit meticulously, and submitted my story notes in return for her offer of crediting me with Special Thanks on the film. One that she decided to rename and make into her debut short as Writer/Director In The Name Of Freedom.

A female American Soldier is held captive and is surprised by a prisoner that changes her life for ever

The Production

With her husband, the Actor Douglas Tait, they were able to raise the funding over the course of several months on schedule for their spring shoot. Filmed entirely in the Santa Clarita Valley and San Fernando Valley in California, the production wrapped in August 2009.

The following month I was invited to the private Industry Screening and Reception at the world renowned Dolby Screening Room in Burbank.

In The Name Of Freedom was released and received critical acclaim across the Film Festival circuit in 2010.

They were running an online auction whereby screenwriters had to bid for literary feedback from industry professionals within their field of expertise. In their own words:

“We’ve lined up a roster of high calibre experts to help us reach our goals. These reputable and talented individuals are all professionals working in the Hollywood industry today.”

Alongside such luminaries as Michael Hague; Karl Iglesias; Blake Snyder; William C. Martell; Chris Soth; Pilar Alessandra; and Heather Hale, I was asked to be the sole judge of the Short Film category.

This entailed providing three pages of detailed analysis for the winning bidder, Karen Webb of Pinch Hit Productions for her short film script Arthur’s Salvation.

Based on my critique, Karen wrote a new draft which then went on to win the Manhattan Short Film Festival Screenwriting Competition in 2008.

That week, over dinner with an Editor, I ran into Erik Bauer, the founder and CEO at the time, of Creative Screenwriting Magazineand the event itself. Expressing my concerns about the short film exclusion, he asked me to send him a full outline for a class that I could teach at the next Expo.

After reviewing my proposal, I soon received word that the organisers wished to hire me as a Speaker for the 2007 Creative Screenwriting Expo the largest of its kind in the entertainment industry.

Short Films: A Short Way To Success

Exploring the techniques that separate the short film format from that of the feature.  With a special emphasis on the reasons why this avenue of creativity will lead to career longevity in Hollywood.

As a Speaker at the Expo, I taught students from around the world, and networked with the Key Speakers of the year, along with the leading Panelists. The popularity of the class itself has ensured a short film seminar has been on the roster ever since.

An adventurous and dynamic series that uncovers the truth behind some of the world’s greatest mysteries

The Production

After discovering my credentials on The Writers Guild website, the US Television Presenter Sonia Uribe, hired me to write and design a Treatment for her new Television show The Sonia Uribe Files.

Her company 3 Way Productions had a number of meetings lined up with Television stations, and they needed a complete pitch package for their presentations.

Throughout the summer of 2007 I diligently worked on the Treatment in close liaison with Sonia. The artistic Treatment contained several photographs, and specifics on each of the twelve episodes. Upon delivery of my final draft at the end of August, both Sonia and her team were extremely complimentary about the final results:

“I was just at a production meeting today and I showed the treatment to the others. They were all blown away with what you’ve created. It’s absolutely wonderful. Thank you very much for producing a masterpiece and for finishing it before the deadline.”

The Treatment was to be used alongside their Teaser Trailer.

The complete pitch package was submitted to interested Television production companies in early 2008.

Four days passed and another message intruded my Inbox with deep concerns on my lack of response because they needed to arrange my flights. Their hook had worked. ‘Flights?’ I questioned, and hit refresh for two hours. Their reply was formulated into a blank itinerary in which I was to key in my address and passport details. Their cunning ploy to acquire these specifics was met by another deleted email.

Their persistence endured with a follow-up requesting my phone number so they could settle any concerns, and I warily relented. At a tapas bar I received a call from the empathetic Producer who was extremely keen for a meeting. He implored me to fill in the itinerary and he would personally take care of the rest. The next day I received an email confirmation of my first class return tickets to Pisa.

Twenty-four hours later I was airborne over the Alps drinking champagne. Despite the altitude my feet were kept grounded by the plastic dispenser cups that compensated for the unlatched glasses which had broken on take-off.

I was met at Galileo Galilei Airport by the Producer who accompanied me to my five-star hotel accommodation in preparation for the evening meeting. He returned with the company driver who chauffeured me to the upper reaches of the Tuscan hills. As the city lights succumbed to darkness, trepidation fluttered my heart. I was in the middle of nowhere with two men that were now speaking exclusively in Italian. Their exchange quietened as we swung into the mile long drive of a private country estate. The driver opened my door and I momentarily paused before stepping out.

They escorted me to the rear of the building across shadowed cobbles. I took a deep breath as the kitchen door creaked open.

My fears receded with the warm greeting I received from Maurizio Mian and his family, who were busy putting the final touches to dinner. When the feast was over, Maurizio, the Producer, and myself retreated to the living room for our meeting. They apologized for their evasiveness but they needed my complete trust and faith in the project before divulging the company’s worth of $400 million dollars. A company that could quite literally afford anybody, and here they were hiring me. Naturally I inquired as to what writing sample had privileged me so. They spoke of an earlier screenplay, and especially my short film The Stars and The Stones which the company loved. They now wanted me to write an experimental Theatre show for an event in three months time. I received very detailed specifics about the message that must be conveyed via a mountain of reading material and video clips. I was to compact these gigantic threads into an innovative show entitled Global Revolution.

Thirteen youngsters attempt to live their lives under a new philosophy

The Production

After negotiating my own contract, I wrote the script in three hectic weeks and delivered my final draft for the company meeting at the end of January. During which I had to sit with bated breath and watch the team read it. Fortunately they were thrilled with the work and Maurizio announced an immediate production.

We auditioned Actors; Dancers; Chorographers; and Musicians; from across Europe, over a two week period. Once the team was in place Maurizio hired an entire floor of a city hotel so that his cast and crew could stay together for the duration of the rehearsals.

During the subsequent months I Co-Directed the production with the Choreographer, Jean Breeze, while also attending regular meetings with Mauricio at extravagant locations across Tuscany. The discussions centred around how we could develop the show and the world cities it could be taken to. Mauricio’s preference was Miami as he owned the Mansion that had previously belonged to Madonna. But to crack that scene, we both agreed that it would require a Director more accustomed to the Theatre. So I contacted the Curtis Brown Agency in London, and arranged for their client at the time, Paul Jepson, to fly out and discuss the possibility of him taking over the reigns.

In March 2006, we staged Global Revolution to a live audience of 4000 at an open air event in Pisa, where it was simultaneously filmed for Italian Television.

A few days later at their Manchester offices they informed me they had quickly singled it out from the two hundred strong submission pile, and that they wanted to option it before another company did. So over our restaurant lunch meeting I read through the contract on offer, and after a few negotiations I signed the deal by the close of business. It was my first feature film screenplay sale, and to mark the occasion I kept a framed copy of the cheque.

While the film was in development, they hired me to write two more. The first of which generated considerable interest from Euroscript, who requested my presence in London for their funding scheme. The five panelists discussed the intricacies of the story and its development towards a shooting script. Based on the recommendations of the board, Liam Cunningham soon attached himself to the project.

The second screenplay, a thriller set in Boston, garnered interest from a leading Script Consultant. He invited me to a meeting at BAFTA where we collaborated the story notes for the subsequent draft.

These screenplay sales enabled me to acquire the necessary points to be accepted as a full member of the Writers Guild in 2003, to whom the production company had written a letter of recommendation:

“An innate ability to tell a good story in his superb script writing”

I worked for Six Foot High Films as their in-house Screenwriter between 2001 and 2004 on these three unproduced projects. Prior to the unfortunate dissolution of the production company in 2005, I bought back the rights for the first screenplay and now have plans to develop it into a YA novel.

The Production

In my capacities as Vice-Chairman of Wide Angle Productions one of the measures we introduced was that each member of the crew be interchangeable. It often required additional training and internal workshops. The result was that in just under two years I worked uncredited on over twenty short films as: Cinematographer; Sound; Cameraman; Production Manager; Script Supervisor; Line Producer; and Art Director. I took this invaluable experience with me into my own Production Company Amber Films formed shortly after I left Wide Angle, where we soon began work on The Stars & The Stones.

As Writer/Director I had chosen to tell the story using black and white photography instead of film. Photography that was captured on 35mm and not digital.

It was shot on location in Brighton over the course of two weeks between the hours of 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. to ensure complete frame isolation for the Actress. The photograph used for the one sheet alone took two hours of light rigging before we had the shot I wanted for the film.

When complete we developed by hand over 160 images in our dark room.

Having just wrapped on a mainstream Television Production, the lead Actor was cast a few weeks after finalising these stills. The narration was recorded in a professional studio where the film was also edited.

It premiered in Oct 2000 at the Calgary Film Festival where it was hailed as “a cinematic poem.”