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Author Archives: bookseekeragency
Launches and relaunches in Ireland and South Africa
By now you’re all well aware that P’kaboo Publishers has relocated from South Africa to Ireland, and is gearing up for big things. Amongst them is a writing contest for children between the ages of 8 and 18. So if you’re a young person living in Ireland, or you know someone who is, then take note and watch this space… because we’re watching their web site, and as soon as the rules are published we’ll let you know.
We do already know that amongst the prizes will be getting a story published in a book, along with all the other winning stories. And there will be a wonderful launch party in Cobh, Co. Cork.
Meanwhile, Pkaboo has retained an associate back in South Africa. Professional editor Les Noble, whom many of our clients have used, has taken over marketing and promoting their books in their ‘old country’, added to which he has started his own imprint – Noblest Publications. As you can see from the handbill below, he has planned a series of events in the city of Durban, including one that re-introduces Carmen Capuano’s excellent novel Split Decision.
Publishing successes and other news.
Okay, we’ll allow ourselves that little bit of levity…
Since the agency announced a few days ago that our client Elizabeth Mostyn had signed a contract for a commercial publishing deal, things have started to move in a big way here. Let’s summarise what has been happening.
Gamon
Firstly, publishing contracts have been signed by to other clients. Joshua Gamon’s The Brothers Thanatos was described by the publisher with the words “Wow, what a riveting story!” Well, we can attest to that – it’s an absolute blinder of a tale, and we can’t wait to see it published. Also Marie Marshall has signed a contract for her collection The Last-but-one Samurai and other stories. Marie’s publisher intends to relaunch her teen-vampire novel From My Cold, Undead Hand at the same time as the sequel KWIREBOY vs VAMPIRE is published, both with newly-designed covers. There’s also talk of a relaunch of her 2010 collection of poems, Naked in the Sea.
Cortes
Contracts are currently being negotiated with the estate of the late Hector P. Cortes for his novel Miura, and with the collective known as ‘The Firm’ for its non-fiction book Walk Proud, to be published in 2019 to mark the 50thanniversary of the media ‘discovery’ of the Skinhead movement.
Shand
Meanwhile we have a publisher looking at Michael Shand’s Let Sleeping Dogs Lie, a cracking thriller set in the mean streets of Edinburgh.
And lastly, the ‘Bookseeker’ of Bookseeker Agency himself, Paul Thompson, has achieved an MSc With Distinction in ‘Literature and Modernity’ from the University of Edinburgh, and will be looking for a PhD place in 2019.
GDPR and the agency
We’re a little late onto this matter, and we don’t claim to be overnight experts, but this update is just let everyone know that we hold very little data. What we have, we try to keep safe, and we delete it on request. A fuller declaration has been added to our ‘Contact’ page. If anyone can think of something we should be doing or saying, please drop us an email.
Thanks.
Publishing deal! Update.
The agency is very pleased to announce that it has secured a commercial publishing deal for its client Elizabeth Mostyn, in respect of her debut novel, Wisp. , set in and around St Andrews University in Scotland.
Over the next few weeks, Elizabeth will be working with the publisher’s editors, polishing the manuscript and getting it ready for publication. She has several more books in the pipeline, ranging from fiction to academic non-fiction, and the agency hopes to keep representing her literary efforts with equal success.
More news in due course. For now, well done Elizabeth!
“Yet here’s a postscript…”
… to the Edinburgh International Book Festival.
You never know who you’re going to bump into in Charlotte Sq. Here’s a back view of someone whose face you would know, if he turned round. He wasn’t appearing at the festival, but he’s obviously for some purpose, as he’s studying the map and getting his bearings. Do you recognise him? If you do, feel free to tweet to me @BookseekerAgent. I’ll give you a clue: he’s quite interesting, and he used to be a name to conjure with.
Another Book Festival has come and gone…
I mean, of course, THE Book Festival – the Edinburgh International Book Festival. It officially shut up shop yesterday, but as usual I have been around and about for the past extended fortnight, chatting, snapping, reviewing, occasionally getting in the way. I’m not going to waste too many words here, I’m just going to post my usual mini montage. All photos © Paul Thompson unless otherwise noted.
It wouldn’t be Charlotte Square without a couple of shots of Prince Albert, so here’s one with a seagull…
and one with a contrail. These show this year’s changeable weather in Edinburgh.
Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy, seen here in the main signing tent, introduced us to two emerging poets…
Keith Hutson and Mark Pajak.
Two generations of the Mandela family joined us from South Africa.
The vin van:
There’s always something going on, even if I’m not quite sure what…
Louis de Bernières was here again.
“Smile please, Sir!” call the photographers
Photo call for economist, broadcaster, and author Linda Yueh
Happening to be in the right place at the right time, and with many thanks both to Festival Director Nick Barley and to the two storytellers, I was able to get some lovely exclusive photos of Maimouna Jallow and Mara Menzies!
The Bookshop is always busy. I say the Bookshop, but there are at least three – four if you count the shelves in the main signing tent. Anyhow, this is a shot from inside the big one in Charlotte Sq.
Science(ish)ists Rick Edwards and Michael Brooks
Two shots of ‘Makar’ Jackie Kay, one at her photo call, the other in the signing tent when she spots Ali Smith and another friend in the queue. Jackie always brings brightness into the Festival.
And here is Ali Smith, who was here helping to celebrate Muriel Spark’s centenary.
A natural break for one of the Festival staff. What better than to read a book!
Alice Strang was here, promoting the fine book she edited on Scottish Modern Art in the first half of the Twentieth Century.
Another famous face – June Sarpong.
Brian Dillon appears pensive…
Jim Broadbent and Dix, whose unusual graphic novel Dull Margaret (which Jim positions somewhere between Victoria Wood and Hammer Horror) was featured in the Baillie Gifford Theatre.
And if you can blag a selfie with a National Treasure, why not!
And as usual, there is always time for leisure at the Festival.
All being well, I hope to be back there same time next year.
PT.
‘Walk Proud’ – Skinhead manuscript is going out to publishers!
2019 will see the 50th anniversary of the year when the word ‘Skinhead’ hit the UK media. In time for that semicentennial, ‘The Firm’ – a group of people who were there when it all kicked off – converse with each other, and respond to questions. What was it really like in 1969?
Bookseeker Agency frontman Paul Thompson was invited to be the editor for the book, although it really was a collective effort. BBC Radio6 DJ Don Letts has promised a foreword in due course – you may have seen Paul on Don’s 2016 documentary The Story of Skinhead on BBC4, as he was there back in the day too!
Walk Proud tackles such issues as
Did Skinheads evolve from the Mods?
What was the link to the American ‘Ivy League’ style, and where did Skins get those button-down shirts and wing-tip brogues?
Was it all boots and braces and football?
Were there run-ins with Greasers, the Old Bill, and South Asians?
Drugs or booze?
What did Skinhead girls really wear?
Yell – the invention of the modern fanzine, or a mistake that never got off the ground?
Race and politics.
Was Skinhead essentially a London thing?
Slade or Desmond Dekker – what was the true ‘sound’ of Skinhead?
Skinheads and the media – “Do they mean us?”
They don’t always agree with each other, but their conversations bring out details which might otherwise have been lost to social history. That’s one of the main reasons why the book has been put together. The media, both reportage and drama, have been getting things wrong almost since day one, from Softly Softly Task Force to Inspector George Gently, and later copycat movements have turned the whole thing into a para-political travesty. So this book is a vital piece of that social history.
The book is now going out to publishers. But if you’re a non-fiction publisher and you’re reading this and you think you can market it, don’t wait for us to get in touch with you!
__________
The artwork and images in this article are not necessarily from the book.
‘Lose Like a Human’ wins prizes at Hyperdrive!
Last weekend, the 19th and 20th May, the Hyperdrive Festival took place in Hailsham, Sussex. Twenty-five films were shown over the two days, including Lose Like a Human, written by Luka Vukos and Fergus Doyle, and directed by Luka Vukos. You’ll remember that we mentioned this project – Luka’s directorial debut – in an earlier update here.
Well I am delighted to say that the film won prizes at this festival, its first outing. Firstly DB Hews lifted the trophy for Best Original Score. Moreover the film won the Audience Choice Award! Very well done everyone!
I believe we won’t have to wait very long for the movie’s excellent music, written and played by DB Hews with vocals by Cara Lynch, to be available. Keep your eyes and ears open, because it’s beautiful.
More news about all this as and when it happens. I know that Luka’s mind is bubbling with ideas for future projects.
Fergus Doyle, Adri Rodríguez Muñoz (Casting Manager & Creative Consultant), Luka Vukos, and DB Hews, pictured at Hyperdrive.
“Reading ‘Split Decision’ is the best decision you can make.”
Jack Woodward
Recently broadcaster Jack Woodward came across a copy of Carmen Capuano‘s novel Split Decision. Here’s what he had to say about it.
I thought this was a compelling and enthralling read, from beginning to end. We’ve all had ‘sliding doors’ moments in our lives ( though not many with quite such dramatic consequences I hope! ), and the two parallel stories were superbly and sensitively told.
Lots of surprises, twists and turns along the way and excellent use of language to convey the emotions, also covering a range of issues, from friendship to family, loyalty to jealousy.
For the whole book to be based on a time period of less than 24 hours was a challenge but it worked well, written in such an intelligent way that flitting between the two narratives is in no way confusing for the reader, it actually helps build the suspense.
I’m one of those people who likes to read a couple of chapters a night but I just couldn’t put this one down and had to keep going right through to the nail biting finale. Riveting and remarkable, this author really knows how to get you right on the edge of your seat.
In fact, reading Split Decision is the best decision you can make.
Bookseeker Literary Agency 