Spring is arriving at last in southern France where I am copyediting my novel, The Viking Hostage. I was delighted to revisit this quotation from Freda White’s Three Rivers of France: ‘the spring in Aquitaine comes flying from the west in a swirl of flowers, with summer hard on its heels, pursuing it by the…
Category: Books
Happy Welsh Lover’s Day
January 25th is Welsh Lover’s Day, celebrating Saint Dwynwen, a 5th century princess who was thwarted in love. Dwynwen had 23 sisters. She fell in love with Maelon Dafodrill but her father, King Brychan, would not allow her to marry him. Dwynwen fled to the woods, and Maelon was turned into a block of ice….
Surviving Vikings, rodents, and war
In my most recent lecture for MA Poetics of Imagination at Dartington Arts School, I considered the production of medieval books. I hope some of the students are now busy making their own writing surfaces, inks and pigments. To survive into the 21st century these medieval books had to run the gauntlet of flood, fire, war,…
Of things I’d rather keep in silence I must sing
I’m currently preparing a teaching session for MA Poetics of Imagination at Dartington Arts School on the troubadours and trobairitz, which put me in mind of a wonderful writing residency I had a few years ago in the beautiful medieval village of Saint-Cirq-Lapopie in France. In 2016, I collaborated with artist Tania Candiani on an…
Publication Day! The Water Age
My new books The Water Age 1, 2, 3 are published today by Meanda Books. The Water Age & Other Fictions is a collection of short future fictions. ‘Meanda’ takes place on an ocean exoplanet. ‘Asbrú’ tangles in the fronds of Icelandic algae. Other stories explore slime technologies. These fictions are spawned by aquatic flora and fauna, such…
The Water Age – 3 new books
Coming soon: Octavio Paz meets J.G. Ballard meets David Attenborough in these suspenseful, lyrical tales of hybrid species and aqua technologies. ‘Meanda’ takes place on an ocean exoplanet. ‘Asbrú’ tangles in the fronds of Icelandic algae. Other stories explore slime technologies. These fictions are spawned by aquatic flora and fauna, such as spitting fish, inking squids and…
The Water Age – 3 new books for 2018
I have established a publishing imprint called Meanda Books to publish the three small books that are the outcome of my work in the Frontiers in Retreat art and ecology project. The books will be published in July. An expression of interest form is at the bottom of this post. The books are: …
Images from the medieval world
I am running a series of daily image trailers on Twitter prior to an illustrated talk that I am giving at Downham Market Library on Monday 11 December, 2-3pm. A lot of the research I undertake for my historical fiction involves images, objects, places and maps. To celebrate the publication of my latest novel, The…
Book Reviews Request
‘I could not put this book down from the moment I started it. I practically inhaled the content.’ Poppy Coburn on Daughter of the Last King To those of you who have already read one or more of my historical novels: I would be grateful if you get the time to post a brief review…
Medieval Wales
Above is an artist’s impression of the Welsh fort at Carew that preceded the Norman stone castle occupying the site today. The sketch is based on findings from archaeology digs in the 1990s. The stone cross at the entrance to the site, inscribed with the name of the 11th century king Maredudd ap Edwin, is…
Tracey Warr Writing 