A Touching Novel…
articles / 27th May 2020

‘A Name Writ in Water’ by Richard Boden is a beautifully written, touching novel, which provides the reader with an un-romanticised picture of the Romantic poet, John Keats’, who is embarked on a final voyage to Italy in search of a cure for his consumption. Based on extensive research, it never falls into the trap of becoming a mere biographical account of listed events and places. Rather, it conducts the reader on an imaginative journey, through the personal experiences of its characters, and into another believable historical time. This is a debut of impressive quality that combines a mastery of style and vocabulary with an impressive insight into human nature. The plot evolves around four main characters all of whom carry with them an emotional baggage from the life they have left behind: Keats, his unconsummated love for Fanny Braun; Joseph Severn, Keats’ companion, the disapproval of his father; the seventeen year old, consumptive, Miss Cotterell, a yearning for a life she will never have; and Mrs Pidgeon, Miss Cotterell’s chaperon, embittered by the loss of a war of her war-damaged husband and reliance on her brother’s demanding charity. Each regards Italy, with varying degrees of optimism, as a possible…

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Secrets and covers…
articles , articles blogs & latest news / 30th October 2017

Rachel reveals the secrets of bookcover art… Rachel Bennett’s beautiful artwork adorns the cover of our latest novel The Reputation and here she describes the soul and the heart of illustrating… How did you get into becoming a book cover illustrator? Well, there is no single way to become a book cover illustrator, but I do think that my own path was a little unconventional! I started my journey to becoming a book cover illustrator in the very traditional sense… Which was, of course, by studying for my Bachelor’s Degree in Theoretical Physics! Before attending University, I was faced with the difficult decision between studying Physics and Mathematics, two subjects I was extremely fascinated by and passionate about, or attending University to further my knowledge and experience of the art world. I decided to study Physics but continue with my love of art in my spare time, and in that spare time at University, started up my own illustration company called Puffin Prints. It was from my experiences through Puffin Prints, creating my own art and illustrations and putting them out into the world, both online and physically by selling my work in local shops and galleries, and attending networking…

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Editing Hamsun

Richard Eccles talks about his fascination with the great Norwegian writer Knut Hamsun and his newly edited re-issue of Hamsun’s stunning novel Pan, the first in our Modern Classics Series. If you had to lure a contemporary reader into exploring Knut’s Hamsun’s novels what would you say? Hamsun is in some ways the perfect antidote to modern life and the worst aspects of modern literature. From our perspective in the 21st century he takes us into a magical, remote world stripped down to its most realistic and extraordinary essentials. He is painfully aware of all of the modern challenges, disruptions and psychoses, and describes them in such biblical simplicity that most readers can never forget what they have just read and want more. He is also the least gimmicky of story-tellers and never fails to keep the story and the characters at the heart of every sentence, at the same time as being the most modern of novelists in his themes and understanding of the human condition. And why Pan, why now? Worster’s beautiful translation came out in 1921, just after the First World War. It was the first translation of this novel in to English and is in many…

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