A very special announcement to make today, for those of you who don’t know already from the Bookseller’s announcement, we have signed the incredible and inspiring Katie Piper!
We are all over the moon to have her on board and look forward to her first book Things Get Better coming soon.
Katie Piper – Things Get Better from Quercus Books on Vimeo.
Recently I saw the film YOUNG ADULT with Charlize Theron (it’s good, I recommend it) and got to thinking about its title. In the context of the film, “Young Adult” is a play on words: the protagonist is a 30-something author who acts half her age and writes a sugary fiction series aimed at teenage girls.
“Young adult” (or “YA”) is a term that is used throughout publishing for literature of any genre that is written for an audience of about 12-17 years old. YA novels are often shorter and less stylistically complex than adult works, but contain some exploration of adult themes. These include (but are not limited to) love, sex, peer abuse, substance abuse, family problems, growing pains, irrational adolescent anger, and so on.
There are certain genres where the YA market is particularly strong. Recently, this has been the case with fantasy, science fiction and horror… it seems we can’t get enough of supernatural teenage thrillers.
Quercus’ fantasy/sci-fi YA list is small but strong. Our book Ashes fits pretty cleanly into the dystopian fiction genre and has been sweeping up praise from critics left and right. John Marsden’s series, which begins with Tomorrow When the War Began, is another example.
That said, YA doesn’t always have to be genre fiction. Many of the best examples are set in the modern day and centre around the banalities of school cliques, embarrassing siblings, and teenage hormones. Cat Clarke’s novel Torn, for instance, is a brilliant example of non-genre YA, albeit with a slightly macabre twist.
Now, we at Quercus are all 18 years + and huge fans of Torn, This brings me to the heart of this thought exercise: it appears that YA fiction is no longer the sole domain of sprightly fifteen-year-olds (if you need proof of this just look at the number of adults with Twilight tattoos.)
At some stage in the not-so-distant past YA starting attracting a pretty significant adult fan base. When did this happen? Was it after the emergence of that book-which-will-not-be-named? Or, was it some time earlier? Is it nostalgia alone that makes us older folk love YA or is there another, more profound, reason?
Send us your thoughts and you may just get to read Torn for free (hint: it never pays to teach that annoying popular girl the lesson she so deserves.)
Really excited to be able to bring you this 3 part series by Tom Chatfield, author of the fabulous 50 Digital Ideas.
Wonderful web words
Until its first use in emails in 1971, the @ symbol was an obscure object used to indicate pricing levels in accounting. Since then, it has become one of the world’s most widely-used symbols, and has gathered a bewildering and colourful variety of different descriptions in different languages.
While in English it is simply called the “at sign,” others are more poetic: in Italy, it is chiocciola “the snail,” thanks to its shape.
In Finnish it is thought to look more like a curled-up cat (miukumauku) while in Russian the language leans towards a dog (sobaka). The Chinese sometimes call it xiao laoshu, or “little mouse.” But perhaps most colourful of all is the German interpretation: Klammeraffe, or “spider-monkey.”
Still more eccentric is the story of Apple’s “command” key, marked by a square with looped corners, or ⌘.
Known properly as the Saint John’s Arms, it’s an ancient, knot-like heraldic symbol, dating back in Scandinavia to at least 1000BC, where it was used to ward against spirits and bad luck.
It’s still found today on Swedish maps, representing places of historical interest, thanks to its (approximate) resemblance to the tower of a castle viewed from above. To many modern Mac users, though, it’s simply “the command squiggle” or “splodge”.
Behind the scenes, meanwhile, old terms have found new homes. Hypertext Markup Language, or HTML, is the bread and butter of the web itself. Yet both the word “markup” itself and many of the most common terms in online markup languages date back not to the first days of digital technology, but to a far earlier transformation: the birth of printing.
Printing with movable type first appeared in Europe in the 15th century, and was a laborious process that usually involved hand-written manuscripts being “marked up” with instructions to the printer as to how they should be presented on the page: which words should be in bold, italics, headings, underlined, or set out separately.
Several of these printer’s terms survive to this day online: from the abbreviation “em” signalling “emphasis” (type in italics) to the use of the tag “strong” to signal bold type. Technological times change fast – but words have their own momentum.
This week on the Quercus Couch we’ve got the wonderful Siobhan Hayes, author of Poison Heart, one of the most dark and magical tales of the year.
Alice Hill: Where were you born and raised?
S.B. Hayes: I was born and raised in Crosby, Liverpool, and I still live very close by, in an adjoining suburb.
Alice Hill: How many brothers and sisters do you have? Is anyone else in your family a writer?
S.B. Hayes: None of my family are writers. I have three children, all boys, and I hope that one of them will be interested in becoming a writer, but they show no signs of it yet!
Alice Hill: Did you enjoy school? What is your most vivid memory of your school years?
S.B. Hayes: I loved school although I was quite shy. I attended a single-sex convent school that was very strict and demanded the highest standard of behaviour. My most vivid memory is being caught swearing about a lengthy homework assignment. I thought I was safe at the back row of the class but my teacher excelled in lip reading. I was made to stand in the corridor for a double lesson with our headmistress, Sister Scholastica, on the prowl.
Alice Hill: What educational qualifications do you have? Have you had any formal tuition in creative writing? If so, where and what? Did you find it useful?
S.B. Hayes: I studied Humanities at university but my course didn’t involve any creative writing. My only tuition has been the literary agents and publishers who were kind enough to give me their feedback and advice on how to increase my chances of being published.
Alice Hill: Did you always want to be an author? If not, what did you originally want to be and when and why did you change your mind?
S.B. Hayes: Yes, I always wanted to be an author. I can remember being as young as six or seven and spending all my pocket money on a notebook to write in. I loved being faced with a pristine blank page because of the endless possibilities it presented.
Alice Hill: What were the first pieces of writing that you produced? e.g. short stories, school magazine etc.
S.B. Hayes: My first piece would definitely have been a poem. I was obsessed by rhyme, rhythm and the repetition of words. I would compose endless verses in my head when I was supposed to be doing math or something boring.
Alice Hill: Who were your role models? Which writers have influenced you the most? Which person do you most admire?
S.B. Hayes: I admire so many writers, both modern and classic, I couldn’t pin down just a few and, of course, I would love to be able to write as well as all of them, but it’s important to find your own voice and literary style.
Alice Hill: What jobs did you have before you started writing?
S.B. Hayes: I’ve always worked in offices in different roles but I don’t think I was a model employee. I was often sneakily writing poetry or short stories instead of processing pension applications or insurance claims.
Alice Hill: Do you write full-time? If so, when did you start?
S.B. Hayes: I would love to write full-time but it never seems to happen, though I do try to work on something every day, if only proofreading my previous efforts. If I’m found slacking I try to convince people that I’m mentally preparing, always important before beginning a story.
Alice Hill: What was your goal then? What is your ambition now that you have achieved success as a writer? What is the next challenge for you personally?
S.B. Hayes: My goal was always to have a novel published. My current ambition is simply to have the opportunity to continue writing for Young Adults and maybe younger teenagers. It’s such a pleasure and a privilege, I couldn’t ask for more.
Alice Hill: Have you ever written in other genres? Under pseudonyms?
S.B. Hayes: I’ve tried my hand at writing romance for women and a psychological thriller. I’ve also written children’s novels for middle readers. I’ve used pseudonyms in the past, some of which I’m really embarrassed about.
Alice Hill: What personal experiences do you feel have informed your writing? Do you have a connection with or fondness for particular characters or locations?
S.B. Hayes: I probably do draw on my own personal experiences but it isn’t a conscious thing. I’m just as likely to gain inspiration from being observant in everyday life; people-watching is one of my hobbies. I have a fondness for characters with plenty of flaws and definitely in jeopardy.
Alice Hill: What inspires you?
S.B. Hayes: I’m inspired by the whole process of creating something out of nothing and it still amazes me that one small idea can evolve into a full-length novel. Every other writer, published or unpublished, also inspires me for being brave enough to turn their thoughts into words and engage with a reader.
Alice Hill: How do you write each book? i.e. do you block out the narrative first, take each page at a time, create the central character, build a cast of characters etc? Any anecdotes about the research or writing of your books?
S.B. Hayes: I never have any trouble creating characters, they’re firmly fixed in my imagination and by the time I come to describe them they already feel like old friends. I take more time with the plot of a novel and often work out a chapter-by-chapter sequence of events with all the twists and turns before I begin, otherwise I literally lose the plot! If my inspiration wanes I’ve been known to take a long bus ride. The sheer boredom always concentrates my mind.
Alice Hill: Have any of your books been televised? Who by and when were they screened?
No, but I live in hope.
Alice Hill: What is a typical writing day? What time do you start? Where do you write? Do you break for lunch? What exercise do you do?
S.B. Hayes: My writing schedule is inconsistent and is often dictated by my other commitments. I always want to do more than I’m able and have guilty dreams where I’m sitting at my computer furiously tapping at the keyboard.
When I wake up I’m always annoyed that I can never remember what I’ve written! I write in my spare bedroom which is south facing and always warm. My lazy cat lies on the window ledge next to my desk, mocking my endeavours.
My daily exercise is sauntering to the nearest coffee shop for a latte and chocolate pastry.
Alice Hill: How long does it take you to complete a novel typically?
S.B. Hayes: With a coherent plot I could write a novel in less than six months but with the important editing process, it can take up to a year.
Alice Hill: What do you do when you are not writing? How do you relax? What are your hobbies?
S.B. Hayes: There always seems to be a million and one things to do and never enough hours in the day, but I’m not unique in that. My husband has his own business in which I’m gainfully employed. (Although he might disagree with this statement!) In general I find it really hard to relax but I love going to the cinema and theatre, or visiting flea markets to buy anything old, worn or slightly battered. I’m l lucky to live close to the sea and I like to walk along the beach, particularly in winter.
Alice Hill: Have you started your next book? Can you tell us a little bit about it?
S.B. Hayes: Yes, I have started my next book. It combines the quest for a missing person with a love story that to succeed has to defy the immutable laws of time. I adore my latest heroine; she has an attitude problem, is impatient and, after a brush with death, feels that time is slipping through her fingers.
She is drawn to an atmospheric manor house in the search for her brother where she has to undergo certain trials, but her ultimate test will be to preserve her soul and be reunited with her one true love.
Alice Hill: What single thing might people be surprised to learn about you?
S.B. Hayes: I was born on Friday the thirteenth, something I tend not to share.
Alice Hill: Anything else you’d like to add?
S.B. Hayes: So many talented people help in the production of a novel and without their dedication it wouldn’t get off the ground. It’s important that an author doesn’t get all the credit. The only other thing to add is – having my first novel published is wonderful. I’m still expecting to wake up!
Chris Womersley’s new novel Bereft has been receiving some amazing press recently, and deservedly so. Garnering comparisons to Cormac McCarthy and set in Australia this book is one which is cannot be missed. We thought we’d collect a few of the more recent and alternative reviews of the book for you:
1) There is an exceptionally strong sense of time and place, with the Australian countryside a presence in its own right. Other reviews have suggested echoes of and a homage to Cormac McCarthy.
While I didn’t find Bereft as visceral as The Road, there’s no denying that Womersley’s post-WWI Australia certainly shares elements of McCarthy’s apocalyptic nightmare.-Lizzy Siddal
Read the full review over on Lizzy’s Literary Life.
2) The image of central New South Wales is a stark and beautiful one – harsh and rugged. I could almost smell the dust and feel the heat. The prose was unique and conjured vivid sensory reactions as I read it.
The novel also addresses spirituality, and Quinn’s struggle to believe that God hasn’t forsaken him. He doesn’t like people questioning God, yet he does so himself.
He is both repulsed and drawn to the occult, to a medium who channeled his sister, and to Sadie’s trinkets and spells.
This is a novel that I could read a few times and get something different from it every time. It would also be a great novel to discuss as part of a book club, because of its subtlety and the variety of issues it raises. Highly recommended.
Read this review in full on My journal of becoming a writer.
3) The prose it beautiful, the characters fully drawn, there is also a mystery at its heart giving it that page turning quality, yet never at the expense of any of its other winning factors.
It also covers a very interesting period in a countries history I knew nothing about yet came away with the atmosphere still lingering with me long after finishing the book. Highly recommended.
I am really glad I read this book, I have instantly started wondering if its eligible for a certain award this year but wouldn’t want to jinx it, it is only January after all.
I am saddened to see that you can’t get his debut novel ‘The Low Road’ in the UK as yet, as I would definitely like to read more of his work. Has anyone else read that? Who else has read this one? I would love to know if readers in Australia have heard as much about this book as I imagine you might.-Simon Savidge
Read this wonderful review in full over on Savidge Reads.
If you’d like to read a free extract of the novel we have an interactive flipbook available now!
Afterwards you can listen to Chris on the fantastic Litopia:
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