PHILIP WOMACK

Thursday, 13 February 2020

The Dressing-up Box by David Constantine and Sudden Traveller by Sarah Hall: review

My review of The Dressing-up Box by David Constantine, and Sudden Traveller by Sarah Hall, two new collections of short stories, is in this week's Times Literary Supplement.

Tuesday, 4 February 2020

10 Best European Novels

I've suggested a list of the 10 Best European novels for The Independent. Read it here.

Saturday, 14 December 2019

Nicholas Bowling interview

I interviewed Nicholas Bowling for Books for Keeps, about his new book, which is shortlisted for the Costa, In the Shadow of Heroes. Read it here.

Tuesday, 3 December 2019

Literary Review Children's Book Christmas Round Up

Here's my Christmas children's book round up for Literary Review.

It features Sally Gardner's Invisible in a Bright Light, Frances Hardinge's Deeplight, Hilary McKay's A Time of Green Magic, Catherine Fisher's The Velvet Fox, Alison Moore's Sunny and the Hotel Splendid, Chris Riddell's Guardians of Magic, and Ben Manley and Emma Chichester Clark's The Misadventures of Frederick.

Friday, 29 November 2019

Find Me by André Aciman: review

My review of Find Me by André Aciman is in this weekend's FT.

Friday, 15 November 2019

The Arrow of Apollo in Books for Keeps

I've written the Guest Editorial for Books for Keeps on crowdfunding and The Arrow of Apollo. Read it here.

Tuesday, 22 October 2019

The Arrow of Apollo: Cover

Good morning everyone,

I'm delighted to reveal the cover for THE ARROW OF APOLLO, which will be out in May 2020, published by Unbound.

I think it's wonderful: dynamic, exciting, and giving a real sense of the story and drama.

Not long till publication now...

Quotes

Praise for The Double Axe

"I began to leaf through, then could not put the book down, so easy to read it was like being in a trance. You can virtually taste the blood, smell the sea breezes, touch the stone walls of the palace as you run your hands along them, inhabit the strong young body of the 13 year old narrator and feel his fear and exhilaration. The pages almost turned themselves as my brain was effortlessly filled with data normally the preserve of scholarly classicists." Mary Killen, The Lady

"Womack’s fifth novel, unsettling, original and absorbing, shows him at the height of his powers." Imogen Russell Williams, Literary Review.

"Learned and exciting." Suzi Feay, Financial Times.

"...a clever rummage through the myth that manages to turn it on its head and recast it in a new light... promises great things to come." Toby Clements, The Telegraph.

" You should try this book. The spare, simple narrative tightens the tension in every page and keeps you reading. There is suspicion, trust, betrayal, and death. Curses, prophecies and magic. Excellent stuff!" Reading Matters.

Praise for The King's Shadow

"The King's Shadow, like The Broken King and Womack's two previous books, remains full of atmosphere, menace and lightly-worn learning. Classical influence is evident in the lunar names of King Selenus and his daughter and in the compass directions of the Roman winds; and there are nice, unsettling touches of warped courtliness and chivalry throughout. A darkly disconcerting high fantasy, in the vein of Alan Garner or Susan Cooper, it should appeal to adventurous young readers." - Imogen Russell Williams, Literary Review

"Womack delivers a whole, satisfying story ... Giants, dwarfs and magic all bubble in the mix - along with a dash of romance." Suzi Feay, The Financial Times.

Praise for The Broken King

"Philip Womack is one of the best contemporary writers of children's fantasy... There's a real sense of deepening menace... will please any young fantasy fan." Philip Reeve, author.

"[Womack] does conjure an eerie poetry of the subconscious, a kind of Alice in Terrorland." Suzi Feay, The Financial Times

"A magical story full of powerful images and unexpected consequences." Julia Eccleshare, Lovereading4Kids

" The Broken King is superbly written and totally gripping, and I want the next bit now." Kate Saunders, Literary Review.

"Like Alan Garner, Philip Womack takes ancient fairy-tales about searching for a child kidnapped by dark magic, and turns it into a haunting adventure exploring love, courage, fear and friendship. Written with sensitivity, intelligence and conviction, it's the kind of classic story readers can't get enough of." Amanda Craig

"A cracking pace, enigmatic characters and terrifying adversaries will have you clamouring for the next in the series. " - Sarah Naughton

Praise for The Other Book

"Philip Womack is a writer of huge talent" - Artemis Cooper in The Daily Telegraph

'Womack is not simply writing for children, he is, like many of the best children's writers, remembering how it felt to be a child'. Roz Kaveney in Times Literary Supplement

'Womack excels at vivid and lyrical phrasing ... Can't wait for more.' Elspeth Barker in Literary Review

'A ripsnorting children's adventure ... the helter-skelter pace will keep any right-thinking ten year old hooked.' Archie Bland in The Spectator

Praise for The Liberators

What is so rewarding about Womack’s book is that the quality of the writing is good enough to slow you down. From the “pall of fear” that “hung over London as its citizens mobbed around, uncertain of the dangers that hid in their midst” to the conversations between children and adults, the pace and mystery are underscored by a poet’s imagination. This is a proper, copper-bottomed magical story of the kind once written by Alan Garner and John Masefield, and it uses the sinister side of Greek myth with brio.' Amanda Craig, The Times

Pages

The Darkening Path