The Craig Cup

The novelist and critic Amanda Craig has awarded Wildlord the Craig Cup for Most Underrated Children's Book. Her review is here on Writers Review.

Wildlord review round up

 I've been so delighted by the response to Wildlord. It's wonderful to be reviewed - when there are so many brilliant new children's books out there, it's difficult to find space (as I know myself, from having written a thrice-yearly round up for Literary Review for over a decade.) Here's a round up of the latest.

Amanda Craig, herself a brilliant novelist, has reviewed Wildlord in the New Statesman:

Children's Books Ireland had a very kind mention of the book in their Christmas Reading Guide:

Love Reading4 Kids made Wildlord their book of the month (thank you!) and had this to say:

Culturefly had Wildlord in their Best Books for Christmas:

And finally, The Irish Times:

 

 

 

Christmas Children's Books Round-up for Literary Review

As sure as eggs are eggs, here comes my 94th Children's Book Round up for that estimable organ, Literary Review. You can read it here. Featured books are:

Dark Peak by Marcus Sedgwick

The Chime Seekers by Ross Montgomery

The Red Gloves and Other Stories by Catherine Fisher

Utterly Dark and the Face of the Deep by Philip Reeve

Sisters of the Lost Marsh by Lucy Strange

The Shadows of Rookhaven by Padraig Kenny

Fireborn by Aisling Fowler.

WILDLORD book trailer

 

Gareth Jones has made this spooky trailer for Wildlord.

Treacle Walker by Alan Garner: review

Treacle Walker by Alan Garner

Joe, a boy living on his own in a dilapidated house, goes for an eye test. The letters don’t behave as they should, and morph into Latin (from an old alchemical text, incidentally, though Joe doesn’t know it). In Alan Garner’s numinous new book, Treacle Walker (4th Estate), time and reality shimmer with strangeness. The title refers to the name of a  rag and bone man with “green violet” eyes, who appears at Joe’s house one morning, initiating mysterious incidents. He speaks philosophically: “For at the very moment you have Now, it flees. It is gone. It is, on the instant, Then.” He also spouts strange words: “hurlothrumbo” and “lumperhomock” - characters in a play by an 18th century dancing master called Samuel Johnson, which refer directly to the supernatural. We are not in Kansas any more.

Garner’s body of work stands apart. His children’s books are like poems, spare, tense and achingly vivid, starred with poignancy, beauty and passion. Treacle Walker is set some time in the 1950s, evoked with loving, choice detail, including a comic called Knockout that becomes eerily significant. Despite this, the novel seems ageless and fable-like.

Joe must be put to the test, and when his eye gains magical powers, a dangerous force is set loose which he has to thwart. The book hauntingly employs doppelgangers, mirrors and cuckoos, whilst also creating a new kind of nature myth.
Treacle Walker shows us renewal, resurrection, and the cycles of the seasons; and it does so with an artistry and attention rarely seen in children’s literature. Those who know Garner’s work will sense another golden thread, woven into the tapestry; those who don’t will be entranced, and, with luck, led into a world of treasures.

Buy it here

Podcast with Nikki Gamble: In the Reading Corner

 

I very much enjoyed doing this podcast with Nikki Gamble. We talked about Wildlord, folklore, fantasy and more. You can listen here.

Off the Shelf in Big Issue North

Introduction to Wildlord

 

Wildlord: Book of the Week in Books for Keeps

 

Good morning all. I am thrilled to announce that Wildlord is Book of the Week in Books for Keeps, the children's books periodical. You can read their review here, and an interview, too.

Interview with Eve McDonnell in Writing.ie

 A few weeks ago, I had a lovely chat via Zoom with Eve McDonnell (the author of Elsetime, a wonderful historical novel) about Wildlord. The interview is up here on Writing.ie. It was such a pleasure to talk to Eve.

Wildlord launch in Books Ireland

I've written a little piece about the Wildlord launch, published here by Books Ireland. Photos taken by Hubert Cecil.

Live Twitter Takeover of Little Island

 On Monday, I'll be doing a LIVE Twitter takeover of the Little Island account. Drop by!

Review of How to Teach Classics to Your Dog on Classics for All

The website Classics for All, which promotes the teaching of Classics in schools, has published a lovely review of How to Teach Classics to Your Dog, which will be out in paperback next week. Here's a link.

Review of Roddy Doyle's Life Without Children in the Financial Times

 

I've reviewed Roddy Doyle's new short story collection, Life Without Children, for The Financial Times. It will be in the paper this weekend.

Review of Jonas Eika's AFTER THE SUN

 I've reviewed Jonas Eika's AFTER THE SUN for The Times Literary Supplement. You can read it here.

Review of WILDLORD in Paper Lanterns

 There's a lovely review of WILDLORD in Paper Lanterns. Read it here.

Interview with Perlego about How to Teach Classics to Your Dog

 

I've been interviewed by Lucy Hoyle of Perlego, about How to Teach Classics to Your Dog, will be published in paperback soon. Here's the interview.

Review in City Kids Magazine

 

Interview with Paperbound: Out now

 

The special spooky issue of Paperbound is out now, and a interview with me about WILDLORD is in it. You can read it here.

SIGNED pre-orders of Wildlord at the Owl Bookshop

 I've teamed up with the Owl  Bookshop: if you'd like to pre-order a special SIGNED edition of Wildlord, you can do so here.

Interview in Paperbound Magazine: Cover Reveal.

Interview in Paperbound Magazine will be out soon. Here's the fabulous cover.
 

Interview in PaperBound

 Interview about Wildlord in the Autumn issue of PaperBound Magazine, coming out soon.

First review of WILDLORD in the Cork Echo

 The first review - or perhaps that should be preview - of Wildlord has been published, in the Cork Echo. 

"Philip Womack weaves a dark tale of the supernatural in his
atmospheric chiller ‘Wildlord'"

You can pre-order the book from Bookshop.org or Waterstones - or better still, your local bookshop.

The Lesser Known Siblings of Myth

Here's a link to a little piece I've written for the London Magazine, about Greek myth's lesser known siblings.

Cover reveal of WILDLORD

 I'm absolutely thrilled to be able to share the cover of Wildlord. The Federation of Children's Book Groups did the reveal over on Twitter. It's lovely: mysterious and enchanting.

Wildlord: proofs are here.

 I'm absolutely thrilled to see a proof of Wildlord, which will be published in October 2021 by Little Island. 

Here's a lovely quote: "Ancient sorcery and wild magic clash in this thrilling tale which explores love, loss, and the power of friendship" - Katherine Langrish, Author of From Spare Oom to War Drobe.

How To Academy: Three Part Masterclass

 

My 3 Part Masterclass in Children's Writing is back in October, for the How To: Academy. You can sign up here.

How to Academy Children's Writing 2 Part Masterclass

 

I'm delighted to be teaching another 2 part masterclass for the How To Academy.
You can sign up here.

Classics issue of SCOOP

 

It's nearly here! I had great pleasure in guest-editing the June issue of SCOOP magazine. The theme of which, as I expect you can guess, is... Classics. There's an interview with Mary Beard, and plenty of stories, facts and more.

You can order a copy or subscribe to the magazine at the SCOOP website.

June Children's Book Round up for Literary Review

In advance of the summer holidays, here's my children's book round up for Literary Review, featuring some wonderful books:

The Swallows' Flight by Hilary McKay

The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne by Jonathan Stroud

Wolfstongue by Sam Thompson

How I Saved the World in a Week by Polly Ho-Yen

The Girl in Wooden Armour by Conrad Mason

Read the reviews here.

In the Shadow of Arcadia

 I've written a piece on my love of Philip Sidney's Arcadia, for the Royal Literary Fund.
Read it here.

Q&A on Books2All

 

I was very pleased to be asked to do a Q&A with Books2All, a charity which connects book donors with schools in need. You can read it here.

Book Signings at Pickled Pepper and Waterstones Gower Street

 

I've been thrilled to pop in to a couple of bookshops over the past few days to sign copies of THE ARROW OF APOLLO. 

Pickled Pepper in Crouch End is a lovely independent bookshop, with a knowledgeable and friendly bookseller in charge. You can order The Arrow of Apollo from them via email. Their site is here: https://www.pickledpepperbooks.co.uk/

And it was great to see Waterstones Gower Street again - I had forgotten how large and extensive their children's department is. The picture above was taken there - a whopping great pile of copies to sign. Hooray!

From Spare Oom to War Drobe by Katherine Langrish: review

 My review of Katherine Langrish's lovely book about Narnia, From Spare Oom to War Drobe, is in this week's Spectator. Read it here.

Guest Blog on Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

 The wonderful Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books has a guest post from me today, talking about WILDLORD. Read it here.

Finished copies of WRITE YOUR OWN MYTHS

 I was also delighted to receive, on World Book Day, a finished copy of WRITE YOUR OWN MYTHS, my creative writing handbook for children. It will be published in America by Sterling Books in April.

Three Children's Books reviewed for Literary Review

 

I've reviewed three children's books for Literary Review. Read it here.

When the World Was Ours by Liz Kessler

What We're Scared of by Keren David

Two Terrible Vikings by Francesca Simon.

News: Teen fantasy novel, WILDLORD, to be published October 2021

 I'm absolutely thrilled to announce that my teen novel, WILDLORD, will be published by Little Island in October 2021. Here's the announcement in Bookbrunch.

Classical Association Round Up

Philip Hooker of the Classical Association rounded up all the books with classical themes - and I was so pleased to see The Arrow of Apollo in the list. I'm delighted that the Classical community is finding the book: "The most imaginative work is probably Philip Womack’s The Arrow of Apollo, a fresh interpretation of Greek Myth for young adults, set in Achaea and Mycenae 15 years after the Trojan War."

 

 

   

Advanced Masterclass in Children's Writing

I'm now doing an extra two part Advanced Masterclass in Children's Writing, with the How to: Academy: you can find out more here.  The first session is Friday 26th March.

How to Write Children's Fiction: Masterclass for How to Academy

 

I'm back teaching at the How To: Academy this year, with a three part Masterclass in Children's Writing. You can sign up here.