Station Zero

It’s just under a month until the publication of Thunder City , my new novel set in the world of Mortal Engines . To mark the occasion I’m lining up a bunch of events in September and October: the itinerary currently looks like this… On Monday, 30th September , I’ll be talking about the book at Waterstones in Bath as part of the Bath Children’s Literature Festival . On Saturday 5th October First Draft Books in Bovey Tracey, Devon and Bovey Paradiso arts centre are arranging a whole afternoon of Mortal Engines , kicking off with a screening of the movie, followed by a chat with me and book signing.   On Tuesday 8th October I’m part of a panel event at Cheltenham Literary Festival along with authors Liz Hyder and Piers Torday, discussing the creation of fantasy worlds. This is a school event, but I’ll be signing books afterwards if you happen to be at the festival that day, or want to pick up a signed copy from the bookshop later. On Saturday, 12th October I’ll be in Totnes for a...

I’ve been spending the summer in the Wild West, which Sarah Reeve and I have very convincingly recreated in a field near our house. Unfortunately it hasn't been very Wild West weather, but occasionally the sun shines, and we've made the most of it. Prairie Rascals , our new Bonehill Films production, is a Western, in which Dartmoor gets to stand in for the prairies and pinewoods of Arkansas while a cast of top Devonian and Cornish actors put on their best American accents. When her no-good homesteader husband is murdered by outlaws hunting for the the gold he stole during the Civil War, Annie Harper sets off to find the treasure for herself. Annie's played by Rosanna Lambert, a local actress who appeared briefly in our film Gwenevere as a mystical maiden. She’s great, and it’s been good to give her more to do in this one. Also returning is our Gwenevere title star, actress and artist Laura Frances Martin . Gwenevere was rather a serious role, but Laura’s a tremendously fu...