Angela Slatter's Blog, page 5
January 4, 2024
Spanish translation of The Bitterwood Bible
How beautiful is the cover for the Spanish translation of The Bitterwood Bible!!?? 
La Biblia de Bosque Amargo.
Art by @joseantonioavila (a perfect match for the cover of Sourdough and Other Stories – Masa Madre y otros relatos), and published once again by @dilatandomentes in 2024!
Tartarus Press editions of my books
This is one of those announcements that’s sort of happy-sad. Or sad-happy. I’ve loved working with Rosalie and Ray at Tartarus Press for the past thirteen years (where did that time go?). They’ve produced beautiful limited editions of my mosaic collections –
Sourdough and Other Stories
,
The Bitterwood Bible and Other Recountings
and
The Tallow-Wife and Other Tales
– and the limited edition of my novel All the Murmuring Bones. Sourdough and Tallow-Wife were both finalists for the World Fantasy Award for Best Collection, and Bitterwood won said award. Tartarus also published the equally lovely trade paperbacks of those collections, but the time has come for a much more widely available mass-market edition. Titan Books have undertaken to do that as part of their remit of publishing my other novels set in this universe: All the Murmuring Bones, The Path of Thorns, The Briar Book of the Dead, The Crimson Road, and soon three new novels as part of a seven-book deal. As a result, there will be no more Tartarus trade paperbacks of the collections, nor any ebooks available. There are some small stocks of the Bitterwood paperback and All the Murmuring Bones left, so if you’re determined to have one of these increasingly rare things, then make haste hence, my friends!It’s early days yet, so we don’t have a firm timeline for when the Titan edition will happen, but please be patient and do keep an eye on my social media accounts for announcements. Once again, it’s been an honour and a pleasure to work with Rosalie and Ray, who were instrumental in helping get the Sourdough stories out into the world way back in 2010.
New anthology: Bound in Blood
This cracking new anthology, Bound in Blood, edited by Johnny Mains and published by Titan Books, will be out in Sept this year!
I’m delighted to have a story in it, along with such luminaries at Elizabeth Hand, Eric La Rocca, Charlie Higson, Adam Cesare,
Zin Rocklyn, Nadia Bulkin, Isy Suttie, Angeline Morrison, A. G. Slatter, Priya Sharma, A. K. Benedict, Guy Adams, Lucie McKnight Hardy,
Ramsey Campbell, Alison Moore, Laura Mauro, Reggie Oliver, Anna Taborska, Kim Newman.
December 22, 2023
The Year in Review: 2023
Well, the apocalypses continued, varying only in size and impact, and with a certain regularly that was almost comforting – an “If this is Tuesday, that must be Godzilla on the horizon” sort of thing.
I had no novel out this year, but a large chunk of 2023 was spent getting The Briar Book of the Dead ready for her Feb 2024 launch (details to follow when at hand). I’m very proud of this novel and hope she’ll find favour! A big shout-out to Jess Nesling, who is the audiobook narrator and the perfect voice for my Ellie Briar!
Brain Jar Press published my collection, The Wrong Girl & Other Warnings, in October. The little book that could is doing very well by all accounts. 
In terms of short stories in anthologies:
“The Tissot Family Circus,” Twice Cursed, Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane (ed.), Titan Books, April 2023.“Through the Woods, Due West,” The Book of Witches, Jonathan Strahan (ed.), Harper Voyager, August 2023.“The Tale’s in the Telling,” Disintegration, Darren Speegle (ed.), PS Publishing, 2023.“Dusk,” Darkness Beckons, Mark Morris (ed.), Flame Tree Press, October 2023.
Dark Horse Comics brought out the hardcover collection of my graphic novel collaboration with Mike Mignola, Castle Full of Blackbirds, set in the Hellboy Universe. Glorious artwork by Valeria Burzo, colours by Michelle Madsen and lettering by Clem Robins. This is a sort of a dream bucket list achievement for me. And I had a story, “Some Wander”, in the inaugural Dark Horse Halloween Annual.
We (i.e. my agent Meg Davis) got my rights back to the Verity Fassbinder series (Vigil, Corpselight, Restoration) and there will be some news about that in coming months.
Dutch, Bulgarian and Spanish translations of All the Murmuring Bones came out this year. The Dutch version was a limited edition hardcover and particularly spectacular, with beautiful endpapers, foiled cover and a new story! We’ve recently done a deal for Czechoslovakian translations of The Path of Thorns and The Briar Book of the Dead. 
The Path of Thorns won the Aurealis Award for Best Fantasy Novel and the Australian Shadows Award for Best Horror. The Bone Lantern won the Shirley Jackson Award for Best Novella. I was awarded a Bremer Star by my old high school, which “recognises past students of Bremer State High School who have attained great success in their chosen field of expertise”. The Spanish translation of my novella, Of Sorrow and Such (De conjuros y otras penas, translated by Rebeca Cardeñoso of Duermevela Ediciones) was a finalist for the Premio Ignotus Awards in the category of Foreign Novella, which was a lovely thing to happen.
I started writing a screenplay adapting my short story “Winter Children” into a feature film – but we’ll see how that goes! It’s definitely one of those situations of “Feck it, I’ll figure it out along the way.”
Looking forward:
Towards the end of 2024 PS Publishing will bring out a new edition of Black-Winged Angels, which will contain Kathleen Jennings’ beautiful silhouettes, a new story not previously published in English, and the exegesis from my MA about female agency in fairy tales with specific reference to Angela Carter’s The Bloody Chamber and Emma Donoghue’s Kissing the Witch.
Duermevela Ediciones will publish the Spanish translation of my novella, Ripper, in March 2024 – under the title of The Fifth Witch (La quinta bruja).
Dilatando Mentes Editorial has translated The Bitterwood Bible and Other Recountings into Spanish, and will publish that collection in 2024. They did a beautiful version of Sourdough and Other Stories a couple of years ago, so I’m looking forward to another lovely book.
In July-August, I’ll be travelling overseas (apocalypses notwithstanding) for the first time since Helsinki WorldCon in 2017. I’ll be an invited guest at Celsius 232 in Aviles, Spain; doing a writing retreat on Dartmoor; going to Forbidden Planet in London and spending far too much money; and going to Glasgow WorldCon. So, looking forward to seeing folk there!
Aaaaaaaand I just signed a seven-book deal with Titan Books! I’m very happy to continue working with my editor Cath Trechman and the whole team there (excellent editorial work, very active rights department, beautiful covers and promotional work). I’ll be writing three new novels set in the Sourdough universe, and three contemporary folk horror novellas. The seventh book will be a reprinting of Sourdough and Other Stories, The Bitterwood Bible and Other Recountings and The Tallow-Wife and Other Tales as a sort of “Sourdough Compendium”.
So, all in all, a year of continuing to build and consolidate even when the walls were shaking. The floor, at least, feels somewhat more solid. Onward and upward.
December 21, 2023
New Book Deal!
Wanted poster by the Very Kathleen Jennings
This is news I’ve been sitting on for a wee while and dying to share!
I’ve signed a new seven-book deal with Titan, which means three new novels (set in the same world as All the Murmuring Bones, etc), and three new folk horror novellas. The final book will be a “Sourdough Compendium” of all three mosaic collections previously published by Tartarus Press (see, if you’re a fan of Tartarus editions you might want to rush and buy the last of their stock of Sourdough and Other Stories, The Bitterwood Bible and Other Recountings and The Tallow-Wife and Other Tales).
The announcement came out in The Bookseller on Tuesday, the gist of which was:
Titan Books has scooped a seven-book deal for three novels, a reprint collection of short stories and three modern folk horror novellas from A G Slatter. Editor-at-large Cath Trechman bought world all-languages rights, including audiobook, from Meg Davis at Ki Agency Ltd. Under another deal, Slatter will publish another novel with Titan in February 2025. The books in the new deal will be published from October 2025 onwards beginning with the horror novella The Cold House. Davis said: “Angela and Titan are publishing alchemy together, and I’m very happy that this magical combination will continue.”
The three novels and the short story collection will be set in the same fantasy world as All the Murmuring Bones. “I’m delighted to be signing with Titan again. I’ve had such a great experience with them,” said Slatter. “I can’t wait to write more novels in the world of All the Murmuring Bones and The Path of Thorns! And I’m excited to get my teeth into the new folk horror novellas.”
Trechman said: “Angela Slatter is the real deal: her ability to build elaborate worlds and weave the most intricate plots, all while keeping up a thriller-like pace, gripping the reader like a vice, is nothing short of astonishing. It’s an absolute privilege to work with her. I’m overjoyed, not only to have three more delicious dark fantasy tales, but also to see her turn her expert hand to the modern horror novella, all of which promise dark delights.”
November 9, 2023
Briar Book – ARC!
The ARC of The Briar Book of the Dead arrived this afternoon and is finally in my grabby, grabby paws! I’m so excited to get my hands on this and have it as a real book instead of the wild dream in my head.
Officially, it’s out on 13 Feb 2024 and we’ll be launching at the Brisbane Square Library that night. Don’t worry, I’ll post links when available – as ever, the event will be free but you’ll need to book your seat so we can cater sufficient cupcakes!
October 28, 2023
Australian Shadows Awards
Photo by Cat Sparks
The Australian Shadows Awards for 2022 publications were announced yesterday at Asylumfest 2023 and The Path of Thornswon best novel! Thanks to Cat Sparks and Kirstyn McDermott for letting me know.
Congrats to all the finalists and winners – full list below.Novel The Stone Road, Trent Jamieson (Erewhon)Red Ruin, Ian J. Middleton & Denver Grenell (self-published)The Path of Thorns, Angela Slatter (Titan)Denizen, James McKenzie Watson (Viking)Winner: The Path of Thorns, Angela Slatter (Titan)Long FictionAnd Then I Woke Up, Malcolm Devlin (Tor dot com)“Kookaburra Cruel”, Aaron Dries (Damnation Games)“Among the Faded Woods”, Faith Mudge (The Art of Being Human)Winner: And Then I Woke Up, Malcolm Devlin (Tor dot com)Short Fiction“Little Balloons”, Aaron Dries (Cut to Care: A Collection of LIttle Hurts)“They Call Me Mother”, Geneve Flynn (Classic Monsters Unleashed)“Break the Skin If You Have To”, Emma Osborne, Jess Essey & Cadwell Turnbull (Nightmare 12/22)“The Tub”, J. Ashley Smith (Midnight Echo 17)Winner: “Little Balloons”, Aaron Dries (Cut to Care: A Collection of LIttle Hurts)Collected WorksThe Devil Took Her: Tales of Horror, Michael Botur (The Sager Group)Cut to Care: A Collection of Little Hurts, Aaron Dries (IFWG Australia)Hard Places, Kirstyn McDermott (Trepidatio)Liminal Spaces: Horror Stories, Deborah Sheldon (IFWG Australia)Reflections, Tabatha Wood (Wild Wood)Winner: Hard Places, Kirstyn McDermott (Trepidatio)Edited WorksMidnight Echo 17, Greg Chapman (AHWA)Found: An Anthology of Found Footage Horror Stories, Andrew Cull & Gabino Iglesias, eds. (Vermillion2One)Death in the Mouth: An Anthology of Original Horror, People of Color, Cassie Hart & Sloane Leong, eds. (self-published)Winner: Death in the Mouth: An Anthology of Original Horror, People of Color, Cassie Hart & Sloane Leong, eds. (self-published)Poetry“Hip Gnomes”, PS Cottier (AntipodeanSF 291)“Night Terrors”, L.E. Daniels (HWA)“How Does Your Garden Grow?”, Gene Flynn (Hybrid: Misfits, Monsters and Other Phenomena)“If I Touch You, You’ll Know”, Rebecca Fraser (Nightmare Fuel 12/22)Winner: “Hip Gnomes”, PS Cottier (AntipodeanSF 291)Non-Fiction“The Slow Burn Brilliance of Midnight Mass”, Kris Ashton (Aurealis 5/22)“Vampire, the Ageless Monster”, Tim Hawken (Aurealis 149)“I Don’t Read Horror (and other weird tales)”, Lee Murray (Interstellar Flight Magazine 10/22)“No Horror Without the Body”, Tabatha Wood (self-published)Winner: “The Slow Burn Brilliance of Midnight Mass”, Kris Ashton (Aurealis 5/22)Graphic Novel
Batrisha and the Creepy Caretaker, Dillon Naylor (Comicoz)How to Win a Raid, Emmet O’Cuana (Bird’s Eye)Gorilla My Dreams Team-Up #1: When Freaks Collide, Big Tim Stiles (Big Tim’s Funny Books)Winner: Gorilla My Dreams Team-Up #1: When Freaks Collide, Big Tim Stiles (Big Tim’s Funny Books)
September 22, 2023
Briar Book – cover quotes
Oh, we’re starting to get some lovely cover quotes in for The Briar Book of the Dead! Huge thanks to Juliet Marillier, Alison Littlewood and Kathleen Jennings for their kind words, and to Titan’s marketing mavens for making these pretty little cards!
Headless Horseman Halloween Annual 2023
The inaugural Dark Horse Comics Headless Horseman Halloween Annual is creepy closer! Look at those creators!! And Lukas Ketner’s Dark Equestrian! Five terrifying stories in 56 full colour pages …
September 21, 2023
The Wrong Girl & Others Warnings
For a book that’s not actually out yet, The Wrong Girl & Other Warnings is getting read a lot! Brain Jar Press get their pre-orders out ahead of time – and because they print in-the-country-of-your-ordering, it’s not super expensive to go for a print copy over an ebook. Just saying. So, you know, clicky-clicky.
Some kind words from the clever Dr Damon Young:
“There’s a famous scene in “American Hustle” (2013) that has Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence) talking about her nail polish:
‘There’s something, the topcoat. It’s like, perfumey, but there’s also something, rotten. And I know that sounds crazy, but I can’t get enough of it.’
This is how I feel about Slatter’s excellent collection. The stories are full of sweetness: the prose style, the banter, the glimpses of kindness or liberation. But there’s a nasty, rotten aroma that permeates every tale. And this gives the stories such depth.
Many concern revenge of a stripe, typically poetic: a nasty man getting what he deserves. Or a woman getting what she deserves, and should’ve had long before (were not for said nasty man).
This sounds glib, but all themes do in abstract. Slatter is never abstract. She offers palpable characters and settings; makes us feel the reasonableness in her protagonists’ (often homicidal) urges.
Aside from the (unstuffy) elegance of her writing, I was most struck by Slatter’s immediacy. There’s no gentle introduction. No dallying. Each world opens up and claims you—but briefly, then another begins.
If you like short stories, seek Slatter out. And if you don’t: seek therapy.”
Original post is here.
