Stefan Bachmann's Blog, page 2
January 13, 2024
Books, Books, Books
Happy New Year! I hope everyone had restful holidays and lots of good food, and thank you all for following along for another year. This particular newsletter is going to be very long and overfull with books and art, so here goooooes.
BooksThe Secret Life of Hidden Places, my and April Genevieve Tucholke’s adult nonfiction about architectural mysteries, is out in the US and the UK in exactly one month. And it’s coming to audiobook, too, narrated in splendid English baritone by James Langton.
Pre-order here This will be a busy year for audiobooks. Release the Wolves is also coming to audio in June, and - surprise, surprise - A Drop of Night, too, thanks to my awesome editor and HarperAudio. I will post more details about those two closer to release.
Speaking of Release the Wolves: I got to do a map for it! I’m very excited about this. And I’m working on chapter decorations now. I’ll post sneak peeks in the coming months. Here is the Rovina Cai cover again, because I just love it. It will be out June 25th.
Pre-order here I was also honored to be a part of Nate Pedersen’s upcoming anthology called The Dagon Collection, which has a very cool concept: an auction catalog for mystical artifacts pertaining to H.P. Lovecraft’s writings. My entry is called The Bloodskirt’s Key. Look at this gorgeous cover.
Pre-order here 
Die Letzten Hexen von Blackbird Castle was on German TV yesterday! It was the children’s book recommendation on 3Sat. Thank you so much to whoever made this happen.
UPCOMING EVENTSThere’s a fun upcoming event in Basel, Switzerland, at midnight! On a boat! And they used one of my ghost illustration for the poster for the fest, which I thought was lovely. I’ll be there on January 19th, reading from Die Letzten Hexen von Blackbird Castle, but there are lots of other cool things happening and authors reading. Infos here!
I’ll also be in Savannah, Georgia, for the Savannah Book Festival in February for the launch of The Secret Life of Hidden Places, together with my friend and co-author April Genevieve Tucholke, and in Lucerne in March for the Lettera Festival.
Launch of Storytelling SchweizI talked about this a while ago, and after a loooooot of work from all involved, the Storytelling Schweiz initiative is launching its second phase now!
Starting January 8th and running until July 31st, Storytelling Schweiz will be accepting entries from young people as well as spreading storytelling tips and inspiration from established Swiss authors and illustrators. The goal is to boost existing creators of Swiss children’s literature and also encourage the development of a new generation of storytellers.
If you know of any Swiss kids between the ages of 12-18 with a story to tell, and an enthusiasm for language, this is for them. (Not to mention there are 10,000 francs worth of prizes to be won.)
Check out our instagram for weekly storytelling tips, and subscribe to the Autillus newsletter for news about the Swiss children’s and young people’s writers and illustrators scene. And thanks so much to all our excellent sponsors. What an adventure this has been, and continues to be.
Storytelling Schweiz TeachingSign-up is open for next year’s Extramundana, the national workshop for up-and-coming fantasy writers ages 16-30, coached by me, Jyoti Guptara, and Bettina Belmont, and run by the excellent people at the Junges Literaturlabor in Zürich. This is our third year doing this, and it’s always a blast. Spots are limited to twelve, and the deadline for submissions is February 12th.
Apply for “Extramundana” Art round-upHere is all my personal art from the last two months. I’m trying to use more color! Slowly but surely. . . .
November 22, 2023
LOVELYBOOKS AWARD, etc.
Hello friends. I’m deep in revisions for Release the Wolves, and on Thursday I’m off to Vienna, and a bit tew-tew much is happening, but here is a quick update post with some nice things, and book news, and art.
First of all, Die Letzten Hexen von Blackbird Castle swept merrily through the first round of votes and is now in the second round for the LovelyBooks community award for favorite young adult fantasy of the year here in Germany. (LovelyBooks is the German equivalent of Goodreads in the US, so I’m very happy about this news.) Thank you so much to everyone who read the book and voted!
There are six days left to vote for round two, so if you’d like to vote again, please do!
Die Letzten Hexen also got a nice review in the Süddeutsche Zeitung. Thank you very much to Fritz Göttler for discussing it.
Last week I was in Oldenburg for a book festival. Many students were spoken to, cool authors met, and nice dinners eaten. Thank you so much to the wonderful organizers, teachers, and students for the great visits.
My favorite reading room of the week. Gothic for days.
And here we have some new art and doodles from the past month. . . .
And lastly, a sneak-peak of work-in-progress secret project . . . More soon!
October 16, 2023
Upcoming appearances
I’m on the dawn train to Frankfurt, feeling very apologetic for the deluge of posts/newsletters. First of all, thanks so much, everyone, for your kind responses and excitement for the Release the Wolves cover reveal! How fun. I also wanted to tell you about one more thing before I leave your inbox in peace for a while . . . I have some readings coming up. One of them is tomorrow. Here is all the relevant info:
Literaturhaus Aargau - October 17th, 2023
Lesung und Podiumsgespräch mit Dr. Christine Lötscher
“Extramundana” bei Zürich Liest - October 29th, 2023
The talented writers from the national fantasy writing group Extramundana that we coach at the Junges Literaturlabor will be presenting their work.
Oldenburger Buchmesse - 15th to the 17th November, 2023
Lesungen
For Zürich Liest, I also had the great pleasure to be commissioned by JULL to do this illustration for the promo and trailer:
October 13, 2023
Release the Wolves: Cover Reveal
It’s herrrrre! My next fantasy book for young readers, Release the Wolves, has a cover, and it’s by none other than the great Rovina Cai. I’ve been a huge fan of her work for ages, so this art is an absolute dream.
Release the Wolves will be out June 25th, 2024, from Greenwillow Books / HarperCollins. It’s about monsters and mayhem, siblings and friendship and the end of the world. 🗡️
Here is the description from the publisher:
One thousand years ago, the Elduar conquered the country of Varen in a brutal war. Now, every few generations they subject their one-time enemies to a terrible tradition: bloodthirsty monsters are unleashed across the land, attacking indiscriminately, keeping the population in a perpetual dark age.
For Argo, fear of another Release is something he has always lived with. When his friend is killed by a monster during a routine patrol, Argo suspects that another Release is coming, and sooner than everyone expects. But in a country built on fear, getting answers is dangerous. Elduar spies are hiding behind the most familiar faces, and any hint of disobedience could lead to the death of thousands. As whispers of dissent circulate, rebellion grows in the villages. Now, Argo and his new ally, Ana—the King’s eldest daughter who is also a monster hunter in disguise—must decide whether or not to join the fight. But what if it’s already too late?
An atmospheric, suspenseful, and haunting novel about friendship, family, power, and the monsters all around us.
Here is the cover again in all its finery. Isn’t it stunning? I know it won’t be out for a bit, but it’s up for pre-order, and I hope you love it.
Add on Goodreads Pre-order links:
Pre-order from independent Booksellers!
September 29, 2023
Autumn ghosts: Art and news round-up #8
“The Witch’s Cottage”
Fall is here! Tea is being brewed, cozy books are being read, and to go with all that, here is a long-ish catch-up newsletter full of new art and book stuff and some varia at the end. Enjoy!
ART
I’ve been trying lots of texture stuff recently, and scratchy things. I’m still mostly resisting color, except for the illustration at the beginning of this letter. But I’m trying to do more.
Also, I haven’t done a shop update in a bit, oops, but I will try to put these up soon. In the meantime, Inprnt has a site-wide sale on prints right now, if you’re looking for art for yours walls.
I also got a couple of interesting professional commissions these last few months, so I hope to share those as they come out!
“Story Ghost”
“The Nightmare”
“Croatia Doodle”
“The Book of Life”
Books
Sale! Erm, I should have posted this at the beginning of the month but Harper has the Cinders and Sparrows audiobook on sale for the month of September, in time for Halloween. Here are some links:
SELECT A BOOKSELLERCinders and Sparrows is also on A Mighty Girl’s Halloween reading list along with some of my middle grade favs like Haley Chewin’s Sisters of Straygarden Place, Claire Legrand’s Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls, and Jacqueline West’s Long Lost. If you haven’t read those, I highly recommend them.
In case you missed it, a few weeks ago we did the cover reveal for my next book, The Secret Life of Hidden Places, written with April Genevieve Tucholke. It’s available for pre-order now, and advanced copies are also up on Edelweiss, if you’re a reviewer or librarian.
The German edition of Cinders, Die Letzten Hexen von Blackbird Castle, also got a lovely review in Börsenblatt the other day.
“Ein spannender und atmosphärischer Roman, der beinahe ein historischer Kriminalroman sein könnte – wären da nicht die immer wieder nebenbei eingeflochtenen magischen Details und Geisterwesen, die dieses Buch im wahrsten Sinne des Wortes so zauberhaft machen. Sehr lesenswert!”
—Maren Bonacker, Börsenblatt
Thank you to the reviewer!
What I’m reading:The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandana (for book club; makes one want to live in a large, sunny house full of potted plants and do some occasional spellcraft.)
The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrel (so well-written)
The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher (fun horror)
Memoirs of the Russian Revolution by Yury Lomonosov (for current work-in-progress)
August 18, 2023
THE SECRET LIFE OF HIDDEN PLACES: Cover reveal
It’s here! My next book, and first book of adult nonfiction, written with the great April Genevieve Tucholke, has a cover. Do you love it? I love it. Here is the summary from the publisher:
You found a key… The Labyrinth. The Sunken Manor. The Gateway to Hell—do you dare enter?
This wondrous guide for the curious and the intrepid takes readers on a lushly photographed and lyrically written tour of eighteen of the world’s most captivating architectural mysteries. Delve into both the secretive places themselves and the eccentric and obsessive minds that created them. Visit a chamber of skulls high in the Swiss Alps, a Japanese temple full of traps, a Parisian apartment locked and untouched since World War II, a Prohibition-era speakeasy in Washington, DC, and a spooky “initiation” well in Portugal built by a secret society. How far down can you climb before losing your nerve?
Here is the cover one more time in high-def:
THE SECRET LIFE OF HIDDEN PLACES: Concealed Rooms, Clandestine Passageways, and the Curious Minds That Made Them
In bookstores: February 13th, 2024
Published by Workman / Hachette Books
Pre-order:
Discover more
August 1, 2023
News and Art round-up #7
“Cordelia lives in the garden now”
I found these cool watercolor brushes by Adilson Farias and am working with them wildly.
Lots has been happening! The big news is our Autillus Storytelling initiative was soft-launched. In 2022, I became the co-president of the Swiss association of children’s authors and illustrators, working with the great Jyoti Guptara, who is the president. And things have been buzzing over there. We’ve gotten some great sponsors, and have some cool projects in the pipeline. I also did the illustration for the website and branding of Storytelling Schweiz, which I’m quite proud of.
Illustration by me!
Check out the website below, and if you’re by any chance a Swiss teacher or librarian, sign up your class or group for a workshop. Also sign up for Autillus’ newsletter, if you like, to stay up to date with Swiss authors and illustrators!
I did some filming for a TV segment with SRF a few weeks ago, organized by the lovely people at my German-language publisher. Thank you, Anne and Bruno, for making it not stressful at all.
In books news, Die Letzten Hexen von Blackbird Castle seems to have found some lovely readers. Thank you so much to everyone who has picked up a copy. There have been interviews, nice print reviews, and so many kind posts on Instagram. Also, Kinderbuch Couch, a big German children’s book hub, has it as one of their best books of the year. Hurray!
Here are some bits and bobs from the internet:
Die Letzten Hexen von Blackbird Castle - Rezenzion
I also have a special reading coming up, on a boat, on the Rhine, so if you are interested in hearing me read spooky stories while surrounded by enchanting castles and green hills, here you go:
Reading - August 20th, Neuhausen, Switzerland
(There will be more readings in September, not on boats, stay tuned.)
To finish things off, here are a few more art things from the past month. I’ve been trying lots of different styles, the watercolor look, the papercut look that I posted a while ago, the chalky, pastel-textured ghost pictures, and weird combinations of all of those.
Opposite Octopi
The Haunted House
Baba Yaga in the Road
The Unpleasent Answer
Piano Ghost
And that’s all! I’m off to Croatia tomorrow, where I intend to lie in the shade, and read several good books, and never move again. I hope everyone’s having an excellent summer!
July 24, 2023
THE SECRET LIFE OF HIDDEN PLACES: New title + release date
Illustration by Sarah Silverkey
My first non-fiction book, and first book for adults, written with my friend and author extraordinaire April Genevieve Tucholke, about secret rooms, hidden passages, and the historical figures who built them, will be out on February 13th, 2024, from Workman-Hachette.
And it has a new title! Clandestine is henceforth going to be called:
THE SECRET LIFE OF HIDDEN PLACES: Concealed Rooms, Clandestine Passageways, and the Curious Minds That Made Them
There are so many more things in the book than just concealed rooms and clandestine passageways. There are also mysterious staircases, buried cities, hidden tombs, wells marked with occult symbols, cursed catacombs, labyrinths, secret gardens, and as much information about the people behind them and the psychology of their hiding as we could dredge up from archives and travel.
We just finished our 4th pass, and it’s looking gorgeous. (The images below are not from the book, just teases.)
A very small secret door I encountered last year in Vienna. Doesn’t it make you LONG to know what’s behind it?
The Secret Life of Hidden Places is available for pre-order wherever books are sold.
Next up: cover reveal! I’m not sure when. They’re still putting the finishing touches on it. But it’s beautiful, and I can’t wait for you all to see it.
June 23, 2023
Colorful Ghosts - Art Round-up #6
A mini art round-up because I tried something new (for me) with these color illustrations of ghosts, instead of the usual black and white. They were a lot of fun!
I also want to say a huge thank you to those of you who ordered prints from my new Inprnt shop. I was not expecting this response at all, and I’m so happy to think of these ghosts populating the walls of far-off lands. Thank you!
May 21, 2023
DIE LETZTEN HEXEN VON BLACKBIRD CASTLE - miscellaneous lovely pictures from launch
It’s been a busy, busy week, and I was terrified going into it, and feeling very rusty about in-person promo stuff after the US version coming out during COVID lockdown. But it ended up being really nice, so here is a photo dump of some of the things that happened in the weeks of the launch of DIE LETZTEN HEXEN VON BLACKBIRD CASTLE.
Very fun was that it was one of ORF’s book pick of the week. Which means this little witch book was on morning television in Austria. Thank you to whoever chose it!
Another highlight were the Solothurner Literaturtagen, where I did a bunch of school readings and went to the Swiss Literature Prizes to cheer for the Junges Literaturlabor, where I teach occasionally, and which won the prize for literature promotion/mediation.
I met wonderful, kind authors at the festival, and had a great time, and by the end of the week, I was infinitely less nervous than at the beginning of it. Thank you to all the teachers who signed up their classes, and the students who came and listened, and to the organizers of this festival for the immense amount of work, and of course, Diogenes, for doing the heavy lifting of getting me there.
Hundreds of children were read to.
Books were signed.
Beautiful Solothurn was wandered.
Before one of the shows.
During one of the shows. (Here is me with the authors Katja Alves, Micha Lewinsky, and Brigitte Schaer.)
Spotted in the bookstore wilds at Buchhaus Lüthy.
I also wrote a very personal essay for the NZZ, a big German-language newspaper. It was a bit of a struggle, and I don’t know why I decided to write something quite so personal when the theme was just “What moves you,” which means I could have written about the weather, which regularly moves me to either stay indoors or go outside. But if you for some reason want to know, in broad strokes, why I did all the things I did over the thirty years of my life so far, here you go.
I find the headline they chose a bit embarrassing and not really what the essay is about at all, so I’m chopping it off and pretending it doesn’t exist. 🙌 (The editor was super nice, though, lots of thanks to him for working with me on this.)
There’s probably more, but I’m flying back to Düsseldorf in a few minutes and need to run. I’m feeling very grateful and happy with the week, and for all the people I got to meet. Thank you, thank you!
