William Sutton's Blog, page 20
October 27, 2017
Crime Fact, Crime Fiction, Ashworth Arts, DarkFest
Saturday 28 October,
12pm to 4pm.
Tickets £10
Suitable for ages 11 and up
12.10pm – ‘Ten Minute Tales’: Join Theatre of Dark Encounters as they retell a chilling local crime.
Hear from author and expert panels as they compare notes on crime and criminals.
12.30 – 1.15pm Crime Past
Historical novelists William Sutton, author of three mystery novels, and Linda Stratmann author of a couple of crime series plus several non-fiction titles, discuss Victorian murder and mayhem with cultural historian Professor Brad Beaven.
1.25pm ‘Ten Minute Tales’: Join Theatre of Dark Encounters as they retell another chilling local crime tale.
1.45 – 2.30pm Crime in Foreign Lands
Cal Moriarty, screenwriter, novelist and ex private eye, joins Quentin Bates who writes crime novels set in present day Iceland to talk about the dangers and delights of researching and writing crime in foreign lands with writer and criminologist Dr Diana Bretherick.
3 – 3.45pm The Criminal Mind
Crime writers J.S Law, author of the thriller Tenacity, Pete Adams, author of the Kind Heart and Martinets series and Liz Mistry whose Detective series has just reached its third instalment consider criminals and how to catch them with academic and retired police officer Jenny Weaver.
Browse the Forensic Science and Wildlife Crime stands supplied by Dr Nicholas Pamment, Principal Lecturer and Associate Head at the Institute of Criminal Justice Studies, University of Portsmouth.
Bookshop supplied by Blackwells.
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Subaquatic Steampunk
“So what is steampunk? And why is it so infectious?”
Helen Salsbury’s write-up on Star and Crescent of the first ever Subaquatic Steampunk weekend captures the mood magnificently. Thanks, Helen. And thanks to the marvellous participants from far and wide for making it such a jolly affair, especially the Gosport Steampunk Society for their glorious conviviality.
This happily coincides with Star and Crescent publishing the story I performed, Orpheus and the Spice Island Nymph, from the Portsmouth Fairy Tales [for Grown-Ups] collection [2014, ed Tessa Ditner].
“There’s something special about arriving at an event as one of the performers. You arrive early, over wet tarmac to catch it just putting on its greasepaint. You see the event organiser directing cars with a high vis jacket over his Victorian shirt. You see people donning top hats, holstering steampunk guns, and sauntering towards the marquees and stalls and stage. You see the Submarine Museum near the water, just waiting for the steam-curious and steampunk alike to view its many marvels, where you might also view the Victorian submarine (Holland 1), recall childhood readings of Jules Verne’s 2,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and conceive of alternative versions of reality where the world is still powered by steam.” (Helen Salsbury, Star and Crescent)
What is steampunk?
More on the Subaquatic Weekend from That’s Solent TV.
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October 26, 2017
Portsmouth #DarkFest17
Welcome to Portsmouth #DarkFest17. Event locations and details. I’ll be at The Front Room : Cure or be Cured, Day of the Dead V: Blood Runs Thicker, Dark Songs, A Dark Twist on a spoken word & music and more. A wild and wonderful festival.
From the tantalising to the torturous, the epistemological to the elemental.
OCT26
19:00
The Front Room : Cure or be Cured @Southsea Castle
The Front Room
OCT27
19:00
The Science of the Spirits – Conan Doyle and Lombroso’s ghosts
Portsmouth Temple of Spiritualism
OCT28
12-4pm
Crime Fact, Crime Fiction Event details
Ashcroft Arts Centre, Fareham
OCT28
18:30
The Snow Witch – book launch
Blackwell’s in Portsmouth
OCT28
19:00
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Tickets
No.6 Cinema
OCT28
19:30
Paranormal Investigation at the Royal Marines Museum
Royal Marines Museum
OCT28
20:00
Fort Widley Paranormal Investigation
Fort Widley
OCT29
19:30
DarkFest Portsmouth- Conspiracy X screening.
Kings Loft
OCT30
18:00
Day of the Dead V: Blood Runs Thicker
Tickets £8 (£4 concs) Event details
Square Tower
OCT31
19.00
Get Out Halloween Screening
Tickets
Portsmouth Film Society
OCT31
20:00
Stansted House Zombie Encounter
Stansted House, Rowlands Castle, PO9 6
NOV2
19.30
The Front Room -Dark Town Port Town.
Aurora Southsea
NOV2
19.30
The Portsmouth Ghost Walk
Theatre of Dark Encounters
Portsmouth
NOV3
18.00
Meet Pete Adams Author
Blackwell’s in Portsmouth
Launch
NOV3
19.00
The Dark Arts Exhibition, 3–9 November
Hunter Gatherer
NOV9
19.30
Strange Case of Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde
New Theatre Royal
NOV9
19:30
Ghost Stories from Fort Widley
Fort Widley
NOV10
NOV17
NOV24
Crime Writing Workshop
Ashcroft Arts Centre, Fareham
NOV10
19.30
Zombie Encounters
Fort Widley
NOV12
13.30
Spring-heeled Jack Strikes Back! Art Workshop
Aspex Gallery
NOV12
18.00
Dark Songs ii: Dark & Twisted Event details
Square Tower
NOV12
20.30
Spice Island Ghost Walk
Square Tower
NOV15
19.00
A Dark Twist on a spoken word & music
Hunter Gatherer
NOV16
19.30
Sherlock Holmes versus Dracula: Literary Afterlives
St Michael’s Lecture Theatre 1.01, UoP
NOV17
19:30
Spice Island Ghost Walk
Square Tower
NOV18
19:30
Murder on the Warrior
Torchlight Mysteries
NOV19
18.30
Lost Voices: Spiritualism in the First World War
Square Tower
NOV23
18:30
Femmes Fatales 2
Room 1.11, Eldon Building, UoP, PO1 2DJ
NOV29
19.00
Dark Portsmouth: Exploring Our Hidden Histories
Richmond Building
NOV30
18.30
Portsmouth Writers’ Hub presents Meet the (literary) Dragons
Tickets
Portsmouth Library
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October 23, 2017
Dark Songs II: dark & twisted
Don’t miss Dark Songs II, part of Portsmouth DarkFest featuring brilliant songwriters.
6pm Sunday 12 Nov, Square Tower, Broad Street, PO1 2JE
Tickets available online, £6/£4 concs.
Jamie & the Jets: introspective maladies delivered with expert extrovert melodies
Eilís Phillips: sweet & ethereal monster folk
Radio KWG: following their Excerpts from the Road, new songs from the trio
Philip Jeays: poetic sensibility, acerbic wit, what a bastard
Edelle McMahon: heartbreak and reflection; lyrical folk songs bursting with imagery
Richard Peirce & Chris Collier: evocative music, robust words
Pete Kelly & Gothamistic.: and now for something a little different from the darkside
Janet Ayers & Matt Parsons: Pompey’s most creative musical duo.
Maggie Sawkins & Dave Jordan: winsome words, double bass, double trouble.
Tell us you’re coming via the Dark Songs event page, part of Portsmouth DarkFest.
More at: william-sutton.co.uk/darksongs/
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September 26, 2017
20 Days of Electricity #3
20 things that helped Lawless and the House of Electricity into the world:
Two Musicians
I absolutely love this snap from the Forbidden Planet launch with Roddy McDevitt, poet-actor-artist-flaneur and musical accomplice. Roddy and I met back in open mic sessions in the 1990s, at Bunjies Folk Cellar, the Troubadour and the Unlaced Plimsoll club. We found ourselves in the cast of Ken Campbell’s 24-epic production of Neil Oram’s The Warp, in which I often had the pleasure of accompanying Roddy’s speech as Billy McGuinness, King of the Gypsies.
Who could I request, at short notice, both to accompany the musical elements in my launch and to lend a hand with our improvised cabaret of characters? Roddy threw himself into both roles.
At my Portsmouth event, it was Mr Jamie West who stepped up to take on the new double bass, giving us warm renditions of his own song Richness, my Victorian Diagnoses Song, and that infamous earworm Ooh The Victorians. Jamie will be musicking at Dark Songs and Day of the Dead, besides running the Harting Roundhouse and gigging with Jamie and the Jets.
Find him at jamiewestguitar.com performing such gems as Therapist, Pop Song and God is 7:
“The songs sounded great,” commented one friend. They were certainly musical, melodious, and intermittently moronic. More of these musical mountebankeries here:
Thanks to you both.
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September 24, 2017
Subaquatic Steampunkery
The Royal Navy Submarine Museum will be holding its first ever Subaquatic Steampunk Weekend, event details here.
I will be storytelling in the bar along with the Portsmouth Writers’ Hub, a tale of desire, death and ferries from Portsmouth Fairy Tales. More in the Portsmouth News preview: “A Victorian-inspired counterculture power revolution”.
Take a dive and enter a fantastical steampunk world full of nautical wonders, gadgets and gizmos. Come and take a look at the curiosities the steampunk market has to offer. Why not take part in our steampunk fashion show, tea dueling and art competitions. Be entertained by our Steampunk performers and musicians.
Step back in time to discover the story of the Royal Navy Submarine Service from its earliest days at the start of the 20th Century travelling through to the modern nuclear powered fleet. Explore HMS Alliance, the only remaining WW2 era British ocean going submarine. Holland 1, the first Royal Navy submarine built in 1901, and X24, the only midget submarine to have survived from WW2.
Book your tickets now. This is an event that you will not forget.
WHAT IS STEAMPUNK?
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Bookbag review of Electricity
Lawless returns in a thrillingly complex tour de force, encompassing the breath-taking developments of the Victorian era, driven by a desire for social and political change. Tasked with solving a series of terrorist attacks, Lawless must use all his skills to uncover the link between these attacks and the innovations of the Earl of Roxbury, prevent further destruction and apprehend those responsible. This is an electrifying romp sure to dazzle fans of historical crime fiction.
A wonderful review of Lawless and the House of Electricity by Megan Kenny at The Bookbag.
Thanks to Megan for her close reading of the book. It’s so satisfying when readers get immersed in the characters, untangling the plot threads and enjoying the modern resonances.
Campbell Lawless is back, this time tasked with solving a series of terrorist attacks across the nation. Is it the work of the French, as police and public are being led to believe, or someone closer to home? Who can be trusted and what does Roxbury, an innovative inventor previously disgraced, have to do with the bombs used to cause chaos across the country? Employing the services of Molly, the effervescent ragamuffin from his previous adventures, he sets in motion a campaign of subterfuge which uncovers long held secrets, skulduggery and the desperate yearnings beneath Roxbury’s constant invention.
Without giving too much of the plot away, what I will say is that all the key ingredients for a riveting historical crime tale are here – intrigue, murder, romance and a house full of secrets. The plot thickens as Lawless struggles to link the increasingly destructive terror attacks to Roxbury’s scientific endeavours and the tale comes full circle as we start to uncover the enigmatic mysteries of Roxbury house. The revelations come thick and fast but Sutton manages to keep the pace exciting whilst providing enough explanation to satisfy even the most voracious armchair detective.
Those familiar with previous Lawless stories will recognise many of the characters here but the story itself stands easily alone and so those of you who may not have read any of Sutton’s early work (although I recommend that you do!) will not find yourself lost. The characters were intriguing and engaging and the plot had enough twists and turns, subplots and excitement to keep me turning the pages long into the night. The use of authentically quirky adverts also grounds the tale firmly within its historical context and it is clear that a great deal of research went into this story, however Sutton has managed to integrate this with ease so that the House of Electricity never becomes a dry, dusty homage to history but remains bright and vibrant.
What is interesting about Sutton’s work here is that the fears and anxieties faced by the public about the threat of terror and uncertainty about the world around them as well as the shadowy actions of those in power is very relevant to modern life. The development of the character of Molly, moving from snub nosed urchin to burgeoning womanhood also echoes the (unfortunately still relevant) fight for equality and struggles of modern young women to find their place in the world. Here he has cleverly used the past to make a powerful commentary on the present, all the while tipping a wry wink to the reader which elevates Sutton’s writing and adds a pleasing complexity to the Lawless series. He is also unafraid to lift the curtain and allow the reader to see the truth behind the intrigue, rather than leaving loose threads to frustrate readers. The House of Electricity is a clever, well-crafted piece of crime fiction which adds another exciting instalment to the Lawless canon and builds on Sutton’s reputation as a thoughtful, inspired voice within the field of historical crime fiction.
If this is your first introduction to Lawless and you wish to become better acquainted, you could also try Lawless and the Flowers of Sin.
Buy Lawless and the House of Electricity by William Sutton at Amazon.co.uk.
More reviews at my Electricity extras page.
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September 16, 2017
Portsmouth Ditty Snippet: Revisiting Pompey Books #2
Portsmouth Fairy Tales Ditty from Elysium Eight on Vimeo.
My hastily penned Portsmouth Fairy Tales song, for the Portsmouth Fairy Tales Documentary made by Elysium Eight’s Danielle Shaw. Elysium Eight is a London based video production company that specialises in film for literature, music, and the arts.
www.elysiumeight.com
https://vimeo.com/elysiumeight
https://www.youtube.com/user/elysiumeight
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September 15, 2017
Portsmouth Fairy Tales: Revisiting Pompey Books #1
Portsmouth Fairy Tales Documentary from Elysium Eight on Vimeo.
Film by Danielle Shaw (MD)
Elysium Eight is a London based video production company that specialises in film for literature, music, and the arts.
www.elysiumeight.com
https://vimeo.com/elysiumeight
https://www.youtube.com/user/elysiumeight
Fascinating to revisit these interviews, orchestrated by Danielle Shaw and Tessa Ditner, which shed light on the weird and wonderful world of stories in our collection Portsmouth Fairy Tales, now that each of these writers is moving on to produce novels, plays, musicals, journalism, workshops and more.
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September 14, 2017
20 Days of Electricity #2
20 things that helped Lawless and the House of Electricity into the world:
Blogs
Thanks to the bloggers for a warm welcome on my Titan Books blogtour.
Dr Batty’s Asthma Cigarettes: Inspiration from Ads & Pictures
www.lisareadsbooks.blogspot.co.uk
Mapping a Mystery: “Every good book needs a map.”
www.alwaystrustinbooks.wordpress.com
Techno-Thrillers Victorian style: “Victorians didn’t have technology”
www.shotsmag.co.uk
“The past is the new future” – from sci-fi to steampunk
www.bookslifeandeverything.blogspot.co.uk
The Country House Novel: the Cross-Genre Genre
https://cluesandreviews.wordpress.com
Seven Books that Electrified The House of Electricity
www.dark-readers.com
Victorian Trainline? 5 Websites every Victorian novelist longs for
http://bakerstreetbabes.com
My Best Writing Blocks: from Trump to Twitter
https://thecrimereview.com
Slang, wonderful slang: the Word Detectives
https://www.risingshadow.net
Bookshop Bliss: Nothing Better than a Local Bookshop Behind You
https://civilianreader.com
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