Nicola Griffith's Blog, page 31

Today: Women and Children First, 2:00pm PT/4:00 pm CT, with Riva Lehrer

In just a few hours: my third event for SPEAR! I’ll be talking with Riva Lehrer, artist (she made the wonderful portrait of me as a snow leopard), memoirist, and disability activist. Riva and I have done a couple of events together before. Come listen to us talk about the past and present, representation and art. So join us! Bring a friend—bring two friends! Bring questions—lots of questions! I love talking about my work.

Register here.

See you soon!

April 22, 2022 | 2:00 PM PT/4:00 PM CTVIRTUAL EVENT Women and Children First (Chicago)In Conversation w/Riva LehrerPlatform: CrowdcastInfo/Register

Today: Books in Common, 6:30pm PT, with Nisi Shawl

In just a few hours: my second event for SPEAR! I’ll be talking with Nisi Shawl, author, editor and all around fabulous person. As Nisi says, “Need some magical mists, knock-out sword fights, and Early Medieval lesbian love affairs? Come on over!” So bring questions! Bring lots of questions! I love talking about my work.

Register here.

See you soon!

April 21, 2022 | 6:30 PM PTVIRTUAL EVENTBooks In Common NW (Paulina Springs Books, Sisters, OR; Madison Books, Seattle, WA; and Country Bookshelf in Bozeman, MT)In Conversation w/Nisi ShawlPlatform: Zoom WebinarInfo/Register

Spear adjective competition: Clue #11

Here is Clue #11 in the One Adjective to Rule Them All competition. Words from a review by Margaret Kingsbury in Buzzfeed. The background illustration is taken from one of Spear‘s interior artworks by Rovina Cai.

Image description: Square graphic in blue-grey showing a silhouette of a rider on a horse surrounded by wind or smoke. Centred in white text, “This immersive and inclusive retelling is breathtakingly beautiful, sharing a vision of Arthurian legend that dismisses earlier retellings in favor of nance and joy.” And below that, in red-orange, “Margaret Kingbury, Buzzfeed”

The competition is OPEN TO ANYONE IN THE WORLD, NO PURCHASE NECESSARY! The winner gets 3 prizes in one:

A signed, personalised first edition first printing of Spear A specially designed by Forensics & FlowersA digital download of the audiobook, narrated by moi

For the rules, and how to enter, see One Adjective to Rule Them All. Please note that I’ve amended the rules so you can enter once a day—refining your guesses as the clues mount up!

DO CHECK OUT THE UPDATED LIST OF ADJECTIVES THAT HAVE BEEN USED MORE THAN FOUR TIMES! We have a couple more words that crossed the threshold…

Comments on this post are off because the only guesses that count are those on the original blog post or emailed directly to me.

Today: Tubby and Coos, 4pm PT/ 6pm CT

In just a few hours, my first public event for SPEAR! I’ll be talking to Candice, the owner of Tubby & Coos in New Orleans, about all things Arthurian. Then I’ll read a juicy battle scene, then answer questions. So bring questions! Bring lots of questions! I love talking about my work.

Register here.

See you soon!

April 20, 2022 | 4:00 PM PT/6:00 PM CT VIRTUAL EVENTTubby & Coos Bookstore (New Orleans, LA)In Conversation w/Candice Huber (Store Owner)Platform: Streamyard to Crowdcast/FB LiveInfo/Register

Spear adjective competition: Clue #10

Here is Clue #10 in the One Adjective to Rule Them All competition. Words from a review by Gary Wolfe in Locus (it’s a great review!). The background illustration is taken from one of Spear‘s interior artworks by Rovina Cai.

Image description: Square graphic in blue-grey showing a figure kneeling in the shallows of a river, leaning their weight on a sword. In the upper third of the image, the figure is framed by bleak, bare trees. Beneath her, under her knee and barely visible, there is the hint of another submerged figure. Below this is the figure’s reflection in the moving water—darker and sharper and violently spattered and streaked with loose brushstrokes that cascade down the rest of the image. Centred in white text, “Mesmeriszing… A lyrical bildungsroman drenched in the natural world. A marvelously concise epic entirely Griffith’s own.” And below that, in red-orange, “Gary Wolfe, Locus”

The competition is OPEN TO ANYONE IN THE WORLD, NO PURCHASE NECESSARY! The winner gets 3 prizes in one:

A signed, personalised first edition first printing of Spear A specially designed by Forensics & FlowersA digital download of the audiobook, narrated by moi

For the rules, and how to enter, see One Adjective to Rule Them All. Please note that I’ve amended the rules so you can enter once a day—refining your guesses as the clues mount up!

DO CHECK OUT THE UPDATED LIST OF ADJECTIVES THAT HAVE BEEN USED MORE THAN FOUR TIMES! We have a couple more words that crossed the threshold…

Comments on this post are off because the only guesses that count are those on the original blog post or emailed directly to me.

Spear is here!!

My author copies finally arrived! And I am thrilled: Spear is a very handsome book indeed. Obviously it looks fabulous—and I’ll talk more about that in a minute—but what really struck me is how it feels in the hand. First of all, the jacket has a seriously matte, tactile feel, with a little process on my name and title—not a lot; it’s subtle, just enough to feel substantial. But what’s really lovely is the size and weight.

When I was a teen I preferred reading library hardcovers; paperbacks were okay but they felt flimsy. Over the years, though, I’ve found my preference changing to trade paperbacks and I realise it’s a size issue. Many modern hardbacks are massive and heavy, too unwieldy for comfortable reading unless you have big hands, which I don’t.1 This book is perfect! I could hold it for hours—which of course I wouldn’t need to because it’s only 184 pages long.

Given its length I worried the book might feel too thin, but look: it’s beautifully proportioned. And the spine of the jacket is very attractive. (Whenever I hold it I just want to stroke it.)

We’re always told not to judge a book by its cover but, hey, we all do. But I can tell you, this book just gets better and better the more you explore.

The front flap is nice—nothing massively special but nice:

Ditto the back, and here I’m pleased by the colour coordination: Black and white photo with black end papers; red titles to match the red title and author name on the front:

But it’s when you start to take the jacket off that you start to get a sense of the glories within:

Just look at that foil stamping—see how it glows! You can see the individual rivets on the shield. The spine is shiny, too, but I couldn’t get as good a picture of it.

Then there are the interior illustrations by Rovina Cai: five altogether: the perfect moody complement to the text.

The whole thing is just very nicely designed: exactly what a hardcover should be. I hope you enjoy reading it as much I enjoyed writing it.

Buy it anywhere books are sold. But if you want a signed, personalised hardcover, then order from Phinney Books, Third Place Books, University Books, Elliott Bay Book Company, or Brick & Mortar before tomorrow at noon. Anything after that—except if you get them signed in person—will be just a plain signature. But, as you’ve seen, the book itself is far from plain, very far…

IndieBound | Amazon.com | Bookshop.org | Barnes & Noble | Apple | Amazon.co.uk

1 This, apparently, surprises people. Perhaps because I have big shoulders and muscled arms people expect big shovel hands at the end of those arms, but, no; my hands are small.

Spear adjective competition: Clue #9

Here is Clue #9 in the One Adjective to Rule Them All competition. Words from a review in Kirkus. The background illustration is taken from one of Spear‘s interior artworks by Rovina Cai.

Image description: Square graphic in blue-grey showing a great, Celtic-style hanging bowl over the flames with smoke and steam fuming up, forming images of a woman in the woods, a fortified wall, a horse and rider, and more. Centred in white text, “Griffith mines the Matter f Britain while turning tropes upside down. A fresh, often lovely take on Arthurian legend.” And below that, in red-orange, “Kirkus”

The competition is OPEN TO ANYONE IN THE WORLD, NO PURCHASE NECESSARY! The winner gets 3 prizes in one:

A signed, personalised first edition first printing of Spear A specially designed by Forensics & FlowersA digital download of the audiobook, narrated by moi

For the rules, and how to enter, see One Adjective to Rule Them All. Please note that I’ve amended the rules so you can enter once a day—refining your guesses as the clues mount up!

DO CHECK OUT THE UPDATED LIST OF ADJECTIVES THAT HAVE BEEN USED MORE THAN FOUR TIMES! We have a couple more words that crossed the threshold…

Comments on this post are off because the only guesses that count are those on the original blog post or emailed directly to me.

The Legendary Tour!

Most of my events will be virtual—most (but not all!) in conversation with others. I’m doing two in-person events—both solo presentations: one in downtown Seattle at the Seattle Public Library’s Microsoft Auditorium, and one at Brick & Mortar, in Redmond. It’s been an age since I did a live event on the Eastside, so that should be fun.

Some of the virtual events (maybe all; I haven’t checked) require preregistration, so follow the links and then the instructions.

April 20, 2022 | 4:00 PM PT/6:00 PM CT VIRTUAL EVENTTubby & Coos Bookstore (New Orleans, LA)In Conversation w/Candice Huber (Store Owner)Platform: Streamyard to Crowdcast/FB LiveInfo/RegisterApril 21, 2022 | 6:30 PM PTVIRTUAL EVENTBooks In Common NW (Paulina Springs Books, Sisters, OR; Madison Books, Seattle, WA; and Country Bookshelf in Bozeman, MT)In Conversation w/Nisi ShawlPlatform: Zoom WebinarInfo/RegisterApril 22, 2022 | 2:00 PM PT/4:00 PM CTVIRTUAL EVENT Women and Children First (Chicago)In Conversation w/Riva LehrerPlatform: CrowdcastInfo/Register April 23, 2022 | 4:30 PM PT/7:30 PM ETVIRTUAL EVENT Charis Books & More (Decatur, GA)In Conversation w/Ed HallPlatform: CrowdcastInfo/RegisterApril 25, 2022 | 4:00 PM PT/7:00 PM ETVIRTUAL EVENT Harvard Bookstore and Third Place BooksIn Conversation w/Alix E. HarrowPlatform: Zoom Webinar Info/RegisterApril 27, 2022 | 7:00 PTIN PERSON EVENTSeattle Public Library (Hosted by Elliot Bay Book Co)Central Library, Microsoft Auditorium1000 Fourth AveSeattle, WA 98104Info/RegisterApril 28, 2022 | 7:00 PM PTVIRTUAL EVENTMysterious GalaxySolo PresentationInfo/RegisterApril 29, 2022 | 6:00 PM PT IN-PERSON EVENTBrick & Mortar Books7430 164th Ave NE, Suite B105 Redmond, WA, 98052Info/Register

The following bookstores will have signed books for sale—personalised to order while you’re there (for the SPL/EBBC event and the B&M event) or already prepared if you’ve preordered (Phinney Books), or to buy later if you’re not there in person. Some will also come with enamel pins!

Phinney Books, SeattleUniversity Bookstore, SeattleElliott Bay Book Company, SeattleThird Place Books, Lake Forest ParkBrick & Mortar, Redmond

All other bookstores in the above list will have signed bookplates. They may also have enamel pins while supplies last.

I hope you come. I’ll be reading sometimes, sometimes not, and depending on my interlocutor talking about everything under the sun. I love doing these things—but what I love most is talking to readers. So come! Bring questions! Bring a friend! Or two!

See you soon!

Spear adjective competition: Clue #8

Here is Clue #8 in the One Adjective to Rule Them All competition. Words from a review on Grimdark. The background illustration is taken from one of Spear‘s interior artworks by Rovina Cai.

Image description: Square graphic in blue-grey showing someone in a grave, their eyes covered and a bloody knife on their chest, and surrounded by forget-me-knots and flying petals. Centred in white text, “Gorgeous… It blew my mind.” And below that, in red-orange, “Fabienne Schwizer, Grimdark”

The competition is OPEN TO ANYONE IN THE WORLD, NO PURCHASE NECESSARY! The winner gets 3 prizes in one:

A signed, personalised first edition first printing of Spear A specially designed by Forensics & FlowersA digital download of the audiobook, narrated by moi

For the rules, and how to enter, see One Adjective to Rule Them All. Please note that I’ve amended the rules so you can enter once a day—refining your guesses as the clues mount up!

DO CHECK OUT THE UPDATED LIST OF ADJECTIVES THAT HAVE BEEN USED MORE THAN FOUR TIMES! We have a couple more words that crossed the threshold…

Comments on this post are off because the only guesses that count are those on the original blog post or emailed directly to me.

Fab podcast interview!

In which—after Jason Concepcion and Rosie Knight say lovely things about HILD (1:06:00)—we talk (1:15:06) about SPEAR and HILD, my fantasy origin story & centring the Other, Talking Rabbits, nature & journeys, queer lit and #criplit, answering questions with hard work, guessing, and alcohol, MENEWOOD, and why for me writing is the best job in the world. Listen to X-Ray Vision here.