Nicola Griffith's Blog, page 92

April morning

Now that is what I call an April morning. That's all.

HILD ebook today in ANZ, UK, India

Hild of the lovely cover is now on sale as an ebook in the UK, ANZ, and India. Yes. You can download it onto your device and start reading right now.

In Australia and New Zealand:
Apple iTunes | Amazon | Google Play | Kobo  | JB Hi-FiIn the UK:
Amazon | iTunes | KoboIn India:FlipkartAs as incentive--and for your delectation and delight--here are a radio interview, an essay ("The Language of Hild"), a UK review, and a TV conversation.


Also, here the page of Blackfriars Books, the publisher, stuffed with all the juicy stuff such as plot summary, blurbs and raves (she said modestly) and pre-orders for the print edition (due July 23).

Enjoy. Let me know what you think.

Registration for "Magic of Immersive Fiction" is live

FYI, registration for my second "The Magic of Immersive Fiction" workshop just went live. If you're interested you should probably sign-up now.

Swooning over both sexes...

From: Annabel (high school junior)

I've never written an email to an author before, but I just felt really compelled. So, I just finished Hild a little while ago. It was totally incredible, making me gently toss the book on the ground and curl up in a ball and lose sleep over Gwladus, as well as collapse on the bathroom floor for Cian (both of whose names I mispronounced for a good two hundred pages or so, I believe, before finding the pronunciation guide at the back). I really just love the way you create characters. I mean, nobody is stereotypical - even Begu, who I thought at first was just a random chattery girl, ended up admitting that it was mostly a facade and being so much more complex in a way we don't get to see - and they're basically all just people. And as many other people said, you have actual non-straight characters?!?! I can count on my hands the number of books I've read featuring characters who weren't straight, and on two fingers the number of bisexual main characters. And the best part is that nobody cared, nobody made a big deal out of it, her relationship with Gwladus was just so pretty, and initially sweet, and then heartbreaking. You're just totally amazing.

There is a problem that I'm having, though. At the end of the book, you mentioned you were "working on the second part of [Hild's] story now." You're an author. A historical fiction/fantasy author. So you kill people. Please do not kill Cian. I don't think my heart could take it. Can everyone just have a happy ending? (Okay, that was kind of silly, but I actually thought that. I really got terrified when you said that because I just felt like it was quite possible that you would kill Cian.)

I had a question, though. Where did you read about gemæcces? Is that historically accurate? I really like the idea of them!

If you got through this long letter, thank you so much. I can't wait to read all the other stuff you wrote :)

I wrestled with Gwladus and Cian, and Hild's attraction to both. I found it surprisingly difficult at first; I've never written a bisexual main character before. The power differential and possibility of incest, respectively, made this even more complicated of course. (More on that in another post.) Each and every time I get the bisexual stamp of approval, first and most importantly from Kelley, who identifies as bi, from the Lambda Literary Foundation's bisexual fiction award jury (check out current finalists and previous winners for plenty of novels with bisexual main characters), and from readers, I am relieved.

When it comes to killing off characters loved by readers and/or the protagonist, well, frankly, it's not easy. But sometimes that's where the story leads, so I do it anyway. I did it in The Blue Place  and felt like a monster. But the shape of the narrative made the ending inevitable. (I advise people to read the ending in private. My acquiring editor at the time was so unhappy about it that she passed me on to another editor.) I had to write two sequels, Stay and Always, to make myself feel better. Now I'm hyper-aware of loss and how it will play out, both in the narrative and with readers.

For example, in Hild I had initially written in a dog, a puppy, for Hild to adopt. She had mixed feelings to begin with--dogs occupied a complicated place in her life--but she (inevitably) came to love it. But then I realised dogs don't live as long as people, even at the best of times--and much of Hild's life was not "the best of times." I pondered, sighed, and excised a chunk of the book: got rid of the dog so I wouldn't have to make readers see it die and feel Hild's grief. (She has a hard enough time without adding to her burdens. I talk about the decision--and many other things--on video here.)


However, Hild is historical fiction. Many characters whom readers love, or love to hate, will die. It's the way of the early medieval world. Men in the upper echelons of society during violent times, and women of child-bearing age, often died young. Those fates were decided long, long ago and there's not much I can do about it. The story will unfurl as it must.

Regarding the concept of gemæcces: there is no textual evidence there was such a thing. I made it up. However, given the way I've imagined the early seventh century in Britain, particularly Anglisc-speaking England, I think it's entirely possible that, for a while (two or three generation perhaps) such formal partnerships did exist among the elite. I imagine female friendships between those of lower status were less formal but no less powerful. Women must have relied on one another in much the same way sisters and lifelong best friends depend on one another today not only for emotional support but for the practical aspects of life. For everyday tasks, such as weaving, spinning, dairying, childcare, brewing, healthcare--often at the same time; kids don't stop running around with sharp objects when you spin, gesiths don't stop breaking bones while your toddler is trying to stick her hand in fire. For seasonal events, such as harvesting and sheep shearing. And during extreme times such as war and famine (which, sadly, probably weren't that rare--extreme but not extraordinary). It makes perfect sense for there to be such a thing as gemæcces--how could there not? But we'll never know.

Getting Medieval on To the Best of Our Knowledge

Just gone live: "Getting Medieval," the one-hour episode of To the Best of Our Knowledge which includes my interview about Hild.

There are several segments, all interesting.

The show begins to air tomorrow (check your local NPR listings), the same day as the premier of HBO's Game of Thrones Season 4. There's stuff from a medieval weapons expert, Kelly DeVries. There's a brief conversation with George R.R. Martin and why today's audiences might prefer fiction about the past whereas a previous generation liked thinking about the future. Add in a segment with Karen Joy Fowler on her latest, the PEN/Faulkner-winning We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, and this is a very satisfying show.

If you just want to listen only to me talking about Hild as butcher-bird, Hild as seer, Hild as political spin-meister, then of course feel free to stream or download just my segment (a smidge under 12 minutes). But you'll be missing out--not least because they use snippets of Heningarna's "Viima," or "Cold Wind,"* as incidental music...

* Also the title of my most recent short story, due out in a couple of weeks from Tor.com

My interview on To the Best of Our Knowledge

Just gone live: "Getting Medieval," the one-hour episode of To the Best of Our Knowledge which includes my interview about Hild.

There are several segments, all interesting.

The show begins to air tomorrow (check your local NPR listings), the same day as the premier of HBO's Game of Thrones Season 4. There's stuff from a medieval weapons expert, Kelly DeVries. There's a brief conversation with George R.R. Martin and why today's audiences might prefer fiction about the past whereas a previous generation liked thinking about the future. Add in a segment with Karen Joy Fowler on her latest, the PEN/Faulkner-winning We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, and this is a very satisfying show.

If you just want to listen only to me talking about Hild as butcher-bird, Hild as seer, Hild as political spin-meister, then of course feel free to stream or download just my segment (a smidge under 12 minutes). But you'll be missing out--not least because they use snippets of Heningarna's "Viima," or "Cold Wind,"* as incidental music...

* Also the title of my most recent short story, due out in a couple of weeks from Tor.com

Listen to this! Enhanced audio of HILD!

Last month I recorded an interview for To the Best of Our Knowledge. Naturally, I talked about Hild. I also read three wee snippets* from the book.

The technical director at TTBOOK, a sound wizard called Caryl Owen, took those three bits and turned them into magic by layering in the low roar of wind in the elms, the thrum of a bowstring, the crackle of flame...

The whole interview will go live in a day or two, but to tease you, here's one of those nuggets of sound--a reading you've never heard before, just over a minute from the middle of the book. The menace comes as much from the enhancements Caryl added as my words. I love it. It makes me more determined than ever to one day record one of my books myself.**

Let me know what you think.

* Each around 90 seconds long
** That is, to read it myself, and maybe to have the fabulous Caryl engineer it. It's a question of time and energy: I own the audio rights to everything I've ever published--except Hild, of course, which already has a great audio book.

Hild and Tolkien and Beowulf

From: Stephanie

I just finished reading HILD and wanted to let you know I enjoyed it immensely. It was not what I expected, though. I suppose I thought you would include her journey to sainthood, so I hope there is to be a sequel!
As a side note, I now have a better understanding of where Tolkien derived some of his inspiration for names.

I'm delighted you enjoyed the novel. And I absolutely will write Hild's journey to sainthood, though it's going to take two more books to do it--if all goes according to plan. (However, given that the original plan was to write one large volume, I wouldn't blame readers for not finding me wholly reliable.)

Tolkien was an Old English scholar; we read many of the same sources. That is, I read a lot of poetry--which is probably only a fraction of the corpus, which I'm guessing Tolkien was familiar with in its entirety. I'm also guessing (a pretty safe bet) that he didn't need to resort to bilingual editions. Did you know that his translation of Beowulf is due out in late May from HarperCollins? I for one am looking forward to it immensely; I can't wait to savour the differences between it and others' work.

Meanwhile, there's always his Fall of Arthur which came out last year. It's his (sadly incomplete) version of the Matter of Britain using modern English in the form of Old English alliterative meter. It's not for everyone but if you find both Hild and The Lord of the Rings stirring, you might like it.

Teaching a second 'Magic of Immersive Fiction' workshop

For those of you who asked when I'd be teaching again I've been chatting with Clarion West. I will repeat my one-day workshop, "The Magic of Immersive Fiction," on June 1st. Registration is not yet open but I wanted to give a heads-up to those of you not already on the waiting list.

Those of you on that waiting list will have first dibs on the fourteen slots available.

It turns out that the first one sold out in 90 minutes (!) so if you have your heart set on doing this, be ready. I'll announce registration as soon as it goes live.

Two notes:
despite the inauspicious date, this is not an April Fool's postthis workshop is for those who couldn't get into the first rather than repeat students

Where to buy Hild in ANZ and India and UK

On April 10 Hild will go on sale in Australia, New Zealand, India, other Commonwealth countries, and the UK. Initial publication will be as an ebook in a variety of formats. Hardback and paperback follow on July 24.

Although I think only Amazon allows for actual pre-order of the ebook (I'm happy to be corrected on this), I'm trying to assemble buy-links for every digital retailer.

Australia/New Zealand
iTunesGoogle Play              Kobo                 JB Hi-Fi             Amazon India FlipkartUK
AmazoniTunesKoboAs we get closer to the print publication date I'll start adding other outlets--chain and independent, online and bricks-and-mortar--and then index them in one master list. (As you can see, I've already started.)

So please send info! I'll do a much better job with your help.