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PoppyHarp
Once upon a time, not so very long ago, in a lonely old house in the countryside, there was a little girl called Imogen.
Every day she climbed upstairs to the top of the house.
At the top of the house was an attic, and in that attic was a doll’s house.
And in that doll’s house lived a great many things.
Old things, lost things, forgotten things…
Noah and Imogen are both children when they first meet in 1973. Noah is in a children’s home after the death of his mother, and Imogen is accompanying her father, the brilliant but eccentric Oliver Frayling, to promote their BBC TV show The Adventures of Imogen and Florian.
Following a turbulent relationship in their twenties, Noah and Imogen part ways and lose sight of each other. Almost thirty years later, they meet again. Noah is now a successful writer and a newly single father. He and his daughter visit the recently widowed Imogen in Lethebury, a sleepy little town in the Malverns where Oliver created The Adventures of Imogen and Florian.
Oliver has been missing for years, but aspects of his failed TV show seem to live on in Lethebury. One night Florian, his fictional old rabbit, comes to life and seems to want to lead Noah and his daughter through a door that used to lead Elsewhere. But where does it lead now?
The answer lies somewhere in the story of Oliver’s deeply conflicted life, his private relationship with the BBC producer Malcolm Church, an abandoned Cold War bunker, and PoppyHarp.
But just who or what is PoppyHarp?
From the World Fantasy Award-nominated author of The Teardrop Method, PoppyHarp is a story about England in the 70s and 80s, the AIDS epidemic, the faded lights of celebrity, and building your own little plot of Eden when it feels the world has forgotten about you.
Every day she climbed upstairs to the top of the house.
At the top of the house was an attic, and in that attic was a doll’s house.
And in that doll’s house lived a great many things.
Old things, lost things, forgotten things…
Noah and Imogen are both children when they first meet in 1973. Noah is in a children’s home after the death of his mother, and Imogen is accompanying her father, the brilliant but eccentric Oliver Frayling, to promote their BBC TV show The Adventures of Imogen and Florian.
Following a turbulent relationship in their twenties, Noah and Imogen part ways and lose sight of each other. Almost thirty years later, they meet again. Noah is now a successful writer and a newly single father. He and his daughter visit the recently widowed Imogen in Lethebury, a sleepy little town in the Malverns where Oliver created The Adventures of Imogen and Florian.
Oliver has been missing for years, but aspects of his failed TV show seem to live on in Lethebury. One night Florian, his fictional old rabbit, comes to life and seems to want to lead Noah and his daughter through a door that used to lead Elsewhere. But where does it lead now?
The answer lies somewhere in the story of Oliver’s deeply conflicted life, his private relationship with the BBC producer Malcolm Church, an abandoned Cold War bunker, and PoppyHarp.
But just who or what is PoppyHarp?
From the World Fantasy Award-nominated author of The Teardrop Method, PoppyHarp is a story about England in the 70s and 80s, the AIDS epidemic, the faded lights of celebrity, and building your own little plot of Eden when it feels the world has forgotten about you.
284 pages, Paperback
First published November 28, 2024
1 person is currently reading
234 people want to read
About the author
Simon Avery
37 books22 followersBorn in 1971, Simon Avery lives and works in Birmingham.
Over the last twenty-two years he has been published in a variety of magazines and anthologies including Black Static, Crimewave, The Best British Mysteries IV, Beneath the Ground, Birmingham Noir, Terror Tales of Yorkshire and Something Remains.
He has been nominated for the Crime Writers Association Dagger award and the British Fantasy Award.
The Teardrop Method, a novella from TTA Press was shortlisted for the World Fantasy award.
Sorrowmouth, a novella from Black Shuck Books followed a mini-collection, A Box Full of Darkness, and in November 2024, Simon’s first novel PoppyHarp is released.
He can be contacted via Facebook, Twitter and his blog at: https://simonaveryblog.wordpress.com/
Over the last twenty-two years he has been published in a variety of magazines and anthologies including Black Static, Crimewave, The Best British Mysteries IV, Beneath the Ground, Birmingham Noir, Terror Tales of Yorkshire and Something Remains.
He has been nominated for the Crime Writers Association Dagger award and the British Fantasy Award.
The Teardrop Method, a novella from TTA Press was shortlisted for the World Fantasy award.
Sorrowmouth, a novella from Black Shuck Books followed a mini-collection, A Box Full of Darkness, and in November 2024, Simon’s first novel PoppyHarp is released.
He can be contacted via Facebook, Twitter and his blog at: https://simonaveryblog.wordpress.com/
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 17, 2024
I learned of the existence of this book by chance a couple of days before its publication, and had to buy it because a) I am a fan of Simon Avery’s writing (I loved
The Teardrop Method
in particular) and b) it’s a creepy novel about imaginary friends and a forgotten kids’ TV show from the 70s. With themes like that, my worst enemy could have written this and I’d probably still buy it. PoppyHarp, though, has much more going for it than just its premise.
At a book signing, middle-aged writer Noah is reunited with his former girlfriend Imogen, also the erstwhile star of a children’s TV series created by her father, Oliver. In a parallel storyline, flashbacks follow Oliver as he develops The Adventures of Imogen and Florian, has a fleeting moment of fame and is drawn into a new, intoxicating way of life in London. As each strand progresses, we get to know these characters intimately, particularly in the case of Oliver. And we become aware that Oliver’s creations – the animal companions who starred alongside Imogen in his show – may be more than just puppets. On top of that is the mystery of the book’s title. What (or who) might ‘PoppyHarp’ be?
When I reviewed Avery’s collection A Box Full of Darkness, I described it as ‘filled with both deep strangeness and profound humanity’. I could say the same of PoppyHarp. This is a book that packs in a huge amount – including fascinating context about British media, art and celebrity in the 1970s and 80s – but its connecting thread is an unwavering sense of hope. Then there’s the strangeness: this is a deliciously eerie story, and its climactic sequence, a surreal excursion into ‘Elsewhere’, is unforgettable.
Much like the characters, I was led down some surprising rabbit holes (put it this way: I did not expect one of my big takeaways from this book to be that I now really want to read Kenneth Williams’ diaries.) PoppyHarp reminded me of Nina Allan’s The Dollmaker in its wonderfully digressive narration, its stories within stories, and its warmth. Avery is an excellent storyteller, and this is an unexpected and very welcome late addition to my ‘best books of the year’ list.
At a book signing, middle-aged writer Noah is reunited with his former girlfriend Imogen, also the erstwhile star of a children’s TV series created by her father, Oliver. In a parallel storyline, flashbacks follow Oliver as he develops The Adventures of Imogen and Florian, has a fleeting moment of fame and is drawn into a new, intoxicating way of life in London. As each strand progresses, we get to know these characters intimately, particularly in the case of Oliver. And we become aware that Oliver’s creations – the animal companions who starred alongside Imogen in his show – may be more than just puppets. On top of that is the mystery of the book’s title. What (or who) might ‘PoppyHarp’ be?
When I reviewed Avery’s collection A Box Full of Darkness, I described it as ‘filled with both deep strangeness and profound humanity’. I could say the same of PoppyHarp. This is a book that packs in a huge amount – including fascinating context about British media, art and celebrity in the 1970s and 80s – but its connecting thread is an unwavering sense of hope. Then there’s the strangeness: this is a deliciously eerie story, and its climactic sequence, a surreal excursion into ‘Elsewhere’, is unforgettable.
Much like the characters, I was led down some surprising rabbit holes (put it this way: I did not expect one of my big takeaways from this book to be that I now really want to read Kenneth Williams’ diaries.) PoppyHarp reminded me of Nina Allan’s The Dollmaker in its wonderfully digressive narration, its stories within stories, and its warmth. Avery is an excellent storyteller, and this is an unexpected and very welcome late addition to my ‘best books of the year’ list.
April 21, 2025
A genuinely wonderful book
February 27, 2025
This looks like a creepy, fantastical book, but only the last quarter of the book has that content. Most of the book is a gay romance in 70s London. However, if you go in understanding that, it's actually pretty great. Recommended.
March 20, 2025
I doubt that Simon Avery has ever written a sentence that I have not enjoyed, so it is no surprise that I loved reading PoppyHarp.
It is so beautifully written, on very many levels, and so utterly imbued with warmth and compassion towards all of its characters, human or otherwise, that I didn't want to end.
The sense of magic and wonder generated by the story, and by the clarity of the prose will stay with me for some time ... and if it should start to fade I will simply read it again.
It is so beautifully written, on very many levels, and so utterly imbued with warmth and compassion towards all of its characters, human or otherwise, that I didn't want to end.
The sense of magic and wonder generated by the story, and by the clarity of the prose will stay with me for some time ... and if it should start to fade I will simply read it again.
April 30, 2025
I suppose this novel might be classed as folk horror, so it might seem odd for me to describe it as 'wonderfully lovely' but in fact this is just what it is. I imagine it might appeal the most to those like me who had a 1970s childhood, as the familiarity of the type of children's television shows this riffs off, plus a healthy dose of Kenneth Williams, and the general milieu does make it very relatable, however I would hope it also finds an audience outside of that bracket because it certainly deserves to.
There are two stories here, heavily linked. That of Oliver, an animator who is enthusiastic about entering into television work but whose connections subsequently unsettle his life and threaten his marriage, and Noah, a writer influenced by Oliver, who is experiencing various difficulties of his own. The pair of them are held together by Imogen, Oliver's daughter and - at times - Noah's lover. Other than Noah and Oliver meeting at a young age, they are never subsequently together. The novel bounces between the two threads with aplomb as elements of each of their pasts (and futures) are gradually revealed.
There is a warmth in the telling, a genuine heartfelt depiction of those times, but also great and realistic characterisation throughout all the relationships in the novel. The 'odd' element (probably better described this way than 'horror', or even 'fantasy') is delicately and honestly introduced, so it never over-intrudes on the otherwise everyday reality. I warmed to all the characters here, regardless of any faults, and the novel is well-paced and comes to a satisfying conclusion. I won't go into further details, needless to say that I enjoyed this very much indeed, and consider this to be Avery's best work (amongst an excellent back catalogue). I hope that you read it.
There are two stories here, heavily linked. That of Oliver, an animator who is enthusiastic about entering into television work but whose connections subsequently unsettle his life and threaten his marriage, and Noah, a writer influenced by Oliver, who is experiencing various difficulties of his own. The pair of them are held together by Imogen, Oliver's daughter and - at times - Noah's lover. Other than Noah and Oliver meeting at a young age, they are never subsequently together. The novel bounces between the two threads with aplomb as elements of each of their pasts (and futures) are gradually revealed.
There is a warmth in the telling, a genuine heartfelt depiction of those times, but also great and realistic characterisation throughout all the relationships in the novel. The 'odd' element (probably better described this way than 'horror', or even 'fantasy') is delicately and honestly introduced, so it never over-intrudes on the otherwise everyday reality. I warmed to all the characters here, regardless of any faults, and the novel is well-paced and comes to a satisfying conclusion. I won't go into further details, needless to say that I enjoyed this very much indeed, and consider this to be Avery's best work (amongst an excellent back catalogue). I hope that you read it.
August 9, 2025
This is the story of author Noah, a middle-aged single-parent, whose childhood meeting with kid's TV creator Oliver Frayling propels his life on a particular course of literary ambition. In flashbacks we also get to see Oliver's journey, from creative but frustrated husband and father, to BBC 'talent' whose success comes with a cost that can never been repaid. Oliver's daughter, Imogen, herself a big part of the BBC TV show that he created - The Adventures of Imogen and Florian - is the character that links the two, as her relationship to them both is the foundation upon which the story is built. And those poorly-stuffed, handmade characters from the show - tatty rabbit Fabian, fez-wearing rat Antoine, and Fitzbatch, the monkey with cymbals - they too have a part to play.
The premise of the novel intrigued me from the start, but this was so much more than I was expecting. I came for the 1970s stop-motion puppet show, but stayed for the experience of seeing Oliver as he was catapulted into a life of partying in Monte Carlo and mixing on yachts with various icons of the 70s and 80s. It has a rich texture of British pop-culture - be that thinly-veiled real-life characters such as Kenneth Williams and David Hockney, or hints at films like the Carry-On movies and children's show such as Bagpuss. Nearly ever character seems haunted by something or other. It touches of the power of imagination and the desire to create, whilst also highlighting the marital balancing act that can come with artistic success. We get to see a good period of Oliver's life (the internal conflict of his sexuality), meet his engaging circle of friends, and even witness the dark spectre of AIDS as we reach the early 1980s. Strong stuff, lyrical and honest. The novel even manages to integrate that vague threat of nuclear war that seemed ever-present during the Cold War. It's a complex story dripping with memory and regret. The tone reminded me somewhat of the 2023 film 'All of Us Strangers', where the ghosts of our pasts are there to remind us of what we once had and lost. It doesn't shy away from showing how painful love can be. There are passages of prose towards the end that moved me to tears. The 'weird' aspects of the story (when they eventually come) feel entirely appropriate, because their presence comes across as a natural progression of the plot. Its 278 pages are crammed with more imagination than most books contain in an entire series.
PoppyHarp is one of those novels that makes you simultaneously thrilled by its sheer existence in the world, and yet wholly envious of the fact that you didn't write it. The story is so far up my street it could almost have been harvested from my brain and woven into this stunning piece of art by a writer at the top of his game. It's heartbreaking and haunting, exciting and melancholy, and thrumming with nostalgia and regret. PoppyHarp is one of the best novels I've read in years and it deserves a much wider audience. Highly recommended.
The premise of the novel intrigued me from the start, but this was so much more than I was expecting. I came for the 1970s stop-motion puppet show, but stayed for the experience of seeing Oliver as he was catapulted into a life of partying in Monte Carlo and mixing on yachts with various icons of the 70s and 80s. It has a rich texture of British pop-culture - be that thinly-veiled real-life characters such as Kenneth Williams and David Hockney, or hints at films like the Carry-On movies and children's show such as Bagpuss. Nearly ever character seems haunted by something or other. It touches of the power of imagination and the desire to create, whilst also highlighting the marital balancing act that can come with artistic success. We get to see a good period of Oliver's life (the internal conflict of his sexuality), meet his engaging circle of friends, and even witness the dark spectre of AIDS as we reach the early 1980s. Strong stuff, lyrical and honest. The novel even manages to integrate that vague threat of nuclear war that seemed ever-present during the Cold War. It's a complex story dripping with memory and regret. The tone reminded me somewhat of the 2023 film 'All of Us Strangers', where the ghosts of our pasts are there to remind us of what we once had and lost. It doesn't shy away from showing how painful love can be. There are passages of prose towards the end that moved me to tears. The 'weird' aspects of the story (when they eventually come) feel entirely appropriate, because their presence comes across as a natural progression of the plot. Its 278 pages are crammed with more imagination than most books contain in an entire series.
PoppyHarp is one of those novels that makes you simultaneously thrilled by its sheer existence in the world, and yet wholly envious of the fact that you didn't write it. The story is so far up my street it could almost have been harvested from my brain and woven into this stunning piece of art by a writer at the top of his game. It's heartbreaking and haunting, exciting and melancholy, and thrumming with nostalgia and regret. PoppyHarp is one of the best novels I've read in years and it deserves a much wider audience. Highly recommended.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews