Pre-order this book here.
Review by Julia Newhouse.
The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls is a compelling book about a young woman finding her place in the politics of varying niche positions: at an all girl school, in a fractured family, and in a patriarchal society. From the opening page, we understand that a big event has caused a rift in the Atwell family, and that fifteen year old Thea is the one held responsible for it. While her twin brother Sam is cloistered and protected at home, she has seemingly been cast off from the wealthy family’s estate. Being told by her father that she is being sent away to ‘learn how to behave around other children’, we as readers see a different Thea. We read of a fierce and impulsive young woman who is grappling along a rocky road to womanhood, paved with her own determined and knotty explorations of sexuality.
The book’s protagonist, Thea Atwell has been riding horses all her life, and competes as a jumper. This propensity to jump first, and think later filters down into the rest of Thea’s life. Set in the Great Depression, all around her, people face new hardships and ruin, adding to the sense of a young woman being cast out into the realities of adult life. With her new friends, the culture of femininity at Yonahlossee, as well as the headmaster and his family to influence her, Thea must find her feet as a young woman, and determine life’s boundaries for herself.
Anton Disclafani is without doubt a wonder at crafting a well-told tale. Thea’s past is teased out ever so slowly, in the sort of way that makes you yearn for answers, while enjoying the idea of being made to wait. Thea’s past is also skilfully played out against her present at Yonahlossee, where we come to see whether she will be able to move on, or whether one adolescent mistake will ruin her for life, and will it be doomed to be repeated? This is a fascinating portrait of burgeoning youth, and a young girl who is realising the power she can hold over the opposite sex. You needn't ride horses or be a teen to understand her journey. Thea writes ‘I came of age, as they say, at the Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls,' and it is a delight to see her do it.
(Note this book is not released until 6th June 2013)
So last night I was at the Club at the Ivy. I should say that with debonair insouciance to give the impression that my life consists of nothing but rounds of trendy clubs populated by elegant people who smile in recognition and relief at my entrance; but there is too much of the country boy in me for that, sadly, so I will say it with starry-eyed delight instead.
I was there for an event run by the splendid Byte the Book, who bring together publishers and agents and writers and literary types in general, and I was speaking along with James Wills, managing director at Watson, Little; and Gordon Wise from Curtis Brown. Here is a picture of, well, none of us, but it gives the general idea.
We spoke about the role of agents, and about writing, and books. We shared a microphone without once wrestling each other for it. No-one stood up, red-faced, to hurl insults at anyone else. (My aesthetic in terms of panels may, I realise, be unduly influenced by Jeremy Kyle.)
It was all very lovely and thoughtful and there was lots of talk about the future of books, but no-one railed about impending doom and how the Kindle is going to liquefy everyone’s brains so that Amazon can use the newly created skull space to implant neuron word nuggets in there instead. Which was nice.
And other thing that was really nice was this: everyone was there because they love the idea of being involved in the telling of stories, which is probably a pretty precarious business, and one in which mighty tides of hope and vanity and folly and despair surge around while people cling to flotsam and long for ever bigger waves to surf; but as businesses go, it seems to include a lot of eccentric, passionate, kind people who care about what they do. Which, for a Monday night in Soho, and for a career to dabble in, is about as much as you can ask, really…
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The above is quoted from Will Le Fleming's own site and was originally posted on there after he took part in our panel on 18th March 2013.
Review by Julia Newhouse
When you have read and loved an author’s work, their name comes to mean something to you. Just as you might avoid a novel because you hated an author’s other works, the announcement of a new work by an author you admire can be a real joy. In 2009, I had, by chance picked up a copy of A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick. Having never heard of him before, I came to the book with no expectations, and was floored. It was certainly the best book I had read in a long time. With his beautiful syntax, and subtly powerful writing style, I was thrilled and excited to hear about Goolrick’s second novel Heading Out to Wonderful. And all of the expectations were not for naught: Heading Out to Wonderful is beautifully rendered, poetic, and emotionally gripping.
We are never told where he comes from, but we follow handsome, middle-aged Charlie Beale, who arrives in a small Virginian town after the Second World War: ‘Brownsburg, Virginia, 1948, the kind of town that existed in the years right after the war, where the terrible American wanting hadn’t touched yet, where most people lived a simple life without yearning for the things they couldn’t have...’ Working as a butcher in the town’s local store, Charlie observes the characters of this small town from the inseparable elderly twins (the Misses Allie) who never married, to the gifted local seamstress Claudie Wiley, who even the white women go to for their clothes. Charlie settles into his life, and builds a surrogate family through Alma and Will Haislett and their young son Sam. Life in the town is, and has long been uneventful until Sylvan Glass, the young wife of the town’s richest (and most awful) man walks into the shop. In this moment, Charlie Beale’s life changes, and we sense that this unavoidable love affair is bound to bring about some sort of crisis in a small town where nothing much has ever happened.
This is the kind of book that proves that you don’t need a million big events to make a book gripping. This is a piece of writing devoted to little moments, beautiful little scenes with all of the power and import they hold for those around them. Goolrick’s writing infuses moments with warmth and care. When Charlie and Sylvan meet, he writes: ‘Charlie Beale had heard her name. Sylvan Glass. She went off in his head and his heart like a firecracker on the Fourth of July. Something dazzling, Something stupendous. Something, finally, that was wholly and mysteriously wonderful’. We feel what happens in the novel acutely, because of the beautiful way in which Goolrick paints the words across the page. We feel the familiar comfort as well as the cloying nature of small town life, just as we feel the fire and passion that burns in Charlie from the very moment he lays eyes on Sylvan Glass. Painting the prejudices as subtly as the landscape, Brownsburg comes alive on the page. Robert Goolrick is undoubtedly one of the most poetic writers of our time, and Heading Out to Wonderful is a great reflection of his talent.
BIC, one of our valued sponsors, would like to remind Byte the Book subscribers of their 15% discount code valid (subject to availability) for all their courses/events scheduled up until the end of May 2013. The discount code is BTBIC12
Each training & event session has a 2 tiered price i) BIC members and ii) non-members. These tiers remain in place and the discount would apply to each tier.
Here are their upcoming events which you can also find in our calendar
Bibliographic metadata and ONIX: practical guidance and best practice
Wednesday 26 June, The British Library Conference Centre
The next scheduled BIC training course is a re-run of the popular Bibliographic metadata and ONIX: practical guidance and best practice, and is being held Wednesday 26 June 2013. This course is aimed at staff with management responsibility for metadata, either in IT, marketing or production within a publisher, or in similar roles in distribution and retailing. If you would like to find out more please visit the booking page.
Contract to Customer – End to End Considerations for your Digital Products
Thursday 27 June (half day course), London College of Communication
This course is aimed at individuals working in editorial, marketing, and other front end departments, looking to gain an understanding of the digital supply chain, with a focus on practical and business considerations such as, what do customers want and how do they go about getting it? Please book via Eventbrite.
Digital Profit and Loss – What is your strategy costing you?
Friday 28 June (half day course), London College of Communication
Looking more at working costs than revenues, this course would suit those working in any department of a publishing house, at any level, concerned with how their practical decisions and actions are affecting their purses. Please book via Eventbrite.
Creating Strong Technical Specifications for Building Digital Products
Thursday 4 July (half day course), London College of Communication
This course is aimed at anyone who needs to brief software developers on building digital products. At the end of this half day course you will take away a checklist of what you need to do to build a strong specification for your digital product. Please book via Eventbrite.
Introducing Apps for Publishing
Thursday 11 July, London College of Communication
Should I embark on app publishing?- How should I work with developers? - What are my pricing options? - How can I make money out of this app? - Should I do an enhanced eBook, iBook or app?
If you’re asking any of the following questions then this course could be right for you. This course gives an introduction to apps, and shows what a basic app can do. It will help publishers, large and small, understand what they are dealing with, dispel myths of complexity, and highlight key considerations to take into account when briefing a developer. To book please visit Eventbrite.
Metadata for Beginners
Wednesday 17 July (half day course), The British Library Conference
Metadata for Beginners is aimed at anyone in the publishing industry who is involved with bibliographic data in the supply chain. It is also aimed at individuals who require a better understanding of bibliographic data and the role it plays in the commercial success of a book. The course aims to de-mystify the subject of metadata, a subject often regarded as technical and complicated. Please book via Eventbrite.
Negotiating with Suppliers
Wednesday 17 July (half day course), The British Library Conference
This course is aimed at those within the book industry who negotiate with other people: whether they are other members of your organisation or external suppliers, creative contributors and packagers, print suppliers or publishers and retailers. Please book via Eventbrite.
BIC New Trends Seminar
Monday 29 July, The Stationers' & Newspaper Makers' Company
Registration is now open for BIC’s annual New Trends Seminar. This year it’s being held at The Stationers' & Newspaper Makers' Company, London, near St Paul’s Cathedral. As the forward facing supply chain event of the calendar year the New Trends Seminar brings together speakers from all corners of the industry. Speakers confirmed so far include Richard Mollet, Chief Executive, The Publishers Association; Jane Tappuni, EVP, Business Development, Publishing Technology; Richard Wallis, Technology Evangelist, OCLC. Places can be booked here.
A full list of all BIC events and training can be found here.
We're a special offer from City University, the sponsors of March's event:
The first 20 people who book onto their introductory course Creative Writing (Poetry and Prose) between March 18-22 inclusive will get a £20 amazon voucher, just mention Byte the Book when registering. Hopefully that'll help to inspire your writing and your reading!
Buy this book
Review by Justine Solomons
This is a stunning debut. I absolutely loved it, finishing it within a single day. Butler has created two beautiful central characters playing their lives against a very real London.
Alice, has a wanderlust, travelling the world in an attempt to find a place she belongs but she is suddenly summoned home by her two sisters when their father becomes ill. Daniel is homeless, and like Alice is a wanderer although the scope of his travels is limited to the streets of London. Through the course of this novel we learn how the two of them are connected and how they can help each other.
I was completely addicted to this book. The writing, both the straightforward prose chapters, and the many 'ten things' lists are easy to read and allow the reader great insight into the characters' psyches. The London depicted is also incredibly vivid, and just like the treasures that Daniel finds to speak for him when he cannot, Butler has scoured her imagination to present us with a treasure trove of wonder. This is an absolutely brilliant book, deserving of many readers and first novel prizes.
As an alumni of this month's sponsor, City University, I can thoroughly recommend their Novel Studio course. Here is what they have to say about it:
Always wanted to write a novel? Got one ‘under the bed’ but not sure how to edit it? Want to join a growing list of published alumni? City University London’s The Novel Studio takes 15 selected students on an intensive year-long novel writing course taught by professional writers and editors. Applications are now open with a deadline of 30 May 2013. More details and information on how to apply can be found here.
We're intrigued by this exciting new start up from one of our members.
Here are some more details:
Calling all creative types! As You Read Ltd. needs crowdfunding support!
Pay for what you read, as you read it.
As You Read is a new digital distribution service for readers and writers of fiction. Our aim is to introduce a ‘pay as you go’ mechanic, where readers pay for what they read as they read it.
We want to create a platform for original literary content by independent authors who want to build readership for their work. We want to help authors reach a wide audience and gain support for their work and get paid doing so.
At the same time, we want to ensure that readers have access to quality literature available to read on desktops, tablets and mobile.
We need your help to raise $50,000 to develop our prototype site into a complete functional service. Please visit our IndieGoGo Campaign page here for more details about our project and details on how you can help bring this dream to the masses.
The Club at the Ivy have invited Byte the Book subscribers to an upcoming book launch. The event is on Friday 15th March, doors will be at 7pm for a 7:30pm start and it is free to attend.
Here are some more details:
The Colony Room Club existed for 60 years, hidden away up some dark, dingy stairs. Post WWII, inside a small luridly green room, the most extraordinary people collided. The stories of what went on there are the stuff of legend as it was a place where people truly relaxed and could be themselves without fear of moral codes and judgment.
The formidably foul mouthed and witty owner, Muriel, welcomed the likes of Francis Bacon, Freud, Brian Howard and Kate Moss through the door.
Sophie Parkin was given the archives after Michael Wojas died, leaving behind 3 years of researching, interviewing and writing The Colony Room Club 1948-2008. In The Loft, you will be given a unique look in to the history of post war Bohemian Soho in an intimate talk and slide show - you may need to look away if you blush easily.
Limited Editions and Collector Editions of the book will be available to buy
To attend, please email katiew@the-ivyclub.co.uk
The Literary Consultancy are running a conference in June and wanted to let Byte the Book subscribers know about the early bird discount which runs until the end of March.
Here are some more details:
THE LITERARY CONFERENCE 2013:
Writing in a Digital Age
FRI 7TH – SAT 8TH JUNE
FREE WORD CENTRE
The Literary Consultancy (TLC) is proud to announce the
much-anticipated return of its cutting-edge conference for
writers working at all levels. TLC in collaboration with
Amphora Arts has again assembled a wide range of
industry-leading partners including the Society for Editors &
Proofreaders, The Literary Platform’s forthcoming Writing
Platform, the Alliance of Independent Authors, Book
Hackday, Contentment’s new e-book conversion platform
BookFlower and the Free Word Centre. The overriding
theme of this year’s conference is ‘quality in a digital age’ – and how authors
can make the latest tools, platforms and opportunities available work for
them.
Highlights include:
␣ Audrey Niffenegger to deliver keynote at year two of TLC’s digital
conference, with more than 30 writers, journalists, publishers and
digital pioneers participating over two days
␣ Conference to partner with the return of “Book Hackday” and invite
writers to reimagine the boundaries of content and technology
Location
Free Word Centre
60 Farringdon Road
London EC1R 3GA
Conference booking information:
Prices for the conference are £299 (two-days), £175 (one-day), 15% off for
OAPs, 20% off for general concession. All prices subject to VAT. Early Bird
offers available until March 31st.
www.literaryconsultancy.co.uk/ literary-conference-2013
Email: info@literaryconsultancy.co.uk
Tel: 020 7324 2570
Media queries contact:
Jon Slack, jon@amphora.org.uk; 07747 732995
