Book blog Archives | Tales from Absurdia

A Conversation With… Lois Miller

February 5, 2025February 5, 2025 by John @ Tales from Absurdia

Lois Miller, 19, is a debut author with her romantasy novel Don’t Fear the Fire set to release in the UK on 25th March, 2025.

Recently, I spoke to Lois to find out a little more about her path into writing, the books that make her tick, and what readers should expect from Don’t Fear the Fire when it’s published later this year.

Hey Lois, thanks for taking the time to talk to Tales from Absurdia. It’s a pleasure to have you on the blog!

First and foremost, please tell us a little about yourself. When did you first start writing, and what was your journey into getting your first book published?

Hi! I am Lois, a nineteen (nearly twenty) year old debut author, originally from Buckinghamshire, now living in Bournemouth.

I was always a lover of creative writing – it was definitely my favourite lesson in school, but I first started writing my debut novel at the age of sixteen. I started writing what is now Don’t Fear the Fire as a way to escape the world at the time (the national lockdown caused by COVID-19).

I never really intended to get DFTF published, as it was just a creative outlet when i first began the project, but after some really positive feedback from friends i decided to try and pursue publication at the age of eighteen (I did shelve the manuscript for a year and a bit due to A-level and higher education commitments).

It was about November 2023 when I re-looked at the novel and after some long nights of editing, I felt it was finally time to start querying. This was a long, painful and nerve-racking process, where I sent out many letters to several agents and publishers. After maybe two months of waiting, I received an interest from my current publisher, Cranthorpe Millner Publishers, and have never looked back!

So, Don’t Fear the Fire — do tell us more about it!

What’s the novel about? And where did the idea for this book come from?

Don’t Fear the Fire is a YA (young adult) romantasy (romance and fantasy) novel which follows eighteen year old Scarlett Dalton as she attends Leighton Academy, a magik (yes, with a K) school for Mystics and Warlocks. Very loosely inspired by Wiccan culture, as well as my own personal interest in spirituality, the magik system is all about inner powers/thoughts. The novel features popular ‘Booktok’ tropes such as enemies to lovers, found family, dark academia and the somewhat infamous ‘knife to the throat’ scene.

During her time at the school, Scarlett meets her two roommates (which are decided by the zodiac star signs) Samira and Ophelia, and throughout the novel, they experience all sorts of love, loss and heartbreak together.

During the hand-fasting ceremony, Scarlett is bound to her soul twin, Claude Richardson, the son of the wealthy and highly respected Richardsons. Delighted, but somewhat frightened by him, Scarlett is keen to utilise this bond to make a positive name and career for herself. However, when strange occurrences start to happen at the academy, the pair are contacted by the governing agency, OMEN, to complete a top secret mission.

The idea for DFTF started as quite literally a single scene in my mind, and after many weeks of planning and worldbuilding, I felt I had developed enough of a concept I could turn it into a full novel.

"I grew up reading Harry Potter, and always knew I loved the escapism that fantasy in general can provide."

Lois Miller Author of Don't Fear the Fire

Lois Miller On Fantasy and Escapism

Which writers and genres have inspired you the most?

And are there any authors’ books you’re excited about reading, that you haven’t yet read?

For sure Harry Potter, as that’s what I grew up reading and what sparked my passion for literature and creative writing.

I love fantasy or dystopian (e.g. the hunger games / maze runner) as they allow me to completely escape reality for a short period of time. I also love anything with romance in it, as I am a sucker for love – especially when there is some angsty tension or an enemies to lovers dynamic (just as long as they work out in the end).

I have loved the Powerless series by Lauren Roberts, and I can’t wait for April to get the final installment ‘Fearless’. I am also eagerly anticipating reading Fourth Wing on my upcoming holiday, as I am yet to indulge in that series (despite my colleagues raving about it for ages).

Do you have any writing rituals or habits that help you stay creative?

I try to write in short bursts/sprints. I find my mind gets tired or distracted, especially after a long day in the office or doing university work, so I find concentrating for thirty minutes to an hour in one go works for me.

I also find it’s helpful to approach writing sessions with a plan or idea of what you are aiming to write. Whether that be a specific scene, finishing a chapter or to hit a word count, having a clear goal of what you want to accomplish really motivates me.

"It’s helpful to approach writing sessions with a plan or idea of what you are aiming to write."

Lois Miller

On Writing

In terms of rituals, I have found that putting on instrumental music of songs really aids me when I write.

I like the noise, as it weirdly helps me focus, but anything with lyrics would be too distracting (I start to, very badly, sing along).

If you were stranded on a desert island, and had only three books, which ones would you pick?

Hmmm… very tough question! I would for sure say a Harry Potter novel, although it has been several years since I read them…perhaps The Goblet of Fire. There are some amazing parts of that book that were not included in the film which I love.

For my second book, I would say The Maze Runner by James Dashner. I love this book (and the whole series), so much so that I read the entire novel in under a day. I love the short chapters, the pacing and the characters, so this would have to make my top three.

For the third book, I would once again say Powerless by Lauren Roberts. I love the feisty female main character Paeydn, the cocky, yet loveable Kai and the tension that the two have. I read it on my holiday last year and it really had me giggling and kicking my feet!

What are you currently reading?

Slightly a cop-out answer, but my current work in progress…I am writing something completely different from DFTF and I am loving it!!

Without revealing too much, it is a dystopian novel, with a very unique societal structure and a head-strong FMC (female main character). I am in the process of both writing and editing the manuscript, so feel like it’s currently the main thing I am reading.

To confess, I am not much of a reader anymore…I spend all my free time writing (or proofreading) my own work. However, that being said, I do love to take a couple books with me whenever I go on holiday, but unfortunately that is all the reading I can typically do.

How can readers best support debut authors like yourself?

Of course there is an obvious answer – preorder/buy our novels! Any sale we have not only makes our day, but also shows to other readers, publishers and even booksellers (aka the Amazon algorithm) that our book is something that could be worth your time.

However, I would also love to stress that interacting with us on social media is another amazing way to support any debut author. The power of Instagram and TikTok is truly remarkable (whilst also terrifying), so every like, follow, comment or repost makes a huge difference. One viral video can boost sales by an unbelievable amount, so any chance you get to interact with debut/indie authors helps us immensely.

And finally, if you had any advice for your younger self starting this novel — or any other young writers — what would it be?

For my younger self writing DFTF, I would say maybe read up a bit on grammar – the subtle nuances of en/em dashes etc can really be a make or break for an agent or publisher.

I would also say to myself, but also any writer (no matter their age), that you do need a plan. Whether that be a loose synopsis (which also is not set in stone – if you have another, better idea, you can adapt it) or a chapter-by-chapter plan, an empty document is much more intimidating if you don’t know what you’re filling it with.

Definitely take the time to flesh out your characters and world building – perhaps by making lots of Pinterest boards or creating detailed character profiles on word – as this will save a lot of headache, stress and confusion in the long run.

One final thing I would also love to say to anyone thinking of starting a novel is ‘don’t compare yourself to anyone else.’ Everyone has a different writing journey, and that is okay. Some people will write a whole draft in three months, others in three years. That does not dictate the success or merit of your work.

The same goes for the querying process; the odds of getting an agent/publisher are quite low, and it may take some people months to find the right person for their work, whereas others might hit the nail on the head first try.

If you believe in your work, others will too.

Don’t Fear the Fire, published by Cranthorpe Millner Publishers, is out on the 25th March in the UK.

You can pre-order your copy from all good bookstores, or order directly from the publisher to support their ongoing work.

How to Avoid Book Blogger Burnout

October 4, 2024 by John @ Tales from Absurdia

Blogger burnout is real — especially for book bloggers who lean heavily on writing book reviews.

After all, reading is time consuming, and if you pick the wrong books, or put undue pressure on yourself to crank out content, you’re going to burn out pretty fast.

This is compounded further when you have a pile of ARCs to read, not to mention your own backlog of purchases that, somehow, only ever seems to get bigger.

But fear not — I come with advice. I’ve put many of these tips into practice myself, and as a result, Tales from Absurdia is still operating many years later.

1) Do not compare and despair

Try not to compare your success to others.

It’s so easy to do, but if you succumb to what Cathy Rentzenbrink calls ‘compare and despair,’ you’ll feel rubbish about yourself and your writing.

Whether it’s pageviews, social media followers, the number of comments on your blog, or your success rate at scoring ARCs — others’ successes are not your failures. Maybe you can learn something from another blogger, but do not judge your own performance against others.

You may have less free time than others, or perhaps blogging, or promoting your content on social media, doesn’t come naturally to you. And that’s okay.

It’s hard not to compare yourself against your peers. I still find myself doing it weekly.

But when those intrusive thoughts rear their ugly heads, knock ‘em back down and remember you’re running your own race.

2) Remember why you're blogging

Take a moment and have a think about why you started blogging. Perhaps even write down a couple of sentences on the topic.

It could be that you wanted to chronicle your thoughts, or perhaps you wanted to join a community of readers. You may have started blogging for more self-indulgent reasons (and that’s fine — even Orwell claimed that some writers write for ‘sheer egoism!’)

Are these reasons still valid? Have they evolved in any kind of way? This writing exercise is a great way to focus yourself back on why you began spending your time talking about books to strangers on the internet.

3) Stop requesting ARCs

Right. It’s time for an intervention. Gather round closely for one moment, and repeat after me — Stop. Requesting. ARCs.

Seriously, if fear is the mind-killer, ARCs are the blog killer. This may sound counterintuitive, but when you’re under pressure to read for a deadline — and then you’re suddenly approved for five more books — reading can become a chore. If you’re not enjoying reading, you’re probably not enjoying blogging.

Those impulsive requests because you liked the cover or the blurb will chew up your time, prevent you from reading what you actually want to read, and sap your motivation.

I’ve stopped requesting ARCs altogether, but you needn’t do this. Simply reign those impulses in a little.

4) Be realistic

Let’s be real — there are only 24 hours in a day. If you work, that’s at least 8-10 hours.

You may be a parent, or have a dependent. You may also want to get some sleep too.

Some days and weeks, you just can’t get things done. Be realistic about this, and manage your own expectations. It’s easy to berate yourself for not publishing anything, or not getting to the book festivals you really want to visit, but as I wrote earlier — you’re running your own race.

Be kind to yourself, accept that you won’t always be able to work on your blog.

5) Take a break

I don’t know a single blogger who hasn’t considered packing the whole thing in — myself included, sometimes weekly — but more often than not, a break is just the thing you need.

This could be a week, a month, or even a year.

Take as long as you need and the answer will come to you. And if you’re sure you want to quit blogging, that’s okay!

But give yourself the space to think about it first. A break is always better than a knee-jerk decision.

Got any more tips? Post them in the comments below and support a fellow blogger!

The Age of Absurdity By Michael Foley

September 17, 2024 by John @ Tales from Absurdia

"The common challenges of earning a living, maintaining a relationship and ageing are becoming battlegrounds of existential angst and self-loathing in a culture that demands conspicuous consumption, high-octane partnerships and perpetual youth."

Title: The Age of Absurdity
Author: Michael Foley
Pages: 240
Published by: Simon & Schuster Ltd (2010)

Why are we so unhappy?

And is the pursuit of happiness even valid?

These are the interesting questions posed by Michael Foley, in this sometimes witty, other times intellectually bereft, piece of writing.

His central argument appears to be that society’s expectations clash with reality, making us unhappy, riffing on Albert Camus’ idea of the absurd — in essence, the divorce between existential expectation and reality.

Foley’s view appears to be that the modern generation, part of the ‘age of entitlement’ — as he opines frequently — are destined to be disappointed due to their own inflated egos and greed.

The problem here is that such claims evaporate upon contact with air, once the usual soundbites and indulgence in prejudice are scrutinised.

The Age of Absurdity
Old Man Shouts at Clouds

The Age of Absurdity includes some utterly bizarre segues, many of which have aged poorly since its publication in 2010.

This includes a strange take on neurological and addiction-based conditions. Foley argues, or at least implies, a frivolity on the part of the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) — the United States’ authority on mental health.

Anybody who has read The Body Keeps the Score, written by Bessel van der Kolk, MD — who has actually worked in the US healthcare system — would know that historically, it has been difficult to get conditions listed in the DSM.

“The opening line of the grant rejection read: “It has never been shown that PTSD is relevant to the mission of the Veterans Administration.”

Since then, of course, the mission of the VA has become organized around the diagnosis of PTSD and brain injury, and considerable resources are dedicated to applying “evidence-based treatments” to traumatized war veterans.

But at the time things were different and, unwilling to keep working in an organization whose view of reality was so at odds with my own, I handed in my resignation”

The Body Keeps the Score, Bessel van der Kolk

In the Age of Absurdity, it’s clear that Michael Foley is undeterred by his absence of knowledge or experience when making such assured pronouncements. He then turns his attention to depersonalisation, widely considered an adverse response mechanism for anxiety and stress, but apparently not for Foley.

In fact, The Age of Absurdity considers depersonalisation to be a good thing, claiming that ‘achieving personal detachment was considered to be a key factor in mental health, by every thinker from Buddha to Sartre.’ Neither, of course, renowned for their expertise as mental health clinicians.

It is this that perhaps explains Foley’s crass and ignoramus reading of Buzz Aldrin’s descent into alcoholism and depression following the moon landing mission, with Foley claiming depression to be ‘often the fate of the modern personality — greedy, attention-hungry, and resentful, always convinced of deserving more, always haunted by possibility of missing something better somewhere else, always smarting at a lack of recognition, and always dissatisfied.’

Away from this, Americans (apparently) do stupid things and people who play videogames and watch TV are wasting their time. The reader is then regaled with a ridiculous tale of the author’s fury at being unable to find a café that wasn’t playing music at 11am, whilst trying to discuss a thesis with a friend in Spain.

Truly have the horrors of the modern world been inflicted upon this poor soul.

It’s all very ‘old man shouts at clouds,’ and cheapens some of the more thoughtful and reflective moments in The Age of Absurdity. And that’s a real shame.

Critiques of structural social issues

The stronger parts of the book are the critiques of structural social issues.

Capitalism, including its associated rampant consumerism, is a key target for Foley’s scorn. For example, the need for more, but without any certainty of the ‘whys’ behind the desire to accumulate ‘stuff’.

“If every time could be the last, it's as good as the first.”

The Age of Absurdity, Michael Foley

Particularly poignant are the sections on the absurdities of love and ageing, which produce some of the book’s most impressive observations on the fragility and tenuousness of our existence.

Both darkly amusing and touching in equal measure, these are the few areas where it appears that Foley is writing with some authority.

Is The Age of Absurdity worth reading?

Witty but inescapably bitter, The Age of Absurdity is a hard one to recommend.

The first couple of chapters are excellent, and the later chapters are soberingly thoughtful, but for a book that extols the virtues of happiness in the introduction, it struggles to shake the pall of cynical bitterness and resentment towards newness and modernity.

What’s more, Foley is indisputably intelligent and perceptive. So it’s all the more frustrating when this intelligence evaporates to make room for denouncing ‘rap music’, ‘Americans’, and of course the classic modern complaint — how anybody can now ‘choose their gender’.

Thoughtful at times, The Age of Absurdity is at its best when Foley leaves his strange, ignorant gripes at the door. Unfortunately, this is a rare occurrence, making for a turgid book laced with prejudice, and lacking the intellectual clout it thinks it has.

Rated 1 out of 5

Sad Little Men by Richard Beard

August 30, 2024 by John @ Tales from Absurdia

"All anglophone private schools exist in the shadow of the institutions that influenced their founding. They replicate the segregation and social exceptionalism reserved for superior beings destined to lead."

Title: Sad Little Men
Author: Richard Beard
Pages: 278
Published by: Harvill Secker (2021)

It’s 2021 and the UK government is embroiled in scandal.

Boris Johnson has to front up to parliament and apologise for partygate — a series of parties that took place at the height of the COVID-19 lockdowns — but appears unwilling to do so.

Remarkably, this will not bring his government down. That chapter, featuring a certain ‘Pincher by name, pincher by nature’ will unfold later.

But his bluster, deflection, and obfuscation reveals a naked exceptionalism about men like Johnson that will define his, and many others’, legacies.

This is where Richard Beard’s Sad Little Men picks up, promising an exploration of the origins behind the UK’s political leaders for the past century.

Sad Little Men
An Overview

“At an English boarding school [...] the world they enter is enclosed and has much in common with the asylum at Bethesda, Maryland, where [Erving] Goffman did most of his research”

Sad Little Men, Richard Beard

Sad Little Men makes the case that the culture of boarding schools produces highly flawed individuals. Beard, who attended boarding school at the same time as Boris Johnson and David Cameron, though not at the same institution, chronicles UK private school life throughout the ages, adding his own experiences throughout.

Lacking in empathy — and by extension the necessary qualities for a role in politics — Beard builds a picture of emotional deprivation and strident exceptionalism.

Ultimately, this damage trickles down to the electorate through bad policymaking and toxic rhetoric.

A word on the audiobook version. It’s exceptional, and arguably the best way to experience the book. The narrator, John Sackville, delivers a performance that’s well spoken in the manner of an old Radley College boy, but also quietly vulnerable with trauma leaking into the pronunciation of every word.

Sad little men and the fallout from ‘boarding school syndrome’

Plenty has been written about ‘boarding school syndrome,’ and even more research into attachment theory and its role in separation anxiety.

It’s in this vein that Beard questions how healthy it is to remove a young boy from his family home, to instead be raised by a surrogate parent such as a matron or schoolmaster — especially under the guise of it being ‘good for you’.

And boarding schools as a hotbed of extraordinary social privilege with crippling emotional deprivation, is Beard’s core thesis.

Private schools, declassified

Good old ‘regular’ private schools do not escape Beard’s condemnation either.

He argues that Eton, Winchester, Radley, and Harrow are simply the blueprints of success for every other private school in the land.

These schools exist in their own space and time, Beard argues, retaining many of the cultural and social-economic quirks and antics of previous decades.

On the one-hand, this could be seen as a sweeping generalisation. However, it’s hard to deny the evidence presented. On numerous occasions, Beard consults diary entries of famous alumni, including Orwell and Churchill, and points out the extraordinary similarities in culture across the decades.

These include the glorification of war, the ‘banter’, and the language used. The ‘tuck shop’ features — where young chaps can get their sweets — as does ‘prep’ time after school.

Any reluctant private school attendee will recognise at least a handful of these.

Conclusion

Sad Little Men is unlikely to change the hearts and minds of the reader who has entrenched views on private schools.

Those who are in favour of private schools may — unkindly in my view — deride the book as a hit job from a disgruntled ‘old boy’. Meanwhile, readers with preconceived notions will likely find their prejudices bolstered by Beard’s book.

That’s not a criticism of Beard’s book, but more a reflection on our own time, where entrenched ‘sides’ and binary opposition thrive in the absence of nuance.

Regardless, Sad Little Men is at its best as an insightful look into the workings of private schools past and present — and a crucial intervention into the public conversation on the UK education system.

Rated 4 out of 5

No One Left to Lie to (by Christopher Hitchens)

August 12, 2024 by John @ Tales from Absurdia

“The acquittal of Clinton, and the forgiving by implication of his abuses of public power... has placed future crooked presidents in a strong position."

Title: No One Left to Lie to
Author: Christopher Hitchens
Pages: 338
Published by: Verso (1999)

Bill Clinton is a bad, bad man.

At least, that’s the impression one takes away from No One Left to Lie to.

Reading Hitchens’ account of the Clinton presidency, I’m reminded of the media coverage of President Trump’s impeachment, whose well-documented and heinous crimes against America are perceived to be unprecedented.

And yet reading No One Left to Lie to, Trump’s behaviour and abuse of public office seems, to the contrary, to be wholly precedented.

Clinton may not stand accused of provoking an insurrection, but his use of executive power to salvage personal reputation at the expense of respect to the electorate feels remarkably familiar to a 2020s reader.

Clinton’s Kryptonite

The central premise of No One Left to Lie to is Bill Clinton’s political triangulation and perceived dishonesty in the public eye.

Triangulation is a form of aloof centrism, claiming a tenuous moral high ground without any substantial grounding. It involves borrowing ideas from each political wing – not for the good of the nation, but more cynical reasons around political expediency.

It’s a revisionist take on the Democratic heyday of the 1990s from a journalist and writer who, much like his literary hero George Orwell, possessed that rare quality of eluding the binary boundaries of both the liberal Left and the conservative Right.

Christopher Hitchens defined himself as a leftist and a remnant of the international working class movement. Less swayed by binary political allegiance, Hitchens’ world views were shaped more by an internal moral compass – again, very much like Orwell.

'Hitchens was one of the very few people who could slash and burn you in print, then meet for drinks and talk in the true warmth of friendship, discussing a writer we both admired, garrulous to the very last. It was a sign of his essential decency that he didn’t make it personal.'

George Packer, The New Yorker (2011)

For example, Hitchens’ unwavering support for the Iraq War was a flashpoint between him and comrades on the Left, whilst his excoriating critiques of figures like the late Reverend Jerry Falwell drew the ire of the political right.

Of course, this didn’t make him infallible.

Is No One Left to Lie to a Reliable Text?

Hitchens is no stranger to polemical writing that challenges the reputation of seemingly untouchable public figures, such as Henry Kissinger and the late Princess Diana. He even branded Mother Teresa a ‘thieving, fanatical Albanian dwarf‘.

Regardless of one’s views on Hitchens’ polemics, No One Left to Lie To was a bold book to write in 1999, considering the accusations levelled against President Clinton.

Openly accusing Clinton of rape on multiple occasions and including detailed witness accounts, Hitchens dismantles the carefully curated mask fostered by Clinton.

The stronger parts of No One Left to Lie to reside in the chapters dedicated to Clinton’s wielding of foreign policy. Hitchens argues that foreign policy under the Clinton administration was used both as a cudgel to flex US military supremacy and a shield to distract from criticism back home.

And with a number of sources close to the then-President, it’s a damning picture.

“By Tuesday, December 15, after Clinton’s last-ditch nonapology had “bombed” like all its predecessors, every headline had every waverer deciding for impeachment after all. On Wednesday afternoon, the president announced that Saddam Hussein was, shockingly enough, not complying with the UN inspectorate.

And the cruise missiles took wing again. Within hours, the House Republicans had met and, “furious and fractured,” according to the New York Times, had announced the postponement of the impeachment debate, due to begin on Thursday morning.”

Christopher Hitchens, No One Left to Lie to (1999)

And with a number of sources close to the then-President, it’s a damning picture.

Final Thoughts

Whilst Hitchens was a great writer and rhetorician, this was not ‘The Hitch’ at the peak of his powers. It’s overly wordy for such a brief text, and his prose lacks the wit and fluidity found in later books such as god is Not Great.

Regardless, No One Left to Lie To remains a powerful contrarian viewpoint and a sensational polemic against a much-loved former US President.

But to get the most out of this book, it’s imperative to leave political biases at the door and judge on the evidence contained within.

A must-read piece of political journalism.

Rated 4 out of 5

The Complete Guide to Book Festivals in Scotland

September 14, 2024July 24, 2024 by John @ Tales from Absurdia

Scotland is home to a truly diverse group of book festivals, featuring hill-top reading groups, gaelic language sessions, and the infusion of culture with local poets and musicians.

From the world-renowned Edinburgh Book Fest to the more intimate St. Duthac Book and Arts Festival, far north in Tain, this collection of book festivals in Scotland truly offers something for everyone.

Your Complete UK Book Festival Calendar

Got a festival recommendation not on this list? Post it in the comments and I’ll add it to this post.

Birnam Book Festival

Based alongside the beautiful Tay Forest Park and the River Tay, Birnam Book Festival is a relatively new event, having launched in 2018. With events for all ages, including workshops, discussions, author interviews, and live music.

Date: 26 — 27th October, 2024
Location: Birnam, Scotland
Events Calendar: https://www.birnambookfestival.co.uk/

Bookmark Blair

Blairgowrie’s Bookmark Blair is a community-focused book festival aiming to cover as many readers’ interests as possible, from prize winners to debut writers. Throughout the year, the organisers also collaborates with authors to engage with the local community.

Date: 5 — 6th October, 2024
Location: Blairgowrie, Scotland
Events Calendar: https://www.bookmarkblair.com/

Bloody Scotland Crime Writing Festival

Bloody Scotland is Scotland’s international crime writing festival. Based in Stirling, this book festival has established itself as one of the must-attend crime fiction gatherings in the calendar.

Date: 13 — 15th September, 2024
Location: Stirling, Scotland
Events Calendar: https://bloodyscotland.com/

Borders Book Festival

Melrose-based Borders Book Festival prides itself as one of the UK’s friendliest festivals. With local artisan food, live music, and a dollop of bookish merch stands, Borders is a festival in the truest sense of the word.

Date: 12 — 15th September, 2024
Location: Melrose, Scotland
Events Calendar: https://bordersbookfestival.org/

Boswell Book Festival

Inspired by Ayrshire biographer James Boswell, Boswell Book Festival claims to be the world’s only festival of biography and memoir. Running concurrently is a children’s festival, featuring leading authors, illustrators, and performers.

Date: 9 — 11th May, 2025
Location: Cumnock, Scotland
Events Calendar: https://www.boswellbookfestival.co.uk/

Edinburgh Book Festival

Edinburgh Book Festival is one of the UK’s (if not the world’s) biggest literary festivals, and certainly the most recognisable book festival in Scotland. Featuring prominent voices and inspiring new creatives for over 40 years, the festival is a truly global affair, always evolving with the times and bringing in new audiences across the creative arts spectrum.

Date: 10 — 25th August, 2024
Location: Edinburgh, Scotland
Events Calendar: https://www.edbookfest.co.uk/the-festival/whats-on

Mallaig Book Festival

The Mallaig Book Festival is a traditional festival, celebrating literature with author readings, workshops, and discussions. Set against the stunning backdrop of the Scottish Highlands, it fosters a vibrant community of book lovers and promotes both local and national literary talent.

Date: 8 — 10th November, 2024
Location: Mallaig, Scotland
Events Calendar: https://www.a-write-highland-hoolie.com/programme

Nairn Book and Arts Festival

Another stunning location, this time in the Moray Firth, Nairn Book and Arts Festival covers music, art, film, literature, and dance. It even has its own version of Edinburgh Fringe, plus a range of Gaelic language events. A truly authentic book festival and well worth attending.

Date: 31st August — 7th September, 2024
Location: Nairn, Scotland
Events Calendar: https://www.nairnfestival.co.uk/whats-on

Pentlands Book Festival

The Pentlands Book Festival, just outside of Edinburgh offers local author showcases, and interactive workshops. A more traditional literary festival, attendees can also expect to enjoy unique hilltop readings in the stunning Pentland Hills.

Date: TBC (Circa November, 2024)
Location: Pentland Hills, Scotland
Events Calendar: TBC

Portobello Book Festival

Portobello is a stone’s throw from Edinburgh and Leith. The book festival is run by local people, for local people. Tickets are usually free, and the festival is primarily a local interest gathering for the community. A seaside town, it’s a beautiful spot for a bookish gathering.

Date: 4 — 6th October
Location: Portobello, Scotland
Events Calendar: TBC

St Duthac Book and Arts Festival

St Duthac Book and Arts Festival was born on the eve of COVID-19 (you can read more about its origins here), but has since gone from strength to strength. Based in Tain, in the very north of Scotland, the festival features author talks, art trails, and historic walks along the nearby peninsula.

Date: 4 — 6th October
Location: Tain, Scotland
Events Calendar: https://www.stduthacbookfest.com/copy-of-arts-events

Ullapool Book Festival

Ullapool Book Festival had its finale in 2023, before making a seemingly unexpected comeback in 2024 with two events. Based in the stunning coastal village in the north of Scotland, this is a relatively small but warm and well-loved gathering.

Date: 22nd June + 7th September
Location: Ullapool, Scotland
Events Calendar: https://www.ullapoolbookfestival.co.uk/

Wigtown Book Festival

The final event on our list, Wigtown Book Festival, is just south of the picturesque Galloway Forest Park in Wigtown, recognised as Scotland’s national book town. The 10-day festival has fostered what Scotland on Sunday calls a ‘real boutique feel’, and runs a range of community events all year round.

Date: 27th September — 6th October, 2024
Location: Wigtown, Scotland
Events Calendar: https://www.wigtownbookfestival.com/whats-on

12 Bytes (by Jeanette Winterson)

May 26, 2024 by John @ Tales from Absurdia

“There’s a new kind of quasi-religious discourse forming, with its own followers, its creed, its orthodoxy, its heretics, its priests, its literature, its eschatological framework. Even its own Singularity. It’s AI.”

Title: 12 Bytes
Author: Jeanette Winterson
Pages: 368
Published by: Grove Press

ChatGPT, everyone’s favourite purveyor of bad poetry, was released in November 2022, with OpenAI’s generative AI tool altering the landscape of work for a number of industries.

This of course extended to indie authors who, long-acquainted with having the odds stacked against them, found Kindle Unlimited flooded with bookish sewage overnight as a clutch of have-a-go writers and grifters took advantage. Fortunately, Amazon would eventually restrict them from only publishing a mere 3 books a day. That’ll teach them.

This brings us to 12 Bytes, a brilliant piece of non-fiction by witty wordsmith and all-round literary rockstar, Jeanette Winterson. Published as a series of topical essays, she guides the reader through key developments in tech.

And whilst it helps if the reader is familiar with AI, this is by no means mandatory – this is pure Winterson; informative and hilarious in equal measure.

Welcome to the metaverse

From sex robots and metaverse avatars, to transhumanist biotech such as Neuralink, the future is digital, whether you like it or not.

And 12 Bytes offers a great insight into this from the perspective of a writer. Winterson speaks on the topic with a prescience, having immersed herself in the worlds of big tech, automation, and AI for a number of years.

In fact, her 2019 novel Frankissstein was a retelling of Mary Shelley’s famous gothic novel, with the monster less a physical manifestation and more a discussion on the ethics of AI, transhumanism, and cryonics.

Likewise, as generative AI develops in leaps and bounds, it poses a number of questions for society, including the future of creativity and employment. These are big, emotive topics with rival pro and anti-AI camps emerging in creative circles.

Binary opposition

Because our society thrives on binary opposition, the subject of AI has pitched tech evangelists against artists in public discourse.

Artists and publishers are (understandably) concerned that their work is being used to train AI tools, whilst the tech sector has to make the case that regulation (such as the EU’s AI Act) must be applied in calm and informed moderation rather than in a reactionary manner.

Fortunately, Winterson doesn’t buy into this adversarial discourse – engaging with the topic of artificial intelligence with, well, intelligence and nuance.

It’s worth noting that 12 Bytes was actually published in 2021, over a year prior to us mere mortals gaining access to generative AI tools.

I asked Winterson at Manchester Lit Fest whether her thoughts had changed since the dawn of publicly available generative AI tools.

Her answer?

“Well, I have to be optimistic, because what’s the alternative?”

In 12 Bytes Winterson envisions a world where AI could help transcend human limitations and biases. Is this overly optimistic? Time will tell.

Womens’ erasure from tech - A tale as old as time

We live in a world of ‘tech bros’. Think Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, and Sam Altman.

Tech Bro Spirit Halloween Costume - Stuff Tech Bros Like — Source: StuffTechBrosLike

And yet Winterson drops a series of truth bombs throughout 12 Bytes. The forerunners to modern tech innovations such as AI and automation lie in the work done by women.

12 Bytes analyses the history of tech, bringing the women responsible for our current advancements into the public consciousness. She pores over the work of Ada Lovelace in particular, taking jabs at the notion that tech is predominantly for men (a myth invariably propagated by men).

To be clear, this isn’t a polemical book – it’s just the facts. And because of this, 12 Bytes is important. It’s a chronicle of history that simply isn’t taught or discussed, arriving at a time in which artificial intelligence models are being trained en masse in a sector lacking in diversity.

And from a historical perspective, 12 Bytes is a fantastic chronicle of the erasure of womens’ roles in tech. Even those familiar with the subject will find some of the passages astounding.

Final Thoughts

12 Bytes is an excellent piece of non-fiction that manages to inform and entertain in equal measure.

At times Winterson, a sharp thinker, falls foul of the ‘looking at screens is inherently bad for us’ trope when discussing technology, which doesn’t hold up under any meaningful scrutiny.

Still, 12 Bytes is a witty and highly competent analysis of the tech sector’s history, and a must-read for anyone curious about the past, present, and future of the industry.

Rated 4 out of 5

Luckenbooth (by Jenni Fagan)

April 21, 2024 by John @ Tales from Absurdia

“There is cheering out on the street. There is dancing. People meet and fall in love. Scuffles break out. They drink far too much. All of life is happening.”

Title: Luckenbooth
Author: Jenni Fagan
Pages: 338
Published by: Windmill Books (Imprint of Penguin, 2021)

In Jenni Fagan’s Luckenbooth, we follow the often squalid, sometimes vivacious lives (and deaths) of its residents.

Decades pass, people come and go, but the curses of dead women remain, echoing through the cold halls and dank stairwells of 10 Luckenbooth Close.

And much like Fagan’s novella Hex, Luckenbooth is a macabre but powerful piece of writing.

A darker shade of Edinburgh

Edinburgh is a magical place, but like all capital cities, there’s a darker underbelly that most are not privy to.

Fagan’s interpretation of Edinburgh in Luckenbooth is the antithesis to the tourist board presentation. The novel exposes the reader to political corruption, malicious landlords, extreme poverty, and ingrained misogyny. All the things that polite society is aware of but tends to avert its gaze from.

Luckenbooth is therefore a seething critique of society’s failings. And whilst the novel lacks subtlety at times, with each chapter veering into a different injustice, this feels intentional.

Fagan drags the reader kicking and screaming from the comfort of fiction back into the stark reality of social issues in our own world, only to pull them back in with slick, beautiful prose.

Luckenbooth Close as architectural horror

10 Luckenbooth Close is a place poisoned by the people within and the world without – and throughout the novel, the building morphs and buckles in grotesque ways.

It’s a dying building, with the spirits of its violent past clinging to the veil between life and death, haunting its residents.

Highly visual, Fagan’s depictions of 10 Luckenbooth Close elicit creation in the mind of the reader. This is especially powerful in latter parts of the novel where the once-packed building stands derelict and (almost) abandoned.

There is a power to abandoned places – in the absence of humanity, they take on new forms and natural life takes over, which Cal Flyn’s excellent Islands of Abandonment explores with real-world locations.

A form of architectural horror, Poe-esque in execution, it’s a memorable setting that will haunt the mind of its readers long after the final page is turned.

Final Thoughts

Is Luckenbooth worth reading? Great pieces of literary fiction unlock the reader’s imagination, transporting them to wild and wicked places they’ve never experienced before. And Luckenbooth is one of those books – if you give it time.

It’s a bleak affair and not all readers will enjoy this relentlessly dark interpretation of Scotland’s capital. However, Jenni Fagan is a wonderful writer with a marvellous way with words – and it’s a compelling tale for those willing to darken the door of 10 Luckenbooth Close.

If you’re in any doubt, try reading Hex first – it’s a shorter book that introduces you to the writer’s style. But, if you’re a socially-conscious reader with a fascination towards the gothic, you’ll absolutely love this one.

Rated 4 out of 5

Christ on a Bike (by Orla Owen)

August 12, 2024January 6, 2024 by John @ Tales from Absurdia

"Cerys receives an unexpected inheritance but there are rules attached. Three simple rules that must be followed..."

Title: Christ on a Bike
Author: Orla Owen
Pages: 260
Published by: Bluemoose Books (2024)

What would you do if you inherited a significant fortune from a total stranger? How about if you were legally unable to share it with anyone else?

These are the questions that Cerys, the meek and humble protagonist of Christ on a Bike, must wrangle with.

Routinely unnerving, each chapter becomes progressively more uncomfortable as the source of the inheritance comes into question. In fact, Orla Owen’s third novel goes to some startlingly dark places.

It’s a compelling setup, and Christ on a Bike duly delivers dollops of payoffs. This is a brilliant novel – and one that would make for an equally brilliant TV drama.

The perils of greed

Speaking of television, the BBC once ran a TV drama called The Syndicate. This was about friends and families winning big on the lottery and how extreme changes in personal wealth can alter people in unexpected ways.

Owen takes this a step further, with the wealth possessing a uniquely selfish legal agreement.

There are rules attached, one of which is that Cerys cannot share her wealth with another soul under any circumstances. Her finances are audited by a specially-selected financial adviser, and the keepers of the estate have an uncanny ability to sniff out non-compliance.

It’s particularly pertinent that Christ on a Bike is set to release in the midst of an international cost of living crisis. From a readerly point of view, this context has a huge impact on how the novel is read.

As Cerys’ lifestyle becomes increasingly lavish, with decadent details around the gorging of luxury truffles, and frivolous purchases of expensive branded soap and silky bed sheets, it makes for a physically nauseating read.

This isn’t a criticism. To the contrary, it’s a remarkable achievement, eliciting a physical sensation of revulsion towards glutton via the medium of print.

Meanwhile, Cerys’s sister Seren struggles to run a family home and cannot even dream of the excess wealth her sister has inherited by chance.

And whilst Cerys is a more empathetic individual, Seren is more volatile. The money amplifies these character traits, and the disparity between the two creates an uncomfortable cocktail of guilt and envy.

Narrative & characters

As a writer, Owen positions herself as one who “focuses on the dark and macabre side of family life, the parts that go on behind closed doors.” And never is this more true than in Christ on a Bike, with tension around Cerys’s inheritance poisoning the relationships with her sister.

But the joy with this book is the incongruity between the subject matter and Owen’s own writing style. Her prose possesses a welcoming, approachable whimsy that captures the everyday in a genuinely satisfying manner; not unlike another Bluemoose author, Rónán Hession.

Between a mysterious recurring figure in Cerys’s new life and the feeling she’s being watched, Christ on a Bike retains a tense discomfort throughout. After all, what are the consequences of breaking this agreement? Can she back out of it? What would happen if she tried?

And it’s this dissonance between Owen’s affable style and the macabre narrative that unsettles the reader.

Owen’s novel broaches these questions – plus a number of moral quandaries befitting the biblical theme. And it’s a lot of fun.

Leonard and Hungry Paul

By Rónán Hession

Read the full review

Conclusion

Christ on a Bike is another feather in the proverbial cap of Bluemoose Books, and of Owen herself.

Each chapter has been crafted with a finesse that characterises the type of novel that Bluemoose Books publishes.

It’s clean, lean writing that never prevaricates or wastes the reader’s time. As I noted in my review of Heidi James’s The Sound Mirror, it’s clear that the team at Bluemoose have some remarkable editors on staff.

Owen is a fantastic writer too, which makes it easy to recommend Christ on a Bike to almost anyone. This is a novel that’s well paced and contains a darkly compelling narrative, with a divine writing style.

Rated 5 out of 5

1) Do not compare and despair

2) Remember why you're blogging

3) Stop requesting ARCs

4) Be realistic

5) Take a break

The Age of Absurdity Old Man Shouts at Clouds

Critiques of structural social issues

Is The Age of Absurdity worth reading?

Sad Little Men An Overview

Sad little men and the fallout from ‘boarding school syndrome’

Private schools, declassified

Conclusion

Clinton’s Kryptonite

Is No One Left to Lie to a Reliable Text?

Final Thoughts

Your Complete UK Book Festival Calendar

Jump to a Festival (Expand)

Birnam Book Festival

Bookmark Blair

Bloody Scotland Crime Writing Festival

Borders Book Festival

Boswell Book Festival

Edinburgh Book Festival

Mallaig Book Festival

Nairn Book and Arts Festival

Pentlands Book Festival

Portobello Book Festival

St Duthac Book and Arts Festival

Ullapool Book Festival

Wigtown Book Festival

Welcome to the metaverse

Binary opposition

Womens’ erasure from tech - A tale as old as time

Final Thoughts

A darker shade of Edinburgh

Luckenbooth Close as architectural horror

Final Thoughts

The perils of greed

Narrative & characters

Leonard and Hungry Paul

Conclusion

The Age of Absurdity
Old Man Shouts at Clouds

Sad Little Men
An Overview