| Author | Message | ||
     Andrew Hook |
The 1st February 2006 will see the publication of our sixteenth Elastic Press title, a collection of short stories by David Swann. The book will be titled The Last Days of Johnny North and if you haven't come across Dave's stories before then you'll be in for a real treat. The full colour cover is based on paintings by Rachel Dorling, and designed by Dean Harkness, and I'll post an image here once that's been finalised. The book will contain 300pp and will cost £6.00 if bought direct or via accredited websites, and £6.99 from shops. Launch details and a press release will be posted nearer the time. Meanwhile, here's some recommendations to whet your appetite: "What kind of a weird arse town spawns Jeanette Winterson, Jim Bowen, Hayley Cropper and Janice Battersby? The same that fed the warped mind and troubled soul that penned these stories. If you've ever walked home through drizzle soaked streets in a northern industrial town or been asked if you're courting by an auntie that isn't really an auntie, if you've ever been laughed at for asking for brown bread in a bus station cafe or got stuck to a carpet in an exotically misnamed niteclub on a terraced street...then you will find something in these brilliant stories for you" - Julie Hesmondalgh (Coronation Street) "David Swann is, without doubt, one of the most vivid short story writers in the UK today. He brings the landscape and voices of the North to life with an energy that catapults his characters into the universal. Pathos. Irresistible comedy. The raw and beautiful stuff of everyday life. It's all here." - Alison MacLeod, author of 'The Wave Theory of Angels' (Penguin) | ||
| nick j |
Having read your stories, Dave, I am enthusiastically awaiting the publication of your collection! At 300 pages it must be the weightiest collection from Elastic Press yet (including the anthologies). Well worth it! | ||
| Andrew Hook |
And the front and back cover art will look something like this:  | ||
| nickj |
Wow! A completely unique image for a completely unique collection. Is that style what one might call Lowriesque? Another winning design from Dean. | ||
| Andrew Hook |
This book has now gone to print and will be launched on Saturday 28th January 2006 from 2pm at the Taurus bar, 1 Canal Street, Manchester. The event will include readings by several Northern actors including Julie Hesmondhalgh, Joseph Alessi, and others to be confirmed. A minimum £2 donation on the door will go to the Maundy Relief Homeless Charity. What better way than to kick off 2006 with this event? Pre-order information will go up on the website shortly. | ||
| nickjack |
I'm looking forward to the launch of this book, having had a sneak preview of one or two Dave Swann stories. I think it's going to be a cracker! | ||
| Andrew Hook |
The Last Days of Johnny North is due back from the printers this coming Wednesday, so there's much to get excited about! All pre-order information is now online, so why not trot over to the Elastic Press website to see what it's about, or to read an extract, or to find out what David Swann's ambition is... So, please, order direct from us here, or online via the BFS store which is here. Only £6 for nearly 300 pages and most of them written on! Of course, there's always the launch to attend (details above)  | ||
| Andrew Hook |
Got the above book back from the printers today and it looks fantastic! I was a little concerned with this one as we've had to change printers, for various reasons, but this looks just as good as our Blitzprint printed books, so I'll be able to sleep at nights again. This really is a stunning collection of stories. I urge you to get those orders in now! | ||
| Andrew Hook |
Just a reminder that this launch is this weekend. There will be readings from five of the stories in the book, and those performances will be by David Swann, Julie Hesmondhalgh, and three other Coronation Street actors. As usual, Elastic pushes the book out with something a little different! Hope to see some of you there... | ||
| nickjack |
I'm looking forward to being at your book launch, Dave, and getting my copy of your book signed! | ||
| nickjack |
An excellent launch, Dave. Your stories are great and the readings really brought out the humour and imagination contained in them. How fortunate that you were able to get actors to read them! A thoroughly worthwhile venture up to the north country for me and everyone else (and I suspect that the residents appreciated it too!) More comments soon. | ||
| Andrew Hook |
Had a great launch this Saturday and some pics from the event will be going up on the website soon. Many thanks to Julie Hesmondhalgh who organised it, and to all the actors who took part. As Nick said, the readings really transformed the stories and lifted them off the page. Excellent stuff! | ||
| Dave Swann |
I just wanted to write a quick note to thank everyone who took the time and effort to attend the launch of 'Johnny North' in Manchester on Saturday - particularly all those who travelled a long way to get there. Andrew, Sandie, Nick, Martin, and all the other Elastic Crowd - you are special people, and I am proud to know you. Heart-felt thanks also to the brilliant 'Corrie' readers - Julie Hesmondhalgh, Kersh, Simmo, Julia. What a bunch! Amazing! I heard from Kersh & Julie that we raised about £200 for Maundy relief, the homeless charity that Julie is patron of. I'm bowled over by that, and want to thank everyone who attended for their generosity. I hope everyone had as much as fun as I did. In fact, I'd love to talk to ANYONE who can remember anything at all that happened after about 6pm! Thanks once again, Dave Swann XXX | ||
| Andrew Hook |
It's just been confirmed that myself and Dave Swann will be the guests of honour at the next British Fantasy Society Open Night. This is open to anyone - not just BFS members - and takes place at the Devereux, 20 Devereux Court, Essex St, The Strand, London, WC2R 3JJ from around 6:30pm on 3rd March 2006 (nearest tubes: Temple/Chancery Lane/Blackfriars. Nearest BRs: Blackfriars/Waterloo East). Directions: Please see here. Hope to see some of you there! | ||
| Dave Swann |
I just heard from Julie Hesmondhalgh that the Elastic Press launch of 'Johnny North' in Manchester raised £190 for Maundy Relief, the homeless charity in Accrington that Julie is patron of. We are all thrilled to have achieved this - and would like to offer our heart-felt gratitude to all the incredibly generous Elastic-ians who attended the event. Thank you! | ||
| maggie sawkins |
Dave Swann will be reading from 'The Last Days of Johnny North' at Tongues & Grooves Poetry and Music Venue, The Florence Arms, Southsea on Sunday 26 February 2006 from 8 pm. All welcome! | ||
| Dave Swann |
I'll also be reading from 'Johnny North' at Sussex Arts Club in Ship Street, Brighton, on Tuesday, February 21st (8-11pm, £3 on the door). The reading will include lonesome guitar from Simon Finch. There will also be music and readings from other artists, including The Hammett Story Agency, Catherine Smith, John Davies, and many others. | ||
| Andrew Hook |
First review of The Last Days Of Johnny North can now be read online here All good stuff. | ||
| jai |
Dave, do you want to send me details of readings so I can post them on my blog? that goes for any other Elastic authors and anyone else too! Every little helps, as they say Jai | ||
| Andrew Hook |
Dave's book launch is briefly mentioned here together with some pics. | ||
| Andrew Hook |
Another pic and a variation on Dave's launch for The Last Days of Johnny North is here. Remember, we now have paypal on the Elastic Press website, so get your copy now | ||
| Andrew Hook |
Just had news from David Swann that he's mistakenly got the wrong night for this Friday's BFS Open Night and therefore won't be able to come as guest of honour. I'll be there, of course, and will bring some books, but he sends his apologies as he'll be on holiday this weekend - something that's been pre-booked for a while. Those of you desperate to hear his voice, can always tune in live to Radio Nottingham tomorrow morning at 11am when he'll be interviewed during the John Holmes show... | ||
| nickjack |
I'm still enjoying your stories, Dave. I've just finished reading the one about the newspaper reporter who misses out on the big scoop. Great stuff! More comments will be coming out of the Jackson 'comment factory' when they've finished brewing! | ||
| Dave Swann |
That's kind of you, Nick. Thanks very much. I think I worked it out the other day. I think I finally realised what it's all about, this silly lark. I heard that someone I don't know - a stranger - had cried at one of my stories. Now unless they were weeping at how awful it was, I think I can die a happy man (although hopefully not for a while yet, as that would cancel out a fair bit of the happiness). It came to me in a funny little flash: we read all this stuff and do all these odd things so that we can come up with characters or an idea or a setting. And it's our job to send that creation on a little journey. But that isn't it either. The trick is to turn that journey into emotion - to turn it into goosebumps on a stranger's skin... which is what happened when I first read the stories in 'Flea Circus'! And that's it, I reckon. That's my job. If only it was easy! | ||
| nick |
Ah, if only... Writing is like wading through treacle for me at the moment, which wouldn't be so bad if I liked treacle. At the moment I'm engrossed in your story about Saleem and his cricket bat. I can almost smell that linseed oil. | ||
| Andrew Hook |
An excellent review of The Last Days of Johnny North by David Swann can now be read online at the Dogmatika website. I'm almost sold out of this one, but will be reordering soon. A review also appeared in the Bradford Telegraph & Argus on Saturday, and once I see a copy I'll post some info here. | ||
| Andrew Hook |
With permission from the reviewer, David Barnett, of the Bradford Telegraph & Argus, the review which appeared in the newspaper last Saturday reads as follows: Also looking at Northern characters, though through a much darker lens, is The Last Days of Johnny North by David Swann (Elastic Press, paperback, £6.99 ISBN 0954881257). This collection of short stories about Northern life is, quite simply, an absolute cracker that deserves to have a wide readership. David Swann is an acute observer of the tics and foibles of Northerners, and his stories come across a little as if Coronation Street was written by Emile Zola, or perhaps a Martian. The type of stuff we take for granted as Northerners is brought into sharp focus by Swann, whose keen eye records things like: “All our neighbours looked like the snooker star Ray Reardon” and how people speak in “voices as flat as the Fylde”. Seek out this book at all costs. | ||
| Andrew Hook |
Another review of The Last Days of Johnny North is now up at the Whispers of Wickedness website. It's another good one! | ||
| Past student |
Hi, I am a past student of University College Chichester and was fortunate enough to be taught by Dave Swann. Three or so years have passed since I left and I am now training to work with children with special needs. My life is filled with psychology essays, but when I can I take a look to find out when Dave's next work is out - myself and fellow students are eagerly waiting. If you read this Dave, I just want to say a massive thank you for just being you - an amazingly creative and inspirational force. When I talk about my uni days, I always say, "there was this one lecturer, who was everything you imagine a lecturer should be"...and that Dave was you - thank you. I promise myself one day soon I will make time to write creatively again. Thank you for being the best teacher I ever had :-) | ||
| Dave Swann |
Gosh, 'Past Student' - that's such a nice thing to write. Thank you! I wish I knew who you were so that I could write a personal message of thanks. Your new training sounds really interesting. That's what my amazing sugar-spun sister Joanne does - she teaches horticulture to special needs students in Nottingham. I hope that your experience of that line of work is as positive as hers. Thanks once again for this lovely message. It's really lifted my spirits on a gloomy day when I've been marking scripts for hours and hours! Very kind of you! | ||
| Andrew Hook |
The Last Days of Johnny North gets a cracking review at LauraHird.com. Check it out, and then purchase a copy! | ||
| Andrew Hook Username: Andrew_hook Registered: 07-2006 |
David Swann will be amongst several writers reading at this years Litfest. Catch him on the 16th November! | ||
| David Swann Username: Dave_swann Registered: 10-2006 |
Get out the bunting. I'm embarking on a world tour. After missing out Australia, Asia, America, and Antarctica (Blimey! Don't a lot of continents start with the letter 'A'!), the tour will kick off in Cambridge at 7.30pm on November 14th at the CB1 cafe in Mill Road. For further details, please follow this link: http://www.cb1poetry.org.uk The musician Simon Finch will be accompanying me at this gig. Expect soulful blues. Well, from Simon, anyway. The world tour gathers pace on Thursday, November 16th when (after missing out several other important land-masses), we roll into Lancaster for the annual Lancaster Litfest (for details, please see Andrew's posting above). Here, I'll be supporting Jeremy Dyson, a writer on the BBC's 'League of Gentlemen'. Then, on Friday, December 1st, Simon Finch and myself will complete our 360-degree investigation of the globe's entire coastline by perfoming together in London. The bill that night will also include the writers Henry Shukman and Mimi Khalvati. More details to follow soon... | ||
| David Swann Username: Dave_swann Registered: 10-2006 |
Many apologies, but I've been forced by the illness of my partner to cancel the appearances in Cambridge and Lancaster that I mentioned in my last posting (please see above). I'm still hoping to read in London on December 1st, and will post details just as soon as her health improves, hopefully extremely soon. Ted Hughes once called November "the month of the drowned dog". I can't say I disagree with him at the moment! Best wishes, Dave Swann |