First of all thanks for all your replies to my first blog. I’ve read them all and it’s really encouraging to know there are so many enthusiastic readers of the series out there.
I’m still as busy as ever but, so far, all three books are still on schedule. The Spook’s Tale should be published in the first week in March, 2009 along with all the other World Book Day £1 books. The Spook’s Sacrifice (Book Six in the Wardstone Chronicles series) will be published in the first week in June, 2009. Finally, The Spook’s Bestiary will be published in October, 2009, just in time for Halloween! Yulek Heller is doing the illustrations for the ‘Bestiary’ and he’s a great artist having done work on many fantasy novels. So I’m really looking forward to seeing the finished product.
Here’s a bit more news about the tour of Australia. On August 25th I’ll on a panel with John Flanagan, the author of The Ranger’s Apprentice. The title of our discussion will be ‘Apprenticed to Adventure’ and we’ll be discussing our two apprentices and talking about how we created our worlds. The following day the event is called ‘Joseph Delaney in Conversation’ and I’ll be answering questions. The events take place as part of the Melbourne Writers’ Festival School’s programme at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, Federation Square.
Later in the year I’ll be doing lots of events around Lancashire. The Spook’s Apprentice has been chosen for this year’s Lancashire Reads. Plans are still being discussed and developed but the focus on the book will hopefully start with an event at the Pendle Heritage Centre and end at Lancaster Castle where the Pendle witches were tried in 1612. A group of young actors in Thornton are developing the book into a play which they are hoping to perform at the Castle. I’m looking forward to seeing that!
Finally, there is no more film news yet. I hope it will be shot in Lancashire but we are still waiting to find out. Talking about locations I was on holiday in Wales last week, near Bethesda. I found a great valley with the river Ogwen running through it which was inspirational for Book Seven. That book will probably mostly be located in the Isle of Man and I’ll revisit that island as part of my research but my visit to Wales certainly gave me lots of ideas. I took a notebook and pen with me and worked for about an hour each day before breakfast.
Best wishes,
Joseph Delaney
PS I keep getting asked when the film auditions will be held. I don’t even know if there will be open auditions but promise that if there are and I find out, I’ll give you the information you need on this website.
