tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-119208062024-03-12T15:47:56.115-07:00Conor Kostick NewsAll the latest news about Conor Kostick, author of the books Epic and Saga.Andrew Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05307943791144063866noreply@blogger.comBlogger141125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11920806.post-17525291104605942982011-12-16T16:00:00.000-08:002011-12-16T16:00:07.468-08:00Edda in Penguin catalog for 2012<img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4zcJJ9T6K7o/TuvadILajCI/AAAAAAAAA6I/QTvYKlUNDaM/s1600/firebird1.png" /><br />
Edda is featured in the new <a href="http://booksellers.penguin.com/static/html/catalogs.html#yr">Penguin Young Readers Group, Summer 2012</a> catalog. Plus one of <a href="http://conorkostick.blogspot.com/2007/12/tony-sahara-cover-artist.html">Tony Sahara</a>'s images for Edda is used as the title page for the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firebird_Books">Firebird</a> section. <br />
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<img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fxJv24kf5WI/Tuvaf5GJsZI/AAAAAAAAA6Q/oVyR_OiQ_t0/s1600/firebird2.png" />Andrew Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05307943791144063866noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11920806.post-65672951149987429442011-12-16T15:47:00.000-08:002011-12-16T15:47:03.503-08:00Edda on end of year recommended listsBoth the Irish Times (in a supplement on Children's Books for Christmas) and the <a href="http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/books/christmas-treats-for-young-adults-2960286.html">Sunday Independent</a> have recommended Edda for Christmas reading. The Independent says (after I corrected their spelling): <br />
<blockquote>
Conor Kostick's Edda (O'Brien Press, €9.99) is the third fantasy in Kostick's series based on gaming and virtual worlds. In spite of the science fiction/futuristic challenges, at its heart are good-hearted clever teenagers confronting danger and oppression in an exciting series of adventures. Continuity is created with the earlier novels in the series, in the form of characters who we know and like, while at the same time there is inventiveness, especially in the figure of Penelope who is physically on a life-support system but whose avatar is free to roam worlds. Kostick challenges the young reader intellectually, but the heart is always in the right place too. This book would work equally well for younger and older teenagers.</blockquote>Andrew Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05307943791144063866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11920806.post-61791363965741907632011-10-19T11:29:00.000-07:002011-10-19T12:14:38.619-07:00Conor Kostick nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2012Conor says:<br />
<blockquote>I've made the <a href="http://www.alma.se/en/Nominations/Candidates/2012/">longlist for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award for 2012</a>. In <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pippi_Longstocking">Pippi Longstocking</a> Astrid Lindgren created one of the most delightfully irreverent and independent characters in children's literature; this creative act was connected to the fact that <a href="http://www.sweden.se/eng/Home/Lifestyle/Literature/Reading/Astrid-Lindgren-lives-on/">Astrid Lindgren</a> herself was a radical humanist and opponent of violence. I'm proud to be associated with her legacy.</blockquote>Andrew Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05307943791144063866noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11920806.post-10514989579152268222011-08-31T15:18:00.000-07:002011-08-31T15:19:46.526-07:00Polish cover for Epic<img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7XvavDOGuTA/Tl6xVvSK5zI/AAAAAAAAAz4/2fNrdNeD9Do/s1600/epic500.jpg" />
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A new cover for the <a href="http://www.telbit.pl/index.php5?art=563">Polish translation of Epic</a>.
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<img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R4mYn6SK2Ac/Tl6y4Z9fQ8I/AAAAAAAAA0A/gJ9DeS3ZuQQ/s1600/pl.jpeg" />Andrew Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05307943791144063866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11920806.post-20314064691075070382011-08-18T09:14:00.000-07:002011-08-18T09:14:07.561-07:00Great interview with Conor KostickThere is an <a href="http://writing.ie/meet-the-authors/writing-for-children/324-conor-kostick.html">interview with Conor by Elizabeth Rose Murray at writing.ie</a>. You should go over there and read it all as this is one of the best interviews with Conor that I have seen. I will extract just one exciting quote about Conor's possible next book:
<blockquote>I am enjoying a certain sense of freedom about my next novel. Mind you, I’m not going to be writing anything in a hurry as we’ve a baby due soon. When I do begin writing fiction again, it will be to develop a couple of characters I have been sketching out. I was thinking of writing something about a boy who is being trained for the priesthood in a Neolithic moon-worshipping society. The interest there being the clash between his own good nature and the darker more oppressive values that he is expected to project on to his people. I’m also having fun making notes on a hedonistic community of electronic intelligences.</blockquote>Andrew Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05307943791144063866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11920806.post-45224025005256482852011-08-18T08:50:00.000-07:002011-08-18T08:54:40.569-07:00Conor Kostick meets Thomas Kinsella<img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1WvB-fsgpg4/Tk0ywBHUOwI/AAAAAAAAAzo/pocn76t0FwI/s1600/THOMAS%2BKINSELLA%2BFARMLEIGH%2B2011%2B046.jpg" />
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Conor writes:<br />
<blockquote>
One of my favourite books is The Táin, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Kinsella">Thomas Kinsella</a>'s version of the Irish epic <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C3%A1in_B%C3%B3_C%C3%BAailnge">Táin Bó Cúailnge</a>, with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_le_Brocquy_T%C3%A1in_illustrations">illustrations</a> by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_le_Brocquy">Louis le Brocquy</a> (Dolmen, 1969; Oxford University Press, 1970). So it was with great pleasure that I learned that Thomas Kinsella was visiting Farmleigh Library, which is where I am working at the moment: <a href="http://conorkostick.blogspot.com/2010/09/letter-from-conor-kostick-with.html">unravelling the mysteries of the Gerald of Wales manuscript I came across last year</a>. Neither of us are particularly gregarious upon meeting someone for the first time, so I have no lively anecdotes from the day, other than this. Ed Mulhall (of RTE news) was showing Thomas Kinsella an ipad and by way of illustration of its use, called up an app to do with James Joyce's <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finnegans_Wake">Finnegans Wake</a></i>. Kinsella leaned over and began to read the page aloud. We were in the cafe at the time and in our corner of the room a hush developed as we leaned in to hear him. He has a great reading voice and what's more, it all made sense. It makes me think that someone - now that the Joyce copyright has nearly expired - should produce an audio book of Kinsella reading <i>Finnegans Wake</i> and I'm sure all of us who have struggled to get through it would then appreciate it so much more.
</blockquote>
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<img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j9XPm9BNBbM/Tk0yvx8E8SI/AAAAAAAAAzg/dmigBxNCTfo/s1600/THOMAS%2BKINSELLA%2BFARMLEIGH%2B2011%2B045.jpg" />
Andrew Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05307943791144063866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11920806.post-88976882500766290202011-07-06T17:06:00.001-07:002011-07-06T17:11:04.236-07:00Conor Kostick talks about EddaIn conversation with Oisin McGann, award-winning author Conor Kostick
talks about his new novel <i>Edda</i> which completes <i>The Avatar Chronicles</i>.
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<iframe width="560" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/5G-RJAYfj50" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Andrew Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05307943791144063866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11920806.post-52457538436062788872011-07-02T15:41:00.000-07:002011-07-02T15:41:00.752-07:00Promotional Materials for EddaHere are some promotional materials for Edda from O'Brien Press.
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<img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3iXzyiNjTvg/Tg5NNx_qKAI/AAAAAAAAAxs/bmddy8ZGE-8/s1600/poster.jpg" />
<img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KdJwUj5Xri0/Tg5NOPtXh-I/AAAAAAAAAx0/gtv7ntOKwBE/s1600/bookmarks.jpg" />Andrew Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05307943791144063866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11920806.post-77456716825450968412011-07-01T15:29:00.000-07:002011-07-01T15:29:50.178-07:00Super French Cover for EpicRemember how we noted that the <a href="http://conorkostick.blogspot.com/2011/02/french-translation-of-epic-coming.html">French translation of Epic was coming?</a> Well now we have photos of the front and back of the book. Notice how the players are in the same poses offline (on the front cover) and online (on the back)? Of course we love <a href="http://conorkostick.blogspot.com/2007/12/tony-sahara-cover-artist.html">Tony Sahara</a>'s covers but this is clever. I like the way Erik turns into Cindella.
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<img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0X4OBoiRPxs/Tg5KGksH9TI/AAAAAAAAAxc/uP-Prt247z4/s1600/front.jpg"/>
<img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zGG45Uzdj4k/Tg5KG_zZOHI/AAAAAAAAAxk/9fi2767btW4/s1600/back.jpg"/>Andrew Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05307943791144063866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11920806.post-56064664356592949242011-07-01T15:07:00.000-07:002011-07-01T15:07:14.440-07:00Conor on Skype an Author NetworkThe mission of the <a href="http://skypeanauthor.wetpaint.com/">Skype an Author Network</a> is to provide K-12 teachers and librarians with a way to connect authors, books, and young readers through virtual visits. Conor has signed up for this program and you can see <a href="http://skypeanauthor.wetpaint.com/page/Conor+Kostick">his page here</a>, including rather a good photo.Andrew Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05307943791144063866noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11920806.post-51976183468416496052011-06-30T17:19:00.000-07:002011-06-30T17:19:47.643-07:00Epic set as Summer ReadingA teacher at <a href="http://www.fcps.edu/TwainMS/">Mark Twain Middle School</a> in Virginia has <a href="http://www.fcps.edu/TwainMS/documents/Rising%208th%20Grade%20Summer%20Assignment2011.pdf">set Epic as Summer reading</a> for the incoming 8th grade students.
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This inspired Conor to write:
<blockquote>I never really enjoyed the books we had to study at school, so I have mixed feelings about schools using Epic as a text for study. Overall, I am pleased of course that people are reading and thinking about the book but I hope that it doesn't become a chore. Ideally, if you had Epic as a book to study, you'd read it first and enjoy it, and only then go back to answer questions about it. Instead, over a school year, each week we read a little of the books and plays we had to study and it sucked the life out of them.
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Some of the questions set by Mark Twain middle school (8th Grade) are really hard. I mean, I'm not sure I could answer in one sentence the main idea of Epic. Without wanting to give the assignment away, I think I'd say something about a world where success or failure in an online game really mattered, and one where injustices are growing that need to be challenged. Similarly, to explain the theme of Epic in a sentence is tricky. I wonder what the 'right' answer is for this. Maybe someone has identified a really key theme - and it can often happen that the author has unconsciously developed themes that it takes a reader to point out - but my own feeling is that there are several valid answers to this. Again, I don't want to spoil the exercise, but any of these three: that defiance of convention can result in beneficial results; that loyalty to friends is fundamental to being a decent person; and that violence is unjustified in the functioning of a mature society; would all probably allow the student to fill a page with examples. If you are working on the assignment, I hope this helps, and that you enjoyed the book despite having to analyse it carefully.</blockquote>Andrew Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05307943791144063866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11920806.post-678611255585618752011-06-30T17:12:00.001-07:002011-06-30T17:12:49.127-07:00First Press Reviews for EddaThe first press reviews for Edda are appearing, and they are great...
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Kirkus Reviews gives a starred review:
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<blockquote>
Just as Saga (2008) exploded beyond opener Epic (2007), this third volume ratchets up this science-fiction gaming series to a whole new level.</blockquote>
Read the full review <a href="http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/childrens-books/conor-kostick/edda/#review">here</a>.
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In the Irish Times <a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/weekend/2011/0625/1224299566973.html">Robert Dunbar writes</a>:
<blockquote>At a time when so much young adult fiction seems determined to shock its readers with its sensationalism or bore them with its banalities, it is refreshing to read a novel that steers well clear of both tendencies. Conor Kostick’s <i>Edda</i>, the concluding volume of the trilogy now known as the Avatar Chronicles, is such a book.</blockquote>Andrew Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05307943791144063866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11920806.post-72230324461258455142011-05-27T13:20:00.000-07:002011-05-27T16:13:55.231-07:00Conor Kostick on RTÉ Two's Elev8 show promoting Edda<img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xFnkylhTRGY/TeAFjzIdDlI/AAAAAAAAAxM/0bh5Hv5vMXI/s1600/elev8.jpg" />
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Conor Kostick appeared on RTÉ Two's Elev8 show to promote the newly published Edda. You can <a href="http://www.rte.ie/player/#v=1099331">watch it here</a> (until 16-June-2011). Conor appears about 12 minutes in. You can see that he is slightly thrown by the introduction, where the presenter Ivan wrongly thinks the film Avatar was inspired by the trilogy. Conor keeps his cool however and this is a good advert for the book. I like the way he is captioned as <i>AWESOME AUTHOR</i>.
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<b>Update</b>: Conor writes:
<blockquote>
Elev8 is a fun, fast-paced, show for kids on the Irish state channel, RTE2. When I got there I was hugely surprised to find the presenters of the show - Diana and Ivan - dressed up as characters from the film Avatar. They had gotten the idea from the fact the Epic-Saga-Edda series is called the Avatar Chronicles. The producer explained to me that they knew my books were different to the film, but it was a chance to have some fun with the make-up department, who had risen to the challenge. Their costumes were great, unfortunately though, in their opening remarks, both Diana and Ivan attributed the idea of the film to me, which isn't at all true. Still, the rest of the interview went well and I even got a chance to wave to Maya, my two-year-old daughter. When I got home, Aoife and I played the recording to Maya and she loved it, saying 'again' each time I waved to her and forcing us to rewind that moment over and over.
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The program itself went out live, which was rather nerve-wracking in the few minutes before we began. Even though I've done a fair bit of TV it's usually pre-recorded - say for a history documentary - and we can reshoot if I don't get it right first time. Here, I was conscious that I could say something very foolish. It's a kind of vertigo you get just before things start happening. But once the questions came, you lose most of that self-conscious feeling. Diana and Ivan seemed genuinely interested in what I was saying, which helped.
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Then came that strange game, where they avatarised three (turns out only two worked) famous people. Unfortunately, I am very ignorant of the person who they claimed was the most famous person in the world, I'm not a Belieber, so I was very stuck for that one. Nor was Brian O'Driscoll easy to recognise. Still, they helped me along with outrageously easy clues and I got through it. What was really good, although it doesn't quite come across in the clip, is that I could see the large screen behind the presenters, which was showing the Viking promo clip for Saga. Also, there was some pretty fast paced dance music going on the whole time to make the atmosphere of the studio feel more exciting. All in all it was a blast and I'm glad they invited me on the show.
</blockquote>Andrew Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05307943791144063866noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11920806.post-31494077153266558542011-02-25T09:41:00.000-08:002011-02-25T10:18:38.328-08:00Tony Sahara Edda wallpaper pictures<a href="http://www.tonysahara.com/"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jNUDl1JJxIk/TWfpSeRXMpI/AAAAAAAAAwQ/5DT8QV3Ir5U/s1600/EDDA_2_top-page.jpg" /></a>
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Tony Sahara currently has this <a href="http://www.tonysahara.com/">fantastic picture from the Edda cover as the background to his home page</a>.
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<b>Updated to add</b>: You can <a href="http://www.tonysahara.com/downloads.html">download Edda Wallpapers from Tony's site</a>!
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<a href="http://www.tonysahara.com/downloads.html"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uPqRCkgdFpI/TWfyFRBme7I/AAAAAAAAAwU/qC-Upejg3kk/s1600/EDDA_4_1600x1200.jpg" /></a>Andrew Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05307943791144063866noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11920806.post-41634765445074664962011-02-25T09:35:00.000-08:002011-02-25T09:35:51.762-08:00French translation of Epic coming<img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VXxxqPCtYeI/TWfneF5oqhI/AAAAAAAAAwI/oBYN7SKExhw/s1600/fr_epic2.jpg" />
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A French translation of Epic by <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/danielelaruellehub/">Danièle Laruelle</a> is to be <a href="http://leblog.editions-bayard.com/?p=1542">published by Bayard Jeunesse</a>. As you can see the art for the cover is stylish and different to previous covers.
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<img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0ZaRkWBbWxs/TWfndZmAtuI/AAAAAAAAAwA/8gTcr_Bw2mc/s1600/fr_epic.gif" />Andrew Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05307943791144063866noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11920806.post-82805459169707769492011-02-25T09:18:00.000-08:002011-02-25T09:18:13.133-08:00Conor Kostick Fan FictionThere are two <a href="http://www.fanfiction.net/book/Epic_Conor_Kostick/">impressive short pieces of Conor Kostick fan fiction</a> set in the world of Epic over at fanfiction.net. For those who wonder about how authors feel about fanfic I recommend <a href="http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2010/05/faq-fanfic.html">this piece by Charles Stross</a>.Andrew Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05307943791144063866noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11920806.post-42189709444817603402011-02-07T16:12:00.000-08:002011-02-07T16:12:21.593-08:00Conor Kostick is looking for a title for the Epic, Saga, Edda seriesConor Kostick writes
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<blockquote>
Calling all readers of this blog! My publishers want a good title for the Epic, Saga, Edda series. It is quite a challenge to find the right phrase. <i>The Cindella Dragonslayer Trilogy</i> is a bit long and perhaps misleading as although Epic and Edda have a lot of fantasy, Saga has hardly any. <i>The Cyber Worlds Trilogy</i> sounds a bit dated, while <i>the Cloud Wars Trilogy</i> is perhaps a bit cryptic. <i>Avatar Chronicles</i> is good and perhaps the front runner, but a bit too similar to the film Avatar. <i>Multiverse Trilogy</i> isn't bad but other authors, most notably Michael Moorcock, have already written books in a multiverse series. So does anyone have any good suggestions? I'd be very glad to hear them and I'll send a signed copy of the first run of Edda to you as well as my thanks if we use your idea.
</blockquote>
If you have ideas then please leave a comment!Andrew Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05307943791144063866noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11920806.post-7844625048997284262010-12-01T09:40:00.000-08:002010-12-01T09:41:53.307-08:00New covers for Sony ebook versions of Epic and Saga<a href="http://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/conor-kostick/epic/_/R-400000000000000188471"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GEvI0BkV9mw/TPaIEh3OJGI/AAAAAAAAAu4/5IIEkUolC2M/s1600/epic_ebook.png" /></a>
<a href="http://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/conor-kostick/saga/_/R-400000000000000184608"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GEvI0BkV9mw/TPaIGZz0IfI/AAAAAAAAAu8/kSgBr2GA6p4/s1600/saga_ebook.png" /> </a>Andrew Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05307943791144063866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11920806.post-87116161526657278792010-11-18T12:55:00.000-08:002010-11-18T12:55:55.831-08:00A Note from Conor about Treasure TrapMy publishers like to mention in the author blurb that I once worked at <a href="https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Treasure_Trap">Treasure Trap</a>. I can understand why this is a fact worth commenting on, because suggests I might have a kind of insiders view of fantasy games. And perhaps my experiences there did help with Epic. But in any case, Treasure Trap is intrinsically interesting in its own right. It was a live action roleplaying (<a href="https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Live_action_role-playing_game">LARP</a>) company, based at Peckforton Castle, Cheshire. As far as I know, it was the first commercial attempt to establish a live action roleplaying game. The Treasure Trap rules - which were a kind of cross between Runequest and D&D, adapted for real physical combat - have been taken up and have evolved into various LARP games today, especially in the UK.
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I was very fortunate to get involved, being only aged 19 at the time. But the people setting up the game came to Chester Wargames group and recruited a group of us to test the rules and offer suggestions. So my friends and I, including Andrew, had a great deal of fun running around dark corridors, jumping out dressed as a luminous skeleton etc. And when the opportunity arose, I gladly moved in to the castle to be there full time.
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<object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/mlymfxp0MB0?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/mlymfxp0MB0?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>
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There is currently a documentary team making a film about a LARP game in Durham and as part of it, they interviewed me and some other former TTers. You can see a taster clip above, with some footage of the castle which arose from a visit by Blue Peter. Hopefully Cosmic Joke will get the funds they need to complete the documentary because it's a story that deserves to be told. From my perspective, it is a story about how although the 1980s in the UK was in general a terrible decade (and I just don't understand the phenomenon of 80s nights, unless it is to mock the clothing and the chart music), there were pockets of wild escapist fun.Andrew Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05307943791144063866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11920806.post-79303476927736575982010-11-18T12:41:00.000-08:002010-11-18T12:42:09.724-08:00Edda is due August 2011<img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GEvI0BkV9mw/TOWHjTe6yVI/AAAAAAAAAu0/eyjYFVZoAjU/s1600/EddaCover.jpg" alt="Edda by Conor Kostick"/>
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Here is he first picture of the proof cover. The art is once again by the excellent <a href="http://conorkostick.blogspot.com/2007/12/tony-sahara-cover-artist.html">Tony Sahara</a>. The book will have 440 pages making it easily the longest book in the series. It is due for release August 2011.Andrew Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05307943791144063866noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11920806.post-75087973292297572892010-10-09T20:53:00.000-07:002010-10-09T20:53:15.305-07:00A letter from Conor about audiobook piracyAndrew recently drew my attention to the fact that an audio version of Saga was available via pirate hosts based in China and Russia. It is available from the kind of websites that make offer downloads of new films even before they've been officially released. This version of Saga is read by Kristin Allison and here is a clip from it: the preface.
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<object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F5951348%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-6MkcD&secret_url=false"></param> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param> <embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F5951348%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-6MkcD&secret_url=false" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed>
</object>
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Now I really approve of audio books and was thrilled when Oetinger made absolutely splendid versions of <a href="http://conorkostick.blogspot.com/2008/03/audio-cd-version-of-saga-in-germany.html">Epic and Saga for the German language</a>. They used professional actors, composed music and created sound effects for the books.
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My main reason for liking audiobooks isn't that they generate much by way of royalties, what I really like is the fact that people who have difficulty reading - perhaps because of visual difficulties - can enjoy the books. And that is what has happened in this case. After doing some research Andrew found that the recordings were made for the <a href="http://www.loc.gov/nls/">National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS)</a>
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So of course I'm pleased that Saga is available to listen to. But there is a problem with the fact that the audio recording has found its way onto the net. And it's the same problem that arises in the music and film industry. If creative works are given away for free to everyone (and not just those with certain special needs for whom the provision of such works is entirely reasonable), how will artists, actors, etc be supported? One of the aspects to this question that clouds the issue is that there is a lot of hypocrisy spoken on it by the big hitters. I don't have a lot of sympathy for the position of the multinationals; for years they kept prices artificially high for records and CDs in the west and their 'home taping is killing music' campaign was risible. But if the artist is to be able to give up their day job and produce more works of art, they should be getting some remuneration from downloads.
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With increased use of hand held reading devices, writers are going to have to get to grips with the issue of how they get remunerated from downloads of their text. But lets stick to audio for the moment. If it were up to me, the model I'd choose would be that of relying on the goodwill of the listener to make a modest donation if they enjoyed the book. In other words I'd like the download to be freely available and there be a simple way of making a direct donation to the author. Most people probably won't bother donating, but those that do will understand the need to assist the writer and might actually make a noticeable difference. After all, a writer typically gets about ten percent royalty from a book sale (actually the mean royalty is probably a bit less), i.e. for a $10 book, the writer gets a dollar. If ten people download the audiobook and only one makes a donation of $10, that's generated as much as the conventional route (my friend Oisin McGann has this kind of model in mind over at his website where you can <a href="http://www.oisinmcgann.com/extras/ebooks.html">download his terrific ebook for free</a>, with this difference, that he doesn't even bother to have a button you can press to make a donation! It would be an interesting experiment if he did).
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In any case, it is not up to me in the sense that while I hold the copyright to my books, my publishers, in this case O'Brien Press, own the license to sell the book world wide (they sublicense to other publishers in territories it is hard for them to distribute to). O'Brien Press are great when it comes to giving permission for audiobooks to be made for free to schools and organisations for the visually impaired. For example, with their permission I've read and recorded Move for St Joseph's school for the visually impaired (and if any similar school or organisation wants a copy, I'm happy to talk to O'Brien about sending them one, just leave a comment or email Andrew).
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So my model is impractical for books I've already sold to a publisher and unless I was capable of generating much more direct web interest than I could do at present, it's a pointless one for new books because hardly anyone will notice the new title.
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What would I like the publishers to do about commercial audiobooks (as opposed to ones given to certain organisations for private use)? I think the second best model is to learn from the disastrous experience of the music industry and not try to fight the pirates by suppressing illegal distribution, that's a battle which will not be won. Instead I think that publishers should have some sort of collective internet clearing system where for a small fee (not much bigger than the fee the pirates ask for their 'gold' service or whatever they call it) they provide a better, more attractive, service than the pirates can. Fast downloads of high quality productions should be available for the fee payer. And the pool of income generated by these fees should then be distributed to each publisher in proportion to the number of downloads of their work. The writer and the publisher should have an agreement on how to split such a source of income and I've seen contracts with regard to text downloads that suggest a 50-50 split. That seems reasonable to me. Unlike a book, where the publisher deserves a greater slice of the income because they have to print, distribute, publicise etc., a download involves very little outlay by the publisher.
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Returning to the audiobook of Saga that has been pirated, overall I feel it's a shame that a very worthy initiative turns out to be the source of the pirate copy. Someone has taken advantage of a legitimate reason to give a recording away for free to try to make money for themselves. And I'm sure the same source of audiobooks is providing pirates with much better sellers than Saga.
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ConorAndrew Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05307943791144063866noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11920806.post-37684138621101135292010-09-17T12:45:00.000-07:002010-09-17T14:52:24.017-07:00A letter from Conor Kostick with a detective story AND news of Edda<img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GEvI0BkV9mw/TJPKqcfeu1I/AAAAAAAAAuc/uCclG5e7qEE/s1600/topog.jpg" alt="Conor Kostick reading Gerald of Wales's Topographia Hibernica, picture by Jurga Rakauskaite" />
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Conor Kostick reading Gerald of Wales's <i>Topograpia Hibernica</i>. Picture by <i>Jurga Rakauskaite</i>.
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Conor has sent this letter describing some exciting historical detective work he has been doing. In addition there is the latest news about Edda, the sequel to Epic and Saga.
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Farmleigh, the official Irish State Guest House, located in Phoenix Park, has a writer-in-residency scheme and, as Andrew wrote earlier in this blog, this summer I was <a href="http://conorkostick.blogspot.com/2010/07/conor-kostick-to-be-farmleigh-writer-in.html">fortunate enough to be awarded the position</a>. One of the most positive aspects of the award was having access an amazing library.
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Benjamin Guinness, the Third Earl of Iveagh, was a manuscript and book collector, with a particular interest in Irish rarities. His library consists of over 5,000 items and is a treasure trove of rare editions. It was one of the most valuable private collections in the Ireland. It is also a treasure trove that may now be perused by the public, because in November 2009 it became part of Marsh’s Library, Dublin.
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Here are all sorts of collectable items: first editions of famous works of Irish literature abound. The Yeats anthology that I was shown had annotations by the poet in the margins of his work. But I rapidly passed over Ulysses, Gulliver’s Travels etc, because for the historian there are some absolutely first rate sources that have been under-utilised up to now due to the library being in private hands.
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For example, the library contains a chest containing thirty years worth of papers of Daniel Charles O’Connell, uncle of a very notable Irish political figure: Daniel O’Connell. Among this collection is the triumphant letter that Daniel O’Connell wrote to his wife on the day, 24 March 1829, that the Roman Catholic Relief Act was passed, repealing the remaining Penal Laws and allowing Catholics to be represented in Westminster (albeit, as James Connolly pointed out in Labour in Irish History, at the cost of disenfranchising the poor Protestant peasantry, who fell below the new requirements for the franchise). Irish and UK scholars of the early nineteenth century should be rushing down to Farmleigh.
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So too should historians of the early twentieth century. For there is a collection of Sir Roger Casement’s letters here that deserve more attention than they have received up to now. For those interested in the Gaelic Revival and the Irish theatre, there are archive materials relating to Lennox Robinson. There are also rare periodicals, including titles not found in the National Library or Trinity College.
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Knowing that I have an interest in medieval history, the librarian, Julie Cummins, placed before me an astonishing manuscript. Reading it made me feel like a character in a Dan Brown book. For a start, it has a handwritten copy of Edmund Campion’s ‘Two Bookes of the Histories of Ireland’ (1570) and early-mdernists might well wish to check these leaves against the most recent edition of that work. Edmund Campion drew heavily and rather over-credulously on Gerald of Wales as one of his two sources and bound to Campion’s history is a late thirteenth century manuscript of the Topographia Hibernica.
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This work by Gerald of Wales is a notorious book full of generally unflattering annectodes about the behaviour of the Irish; it has plenty of stories of monsters and miracles and also – something not generally appreciated – sharp polemics against Norman soldiery who dared despoil the church, along with examples of the divine punishments meted out to them. For all its faults, the Topographia is a crucial source for medieval Irish history and this copy intrigued me. It has twenty-seven leaves, ten paper, seventeen vellum. The initials in the vellum section are in red and blue, some of them illuminated with modest skill.
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Having checked recent articles and books concerning the Topograhia Hibernica, I quickly concluded that the manuscript I had been shown was not one which had been consulted by modern scholars. There was, however, in a 2009 PhD thesis by Sumithra J. David, mention of a ‘missing’ copy of the Topographia. This was a manuscript known to have previously been bound with a copy of the Historia Regnum Britannie by Geoffrey of Monmouth and William of Malmesbury’s Gesta Regum Anglorum. Bound together, perhaps by Matthew Parker (Archbishop of Canturbury 1559 – 1575), and recorded as being in the famous library of Sir Thomas Phillips (as MS 26642, MS 26233 and MS 26641), these three medieval histories were eventually broken up and auctioned. Reasonably enough, Geoffrey of Monmouth ultimately ended up in the National Library of Wales (NLW, 13210). The William of Malmesbury found its way to the National Library of Scotland (9193/13).The Gerald of Wales, however, was bought by the antiquarian bookseller Alan Thomas on 27 November 1969, but was not found in his possession on his death in 1981.
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Alerting the Farmleigh librarian to the possible significance of the manscript, we were in fact very quickly able to establish that this was indeed the missing Topographia. Lady Iveagh had an acquisitions record for the library and for November 1969 there is an entry which records that the Topograhia Hyberniae was bought as part of a number of items from Sothebys of London. Fortunately its provenance was made clear: ‘Phillips Middle Hill mark and No. 2778 cancelled and replaced by 26642’.
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The match with the Phillips collection mark is conclusive. So how important is this identification? There are some 39 known copies of the Topographia and we are probably in need of a updated edition since the version used in the popular Penguin translation by John O’Meara is based on his 1949 recension (Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, 52, C4), since when several other manuscripts have been found. It will take proper and in-depth study to see exactly what the Farmleigh manuscript has to offer; how it differs from the other manuscripts and where it fits in to the established schema; but it is earlier than most of the surviving manuscripts and it is therefore understandable that the leading scholar on the works of Gerald of Wales, Professor Robert Bartlett, has described the discovery as ‘very exciting news’.
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Meanwhile, I haven't been neglecting my fiction. A copy-edited version of Edda came back to me recently and I've been rewriting the book, taking note of queries and suggestions (many of them very good indeed) from the copy-editor. Next it will go back to the publishers (O'Brien in Ireland, Firebird, an imprint of Viking, in the USA) and be laid out for publication. At the same time an artist - I hope <a href="http://conorkostick.blogspot.com/2007/12/tony-sahara-cover-artist.html">Tony Sahara again</a> - will be working on the cover. All in all, Edda is on schedule for a summer release in 2011 in Ireland and the USA.
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Conor</blockquote>
Thanks Conor for the letter!Andrew Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05307943791144063866noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11920806.post-30438482440180614922010-07-30T10:43:00.000-07:002010-07-30T10:46:04.178-07:00Dublin announced as a UNESCO City of Literature<img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GEvI0BkV9mw/TFMOYMVg5kI/AAAAAAAAAsk/av82k5x3ymk/s1600/UNESCO-group-med.jpg" />
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Dublin has been designated a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_of_Literature">UNESCO City of Literature</a>, one of only four in the world. Conor Kostick was present at the <a href="http://childrenslaureate.ie/blog/2010/07/unesco-city-of-literature-a-proud-day-for-dublin/">announcement</a> (above), and was briefly interviewed (see below).
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<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/z-55vOohp6o&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>Andrew Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05307943791144063866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11920806.post-21606190427583477802010-07-05T11:07:00.000-07:002010-07-05T11:07:12.711-07:00Conor Kostick to be Farmleigh Writer in Residence for Summer 2010<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tommac/2710458408/" title="Farmleigh House by Mister Tom, on Flickr"><img alt="Farmleigh House" height="375" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3051/2710458408_256b0275be.jpg" width="500" /></a>
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Conor Kostick has been awarded the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farmleigh">Farmleigh</a> writer's residency for Summer 2010.
Farmleigh was formerly a Dublin residence of the Guinness brewing family.
Farmleigh is now an official State guest house for visiting heads of State and dignitaries. <br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/declanod/4161882118/" title="Farmleigh Mews by sbox, on Flickr"><img alt="Farmleigh Mews" height="336" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2705/4161882118_d10a6a9785.jpg" width="500" /></a>
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Conor says:
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I’m delighted to learn that I shall be taking up the <a href="http://www.farmleigh.ie/Events/Title,13196,en.html">Farmleigh writers residency</a> this summer. It’s a beautiful house set in acres of garden and the atmosphere there is perfect for writing. When I was shown around the building the librarian, Julia Cummins, introduced me to the book collection that Benjamin Guinness (1937-1992) gathered. It is incredible. First editions abound, including Ulysses and collections of poems by Yeats, with annotations in his own hand. But what excited me most of all was a thirteenth century manuscript by Gerald of Wales. By happy co-incidence this is one of the major sources for the impact of the Normans on Ireland, something which is very relevant to my writing plans. As well as working on a series of stories based on a group of hedonistic self-aware avatars in a virtual world, I’m going to write a book for the O’Brien Press on the coming of the Normans. It’s a great story, full of drama, and deserves to be looked at again in the light of modern scholarship.
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While at Farmleigh I shall organise a few events related to children’s literature. I’m going to invite a prominent children’s writer to give a public talk. I’m also going to show local schools around the house and give them a reading from my own books. Included in these trips is <a href="http://www.stjosephsvi.ie/" target="_blank">St Joseph’s School for the Visually Impaired</a>. My baby daughter Maya attends their pre-school and they’ve been brilliant with her, so I’m really pleased to be able to offer them something in return. I’m hoping – though she might not know it yet! – that the new <a href="http://childrenslaureate.ie/">children’s laureate</a>, Siobhán Parkinson will be involved in that event.
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In August I will be giving two creative writing workshops for writers of children’s literature. Places will be limited but anyone interested can send 1,000 words of their work in progress to <a href="mailto:farmleighinfo@opw.ie">farmleighinfo@opw.ie</a> and we’ll get back to them.</blockquote>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/declanod/4315319664/" title="Farmleigh by sbox, on Flickr"><img alt="Farmleigh" height="331" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4008/4315319664_8e0795fa53.jpg" width="500" /></a>Andrew Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05307943791144063866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11920806.post-35548196123871768412010-01-23T17:30:00.000-08:002010-01-23T17:49:55.628-08:00Conor Kostick wins Reading Association of Ireland Special Merit Award<img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GEvI0BkV9mw/S1umicaJDkI/AAAAAAAAAlc/B4NscyxyT_s/s1600/bookawards2009.jpg"/>
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<a href="http://www.booktrade.info/index.php/showarticle/23438">Conor Kostick has been awarded the Reading Association of Ireland Special Merit Award</a> in recognition of his latest book, Move, and for his overall body of work and contribution to science-fiction writing for children in Ireland. Below is a picture of the trophy:
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<img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GEvI0BkV9mw/S1umiuq1UfI/AAAAAAAAAlk/nMkw_w8NYRM/s1600/RAtrophy%2Bposter.jpg"/>
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There are <a href="http://www.obrien.ie/blog/?p=369#more-369">more photos at the O'Brien blog</a>. Below is the poster for the awards:
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<img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GEvI0BkV9mw/S1umjDNKN-I/AAAAAAAAAls/_pqaDlu9FVU/s1600/RAposter.jpg"/>Andrew Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05307943791144063866noreply@blogger.com0