Christopher Golden
CHRISTOPHER GOLDEN is the award-winning, bestselling author of such novels as The Myth Hunters, Wildwood Road, The Boys Are Back in Town, The Ferryman, Strangewood, Of Saints and Shadows, and (with Tim Lebbon) Mind the Gap. Golden co-wrote the lavishly illustrated novel Baltimore, or, The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire with Mike Mignola, which they are currently scripting as a feature film for New Regency.
He has also written books for teens and young adults, including the thriller series Body of Evidence, honored by the New York Public Library and chosen as one of YALSA's Best Books for Young Readers. Upcoming teen novels include Poison Ink for Delacorte, Soulless for MTV Books, and The Secret Journeys of Jack London, a collaboration with Tim Lebbon.
With Thomas E. Sniegoski, he is the co-author of the dark fantasy series The Menagerie as well as the young readers fantasy series OutCast and the comic book miniseries Talent, both of which were recently acquired by Universal Pictures. Golden and Sniegoski also wrote the upcoming comic book miniseries The Sisterhood, currently in development as a feature film. Working with actress/writer/director Amber Benson, he co-created and co-wrote Ghosts of Albion, an original animated supernatural drama for BBC online, from which they created the book series of the same name. (www.ghostsofalbion.net)
As an editor, Golden's work has included the Hellboy novel series, a trio of Hellboy short story anthologies, and co-editing duties on British Invasion, from Cemetery Dance. His non-fiction work includes collaborative efforts such as The Stephen King Universe, Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Watcher's Guide, and the upcoming Neil Gaiman Companion. His other writing has included video games, numerous comic books, and short stories.
Golden was born and raised in Massachusetts, where he still lives with his family. His original novels have been published in fourteen languages in countries around the world. Please visit him at www.christophergolden.com
James Barclay
James Barclay's brand of explosive heroic action fantasy has attracted fans from across the world since the publication of Dawnthief in 1999. This first outing for the ageing band of mercenaries-turned-world-savers called, 'The Raven', was Gollancz's best-selling UK fantasy debut. Dawnthief has been followed by five more novels of The Raven; Noonshade, Nightchild, Elfsorrow, Shadowheart and Demonstorm.
James's reputation for writing blistering action is closely allied to a trademark lack of sentimentality. No hero is too big to die. The Raven novels have been translated into eight languages across Europe. The seventh Raven novel, Ravensoul is set for UK publication later in 2008.
In March 2004, James finally managed to shuffle off the investment marketing coil and go into writing full time. This coincided with a move away from The Raven and the writing of the acclaimed Cry of the Newborn, the first novel in the duology entitled The Ascendants of Estorea. Set against a Romanesque background, the novel deals with the birth of magic into a world that has never seen its like before and its manifestation in four young children. Their growth into teenagers as part of a vast empire that is creaking at the seams has won praise for its scope and subject matter. It's sweeping epic fantasy, large scale battles, true heroes and engaging characters set in a detailed, credible world. The sequel, is the 'relentlessly dark' (to quote Sandy Auden) Shout for the Dead.
Amongst all these big fat fantasy novels, James has also written a novella for PS Publishing. Light Stealer deals with the creation of the spell, Dawnthief, and the runaway ego of its creator, Septern. He is currently drafting another novella, which he hopes will find favour with Pete Crowther, as well as planning a new fantasy series.
Away from fantasy. What? Yes, away from fantasy, James is writing contemporary young adult fiction, a very British screenplay and a series of illustrated adventures for young children. Illustrated by someone else, that is. Anyone else. Because James cannot draw. Even stick men are beyond his powers.
Although he cannot draw, James can act and has a role as a corrupt policeman in a gritty crime feature film called 'The Estate.' The film is due to begin shooting in early March 2008 and rehearsals are going ahead in mid-February. James, who trained as an actor after leaving Sheffield City Polytechnic (because they weren't all called 'university' back than) in 1986, is hoping to breathe new life into his stop-start (mainly stop) acting career over the coming years. Watch this space but don't hold your breath
Beyond writing and acting, James spends as much time as possible with his son, Oscar, who turned one in January 2008, his wife, Clare, and Mollie the Hungarian Vizsla. That's a dog to anyone not in the know. They all live in Teddington, Middlesex. James is currently trying to indoctrinate Oscar into the ways of a passionate sports fan and more specifically, an Ipswich Town football club fan, and a lover of English cricket and rugby union. He will also bore anyone within earshot about how superb a sport tennis is and why everyone should watch darts.
Find out more than you probably want to know about James over at: www.jamesbarclay.com
And if you really want to read his blitherings about sport, look up: www.barclaytalkssport.com
Dave McKean
Dave McKean was born in Taplow, Berkshire in 1963. He attended Berkshire College of Art and Design from 1982-86 and, before leaving, started working as an illustrator. In 1986 he met author Neil Gaiman with whom he has collaborated on many projects since. Their first book, Violent Cases (1987), has been printed in many editions worldwide, and adapted for the stage. Since then they have produced Black Orchid (1988), Signal To Noise (1990) for The Face magazine and Mr. Punch (1975). Dave has contributed all the cover illustrations and design for the popular Sandman series of graphic novels, and a collection of this work, Dust Covers, was published in 1998. Arkham Asylum (1989) written by Scottish author/playwright Grant Morrisson, still the single most successful graphic novel ever published, was also illustrated by Dave. 1995 saw collaborations with the Rolling Stones (The Voodoo Lounge), and Rachel Pollack (The Vertigo Tarot).
Between 1990 and 1996, Dave also wrote and illustrated the 500pg. comic novel Cages, which won the Harvey Award for Best new comic in 1992, best graphic novel, the International Alph' Art award and Italy's La Pantera Award in 1999.
His collection of short stories in comics form, Pictures That Tick, was released in 2001.
Dave has contributed to The Residents' ground breaking CD-ROM Bad Day on The Midway, and has directed the title sequence for Neil Gaiman's first TV series Neverwhere.
In 1995 he produced the image to launch The Sony Playstation, and in 1996 was one of four photographers chosen by Kodak and Saatchi's to launch their new colour film with a book, video and global ad package.
He has also produced campaigns for Smirnoff, British Telecom, 3dfx Voodoo, BMW/Mini, Nike, the British Government's Social Work Department, and Eurostar.
He has contributed many illustrations to The New Yorker, Playboy and other magazines, and has contibuted promotional work for the films Blade, Alien Resurrection, The King is Alive, Dust and Sleepy Hollow.
He has won various awards including the international Amid Award for the best album cover of the year (one of over 150 covers designed, illustrated and photographed since 1990, including recent releases by Michael Nyman, Tori Amos, Real World, Altan, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Bill Laswell, Alice Cooper, Dream Theater, Counting Crows, Front Line Assembly, and Bill Bruford), and the World Fantasy Award for the Sandman covers.
Also in 1995 he was one of the winners exhibited at the Victoria & Albert Museum for the National Book Awards for Mr. Punch, and in 2002 won overall first prize for his collection of short comics Pictures That Tick.
In 1996 he composed and performed the music for the BBC Radio adaptation of Signal to Noise with saxophonist Iain Ballamy, with whom he has recently initiated the Feral Records label. Dave's Hourglass studio and Allen Speigel Fine Arts in California have also co-published three collections of photographs; A Small Book of B/W Lies, Option: Click and The Particle Tarot which includes an introduction by legendary director and Tarot master Alejandro Jodorowsky.
He has exhibited in America and Europe including solo shows at The Four Color Gallery, New York, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Madrid, and The Maritime Museum, Carlisle, and has put together two touring exhibitions with Graphicus Touring, and the retrospective show Narcolepsy which continues to show throughout the UK and Europe.
In the last few years Dave completed his first children's books. The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish and The Wolves in the Walls (NY Times Illustrated Book of the Year) both written by Neil Gaiman, and Varjak Paw (Smarties Gold Award) written by SF Said. Also a book with Stephen King (Wizard & Glass), concept designs for the second and third Harry Potter films, designs for Lars Von Trier's new interactive project, books and TV films with Iain Sinclair (Slow Chocolate Autopsy, Asylum and The Falconer which won best short film at Montreal Film Festival), and designs for the autobiography of John Cale: What's Welsh for Zen.
In 1998, Dave decided to make some films. The Week Before and N[eon] are short films that played the festival circuits worldwide and N[eon] won First Prize at the Clermont-Ferrand Film Festival. These films brought Dave to the attention of Lisa Henson from the Jim Henson Company, and together with Neil Gaiman and Dave's small crew from the shorts, they embarked on Mirrormask, a feature fantasy film for Columbia/Tristar. Premiered at the Sundance Festival in Utah, and officially selected for the Locarno, Sitges, London, Edinburgh, Sarasota, Hawaii and Dublin film festivals, it won 9 awards (including the Inaugural Black Tulip at the Amsterdam Festival) and was finally released in cinemas in 2005. Three books were released to tie in with the film including The Alchemy of Mirrormask, a lavish art book which includes all the paintings, designs and photographs made for the film.
Both the Mirrormask picture book and Wolves in the Walls were shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway/Carnegie Medal.
In 2006 he created extensive designs, films and photographs for the Broadway musical Lestat, two new children's books Crazy Hair (Neil Gaiman) and The Homecoming (Ray Bradbury), and 3 personal books (Particle Tarot: Minor Arcana photographs, Postcard from Vienna drawings, and Nitrate paintings).
A collection of all seventeen of Dave's short film projects - Keanoshow - was released by New Video in 2007, and included recently finished films Dawn, Displacements and Whack!
The National Theatre of Scotland/Improbable musical theatrical production of Wolves in the Walls opened in New York in October 2007.
He is currently editing a second feature film called Luna, a huge autobiographical book with the Michelin starred chef Heston Blumenthal, The Graveyard Book with Neil Gaiman and a set of 'fantasy' stamps for the Royal Mail.
He lives on the Isle of Oxney in Kent, England with his wife and studio manager Clare, and their two children.
Christopher Fowler
CHRISTOPHER FOWLER is an award-winning novelist best known for his dark urban fiction. He has written seventeen novels and well over 100 short stories in nine volumes.
His first thriller was the bestseller Roofworld. Subsequent books include Spanky, Psychoville and Calabash. He is now writing the Bryant & May series, mystery novels featuring two elderly, argumentative detectives. His graphic novel for DC Comics was the critically acclaimed Menz Insana. His short story The Master Builder became a CBS feature movie called Through The Eyes Of A Killer, starring Tippi Hedren and Marg Helgenberger. His filmed short stories include: Left Hand Drive, On Edge, Perfect Casting, The Most Boring Woman In The World and Rainy Day Boys.
Left Hand Drive won Best British Short Film. He was the 1998 recipient of the BFS Best Short Story Of The Year for Wageslaves. In 2003 he was a Barry Award Nominee and a CWA Dagger Nominee for Full Dark House. Full Dark House won the BFS August Derleth Novel Of The Year Award 2004. In 2004, The Water Room was shortlisted for the CWA People’s Choice Award, and American Waitress won the BFS Best Short Story Of The Year 2004. The Green Man was nominated for a Bram Stoker award. In 2005 Breathe won the BFS Year’s Best Novella.
2007 BFS Nominations:
- Bryant and May's Mystery Tour (Best Short Fiction)
- Ten-Second Staircase (Best Novel)
- The Luxury of Harm (Best Short Fiction)
2007 Bram Stoker Nominations:
- Old Devil Moon (Best Fiction)
- All Packed (Best Short Fiction)
- Cupped Hands (Best Long Fiction)
Christopher founded Creative Partnership, a company that creates movie posters, trailers and documentaries, producing film campaigns and working with directors like Bertolucci, Zeffirelli, Tarantino, Cronenberg, Loach, and Ridley Scott. He has created campaigns for thousands of films, including Pulp Fiction, Gladiator, Trainspotting, Star Wars and King Kong. He wrote comedy for BBC radio and once released a truly disastrous Christmas single.
He reviews for the Independent on Sunday, and has written articles and columns for a variety of magazines including Time Out, Black Static, Smoke, Pure, Dazed And Confused, Big Issue and many others, including several broadcast dramas for the BBC, including Radio One's first-ever broadcast drama in 2005.
His short stories have appeared in The Time Out Book Of London Short Stories, The New English Library Book Of Internet Stories, Dark Terrors, Best New Horror, London Noir, Neon Lit, Cinema Macabre, Summer Chills, Destination Unknown, 100 Fiendish Little Frightmares, The Time Out Book Of New York Stories and many others.
He lives in King's Cross, London.
"Fowler's strength lies in the way he unveils the darker side of the ordinary: fresh and thought-provoking, Fowler resists over-employing tricksy narrative games, opting for an elegant and playful prose. His dark but humorous mixture of social satire and horror is not easily placeable; yet the success of his 20 books increasingly moves him out of the shadows."
The Guardian - Saturday March 27, 2004
"Those of us who keep our monsters and demons at a good distance can now share his powers of invention and surprising humanity." - Chicago Tribune June 27th 2004
Book Chronology:
- How To Impersonate Famous People (Quartet 1984)
- The Ultimate Party Book (Unwin 1985)
- City Jitters (Sphere 1986)
- City Jitters 2 (Dell 1988)
- Roofworld (Century Hutchinson 1988)
- Bureau Of Lost Souls (Century Hutchinson 1990)
- Rune (Century Hutchinson 1990)
- Sharper Knives (Century Hutchinson 1992)
- Red Bride (Little, Brown 1992)
- Darkest Day (Little, Brown 1993)
- Spanky (Little, Brown 1994)
- Psychoville (Warner Books 1995)
- Flesh Wounds (Warner Books 1995)
- Disturbia (Warner Books 1997)
- Menz Insana (DC Comics 1997)
- Personal Demons (Serpent’s Tail 1998)
- Soho Black (Warner Books 1998)
- Uncut (Warner Books 1999)
- The Devil In Me (Serpent’s Tail 2000)
- Calabash (Warner Books 2000)
- Full Dark House (Transworld 2003)
- Demonized (Serpent’s Tail 2004)
- Breathe (Telos 2004)
- The Water Room (Transworld 2004)
- Seventy Seven Clocks (Transworld 2005)
- Ten Second Staircase (Transworld 2006)
- White Corridor (Transworld 2007)
- Old Devil Moon (Serpent's Tail 2007)
- The Victoria Vanishes - 2008)
Please visit him at http://www.christopherfowler.co.uk/
