Seven Stories – The National Centre for Children’s Books, Ouseburn Valley, NE1 2PQ
Tuesday 14 June 6-8pm
Seven Stories – The National Centre for Children’s Books is thrilled to invite fans of dystopian fantasy to an eagerly awaited evening cloaked in myth, dark magic and epic adventure with acclaimed Australian writer Garth Nix.
New York Times best-selling author Garth Nix will make an exclusive UK appearance on Tuesday 14 June at Seven Stories to explore his award-winning Old Kingdom series. Garth’s immensely popular Old Kingdom collection (which includes the titles Sabriel, Lirael, Abhorsen and Clariel) has sold more than one million copies worldwide. The Australian author credits the landscape of the North East, in particular the history and heritage of Hadrian’s Wall as stimulus for his phenomenally successful series.
Garth Nix says,
“I'm delighted to be visiting Seven Stories again, and the North of England. I am always invigorated by the air, the enthusiasm for children's books and the readers who come to see me. It's also tremendous to be doing an event for an Old Kingdom book so near Hadrian's Wall, which was a big inspiration for me writing SABRIEL, way back in the early 1990s.”
Garth’s stories feature children and young adults working through the common difficulties of growing up, but set in fantasy worlds, his books add a captivating mix of adventure, wonder, and danger. Garth's many fans are fond of his strong, female characters and he has inspired a generation of fantasy writers including Veronica Roth (Divergent series) and Cassandra Clare (The Mortal Instrument series), as well as earning legions of die-hard fans.
Seven Stories is bewitched by his best-selling books and this exclusive event with the master of fantasy and storytelling is not to be missed for anyone wanting to gain tips for creative writing and uncover Garth’s own process.
The event at Seven Stories is in conjunction with Newcastle University’s Reading the Wall: Cultural Afterlives of Hadrian’s Wall conference where Garth is making a rare appearance as key note speaker on Wednesday 15 – Friday 17 June.
“I am excited to have Garth joining us for Reading the Wall,” says Dr Rob Collins of Newcastle University. “His rich stories blend magical landscapes, fun characters, and fast-paced action that appeal to children and adults alike.”
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Garth is available for interview on arrangement before the event.
Media Contact
For images, quotes or interviews please contact:
Hannah Lambert – Marketing and Digital Coordinator
Seven Stories, Ouseburn Valley, Newcastle. NE1 2PQ.
T: 0300 330 1095 ext 223
E: hannah.lambert@sevenstories.org.uk
Notes to Editor:
*Author Event* Explore the Old Kingdom with Garth Nix Tuesday 14 June, 6-8pm
Meet Garth after the event and have your book signed. Event ticket £5. Admission not required. Suitable for ages 14+
Tickets can be purchased from the Seven Stories website.
Seven Stories Blog
In an exclusive blog post for Seven Stories’ LoveYA Blog ahead of his event, Garth gives advice to emerging creative writers and shares his own process “Sometimes books need to slowly grow inside my head before I start actively writing them, and I usually have half a dozen sort of pre-novels floating about in my mind before one of them grows to the point where I think “that’s what I’m going to write next.”” Garth Nix
Read Garth's Blog here.
Reading the Wall: Cultural Afterlives of Hadrian’s Wall
Garth is also making a rare appearance in the UK as the Keynote speaker at Newcastle University’s Conference, Reading the Wall: Cultural Afterlives of Hadrian’s Wall on Wednesday 15 – Friday 17 June. For more information about the conference visit their website.
About Garth Nix
Garth is an award-winning author with international appeal whose varied career also includes time as a book sales representative, marketing consultant, book editor and part-time solider in the Australian Army Reserve. The Old Kingdom series is made up of Sabriel, Lirael, Abhorsen, Clariel and To Hold the Bridge which is a short fiction collection exploring the Magical World of the Old Kingdom. Find out more about Garth Nix and his extensive back catalogue on his website here http://www.garthnix.com/.
More than five million copies of his books have been sold around the world, his books have appeared on the bestseller lists of The New York Times, Publishers Weekly, The Guardian and The Australian, and his work has been translated into 40 languages.
Praise for Garth Nix
“Sabriel is a winner, a fantasy that reads like realism. Here is a world with the same solidity and four dimensional authority as our own, created with invention, clarity, and intelligence. I congratulate Garth Nix. And I look forward to reading his next piece of work.” — Philip Pullman, author of His Dark Materials trilogy
“Nix’s collection of richly imagined short fiction is a feast for speculative fiction fans of all ages.” Booklist (starred review)
“Lireal reaffirms his position as Australia’s top fantasy author.” — Canberra Sunday Times