January 6th, 2009
London signing

Along with Joe Abercrombie, Alex Bell, John Courtenay Grimwood, David Devereux, Suzanne MacLeod and Steve Savile, I'll be signing books at Forbidden Planet at 179 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, between 5pm and 7pm on Thursday January 22nd.

If you've been to any Forbidden Planet signings before, this will be a slightly different state of affairs. The authors will be coming out from behind the traditional table to mingle with visitors for chat, advice, anecdotes and top secret insider information!

Nearest tubes are Holborn, Covent Garden, Tottenham Court Road and Leicester Square.

December 15th, 2008
Six book US deal signed

I've recently signed a six-book deal with US publisher Pyr. The highly-acclaimed SF and fantasy imprint will publish the first of my Elizabethan fantasy sequence, The Swords of Albion, in 2009, with books two and three in subsequent years.

Pyr has also acquired the rights to my British Fantasy Award-nominated Age of Misrule sequence, described as "One part Lord of the Rings, one part Illuminatus!, one part Arthurian romance -- 100% original!" The three books -- World's End, Darkest Hour and Always Forever -- will be published across May - July 2009.

I'm very excited to be working with Pyr on the launch of The Swords of Albion and the US debut of Age of Misrule. The imprint has a dynamic, cool and smart approach to the genre.

Pyr Editorial Director Lou Anders says of The Age of Misrule: "Every once in a while you read a work that treats its subject so well you realize it's the last and final word on the topic. Like the way a certain Boy Wizard pretty much owns the school-for-magic space, and the idea of all of reality being a virtual illusion  ends (for the foreseeable future) with the film The Matrix. That's the sense I got reading the books of the Age of Misrule. Mark's rigorously-researched exploration of Britain's sacred sites reads with such authenticity that I can't imagine there being any other explanation. That it underpins a fantastic adventure story chocked full of great characters - a sort of modern day Lord of the Rings transposed onto contemporary Britain - makes for a simply irresistible combination. I can't wait to spring it on unsuspecting Americans - they have no idea what's in store for them!"

December 14th, 2008
Major deal for new Elizabethan fantasy signed

I've recently signed a major three-book deal with UK publisher Transworld for an epic Elizabethan fantasy. The Swords of Albion will be published annually from 2010, in the UK and Commonwealth.

This is an epic story filled with intrigue, mystery, adventure and romance, set against the rich backdrop of the Elizabethan era, that I hope will appeal to readers of both fantasy and historical fiction. I'm very excited to be working with Transworld for the first time on the launch of this new series.

January 18th, 2008
Science Fiction & Fantasy Publisher Solaris Announces Mark Chadbourn Novel Deal

A press release issued today by Solaris Books:

Solaris is proud to announce a new acquisition from popular British fantasy novelist Mark Chadbourn.

THE LORD OF SILENCE is a thrilling new epic fantasy. When the great hero of the city of Idriss is murdered, Vidar, the Lord of Silence, must take his place as chief defender against the mysterious terrors lurking in the dense forest beyond the city's walls.

But Vidar is a man tormented - by a lost memory and a vampiric jewel that demands the life energy of others. Now, with a killer loose within Idriss, and the threat from without mounting, Vidar must solve a three thousand year old religious mystery to unlock the terrifying secrets of his own past.

A two-time winner of the British Fantasy Award, Mark Chadbourn is the author of eleven novels and one non-fiction book. A former journalist, he is now a screenwriter for BBC television drama. His other jobs have included running an independent record company, managing rock bands, working on a production line, and as an engineer's "mate". He lives in a forest in the English Midlands.

Mark Chadbourn said, "After several years writing my own particular and peculiar brand of urban fantasy, I wanted to try something completely different. The Lord of Silence is me cutting loose and experimenting way out of my comfort zone - a completely new world, new characters, a twisted take on magic, and a mystery that spans several thousand years. It's a sword and sorcery, noir, puzzle-cracking, romance, serial killer, adventure-mystery. With mad, dancing magicians."

Publisher Marc Gascoigne added: "It's always been puzzling to me why a writer of Mark's immense talent, and with such a huge British fanbase, has rarely been offered the opportunity to release his books in the US. It's time to remedy that, with the best book of his career so far."

THE LORD OF SILENCE will be released in 2009 in the US and UK.

Mark would also like to add: "Please note – this book will be in addition to my regularly scheduled novels published by Victor Gollancz."

December 6th, 2007
Jack of Ravens out now in mass-market paperback

The paperback version of Jack of Ravens: Kingdom of the Serpent Book One is on the shelves from today.

Shortlisted for the British Fantasy Best Novel Award, the hardback sold out in record time, so it's good to have it back on the shelves. Advance orders are running very high, so if you want a first printing it’s probably a good idea to buy early. You can get it here:Amazon.co.uk.

October 1st, 2007
British Fantasy Award Win

My story 'Whisper Lane' won this year's British Fantasy Award for Best Short Story, presented at Fantasycon at Nottingham, UK. It was originally published in the BFS – A Celebration anthology in 2006.

July 6th, 2007
Tate Britain Appearance

On July 5, I gave a very successful lecture at the world-famous Tate Britain art gallery in London, entitled 'Myth, Memory and the Art of Richard Dadd'. The event was a sell-out, and also pretty ground-breaking on several fronts. I was one of the first – if not the first – genre writer to be invited to the Tate to give a lecture for one of their rightly-acclaimed study days. And personally, it was one of the most high-profile appearances I've made.

I only have praise for the staff and academics at the Tate who treated both myself, and the genre, with a great deal of respect. Before the lecture, the audience toured the gallery to see Dadd's work and many took the opportunity to ask me about my opinions on the artist and his work. After that I gave the lecture, touching on not only my interest in Dadd and my novella about his most famous painting, 'The Fairy Feller's Master Stroke', but also about other authors influenced by Dadd – Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman, Angela Carter, Robert Rankin and more. We followed this with an at times intense debate with an art historian about the meaning of Dadd's work, and a couple of readings from The Fairy Feller novella.

The novella has gone from strength-to-strength since it won the British Fantasy Award four years ago. The limited edition by PS Publishing has nearly sold out, and the added attention from this Tate event has created interest from across the world. Now I need to find a mainstream publisher interested in reprinting it as part of a collection so it can reach a wider audience.

For older stories, please see the News Archive.