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There was a cracking review of Mark A Radcliffe’s second novel, STRANGER THAN KINDNESS in The Guardian on Saturday 11th January. The reviewer got it spot on too, which is wonderful.

Happy New Year to readers everywhere. After a wonderful 2013 for Bluemoose Books, we’re really looking forward to publishing some cracking books in 2014. The first of which is the debut novel WOUNDING by Heidi James, which we’ll be publishing on April 24th 2014. More to follow on that.

We’ll also be publishing BEASTINGS by award winning author Benjamin Myers and the second novels from The Guardian NOT THE BOOKER Winner Michael Stewart, with CAFE ASSASSIN and NEVERHASBEEN by Canadian writer, Adrian Barnes.

Ben Myers, winner of the 2013 GORDON BURN Prize has been chosen as one of the four judges for the 2014 Prize, alongside actor and comedian Julian Barrett, award winning artist Sarah Lucas and award winning writer and poet John Burnside.

We have just sold the TV and Film rights of NOD by Adrian Barnes to 20th Century Fox. This is the first time a Bluemoose Book has been optioned by Hollywood. The writers have been commissioned and a 12 part TV series will be heading to your screen. It is all very exciting, especially for Adrian. I may have to buy a cravat and get out the silver topped cane but then again, perhaps not.

Team Bluemoose were at the Durham Book Festival awaiting the news of who had won the GORDON BURN Prize 2013, sat amidst the Victorian mock Tudor splendour of Durham Town Hall, when we heard those wonderful words…And the winner is…

PIG IRON by Benjamin Myers

So chuffed for Ben. There were tears from my good self, Heth my wife and some were shed by Ben’s family too, who were also present. It is just ace when a book you have fallen in love with, polished within a comma of its life and then wrapped up in a beautiful jacket, finally gets some national recognition. We will post up pictures from the doo, later on this week. There are some brilliant words about PIG IRON from Deborah Orr, one of the judges in the link below. Deborah is a columnist for The Guardian. The other two judges were, Mark Lawson, who is a presenter on BBC Radio 4′s Front Row and award winning author David Peace. Top people, one and all.

More bits and bobs at New Writing North.

Two Bluemoose authors will be reading and signing books at events in the forthcoming weeks. Socrates Adams will be reading and talking about his new novel, A MODERN FAMILY at Chorlton Library as part of The Manchester Literature Festival on Saturday 19th October at 7pm. Mark A Radcliffe will reading and taking questions at the launch of his second novel, STRANGER THAN KINDNESS at Brighton University on November 1st at 7pm. He will be reading at Hove Library on Saturday 16th November, times tbc but I think it will be in the afternoon, please check, before heading north to do three events in the North West. Wednesday 20th November at 1-2pm at Wilmslow library, Thursday 21st at Ramsbottom library 7-8.30pm and on Friday 22nd at Rochdale library bewteeen 12 -2pm.

Everyone is invited, so do please come along, support your local libraries and independent publishers.

PIG IRON by Benjamin Myers has been short listed for the inaugural GORDON BURN Prize 2013. The winner will be announced on Saturday 19th October at the Durham Book Festival. Good luck to ben and fingers crossed. Ben is a great admirere of Gordon’s writing. Team Moose will be going up for the event and a new shirt may be bought this week, who knows.

We publish STRANGER THAN KINDNESS on November 14th. Mark is speaking at the World Mental Health Day on October 10th at Jubilee Library in Brighton. Jo Brand thinks the book is ace too. More of that later.