Narvel Annable | Scarthin Books Cromford

Narvel Annable

Sea Change is a controversial story of transformation: a journey from despair to delight. Adolescence is the change from boy to man. In a sequel to Lost Lad, Simeon Hogg escapes from a living hell into an enchanted world of fairytale people inhabiting the nooks and crannies of deepest Derbyshire. Follow him as he transforms from a rough and miserable urchin who – ‘suffers a sea-change into something rich and strange’ – as sung by Ariel, the airy spirit from The Tempest.

Narvel Annable has disclosed confidential, erotic and embarrassing details which many gay boys of the 1950s have taken to their graves. In this brutally honest autobiographic novel, he goes further. He revisits his Dickensian Mundy Street Boys School ordeal of sex slavery and bullying in Heanor. Cruelty has a cost. Approaching his 70s, the author is now paying the bill. Adventures set in a shadowy gay world uncover a furtive existence. Under the secretive mainstream of homosexuals is an underclass – a taboo within a taboo.

With the help of legislation and enlightened education, the LGBT community of the 21st century hopes these horrors, which have damaged so many, have gone forever.

This novel explodes myths and challenges conventional thinking. Whilst not condoning, it does not condemn. At the brink of self destruction, Simeon’s sexual abuser becomes his saviour, persuading him, giving him courage to escape and live – rather than to stay and die in a culture where a boy was esteemed by his ability to inflict humiliation, pain and suffering on others.

Another great yarn from the storyteller of gay Derbyshire, Narvel Annable. Interwoven with references to real-life events and history, he writes a terrific mystery novel. I wish we had a Narvel in every region of England to tell such tales.

Peter Tatchell, human rights campaigner www.PeterTatchellFoundation.org

ISBN: 978-095-304-195-4

£10

Poetry Writing Workshop with Jo Bell

April 4

Scarthin Books welcomes Jo Bell for two poetry-writing workshops. Each session will last three hours and include tea or coffee. If you’ve read How to Be a Poet, her book with Jane Commane, you’ll have a flavour of Jo’s teaching style – entertaining, intensive and aimed at getting the best new poetry out of every participant. Jo is running two sessions for us: one for all comers, one for women only.

In this session open to men and women, we use the treasure trove of source material stacked all around us in the shelves of Scarthin Books. We’ll dive into books of technical or specialist language, steal other poets’ phrases and draw on the riches of historical and fictional text to refresh your own writing. Expect the unexpected – drawing on the arcane and absurd to generate new work. This session will include some forms like the golden shovel and the cento, and you should leave with four or five new drafts to work on.

£20 to attend. Booking required. Please contact us at the Bookshop to book your place via 01629 823272 or click here to book on via Eventbrite.

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Reading and Signing with Richard Lumsden

April 7

We are very excited to announce that Richard Lumsden will be giving a reading of his debut novel ‘The Six Loves of Billy Binns’ at Scarthin Books.

This will be followed by a Q&A and signing and is a free event. No booking required.

‘This uplifting and powerful debut is beautifully written, full of emotion and will tug at your heartstrings. A book about love, self-forgiveness and redemption, this is a must-read and will appeal to fans of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry’ Sarah J Harris, author of THE COLOUR OF BEE LARKHAM’S MURDER

Richard Lumsden has worked as an actor, writer and composer in television, film and theatre for 30 years.
As an actor his films include Downhill, Sightseers, Sense & Sensibility and The Darkest Hour, as well as
numerous television shows and theatre productions. THE SIX LOVES OF BILLY BINNS is his first novel.

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Poetry Writing Workshop with Jo Bell - Women Only

April 18

*** Women only workshop ***

As Feminist Book Fortnight approaches, Jo Bell offers a women-only poetry writing workshop. This session will generate new work from poets at all levels, and if you want to read the results at our evening event on May 4th you will be welcome to do so. We will use classic texts by and about women from Mary Wollstonecraft to Caitlin Moran. Channel your wit, wisdom rage and hope for the future into new poems. This women-only session gets the best writing out of the richest source material – your own experience.

£20 to attend. An eventbrite will be set up for this but if you can’t find it yet, contact the bookshop to book your place on 01629 823272 or click here to book via Eventbrite.

Poetry Portraits with Jo Bell

April 27

Local, acclaimed poet Jo Bell will be in our Art room from 11am onwards writing tailor made poems for you!

Come and have a chat about what you’d like her to write about and go away with a poem no one else has.

This is a free, open event to all.

Jo’s books include ‘Kith’, ‘How to be a poet’ and ’52. Write a poem a week’. She’s actively involved in The Poetry Takeaway, writing tailor made poems at Festivals and was featured on Nationwide’s advert ‘Voices Nationwide: Building the Building Society’.

Our new Artist-in-Residence for 2018 is……… Jan Flamank

“I am so delighted to be Artist in Residence at Scarthin from March 2018, and am buzzing with ideas about what I want to do. I will spend time each month in this fabulous bookshop, and make new work that is inspired by the place, the people and the wild array of books! I use mixed media in my artwork, and having time in the shop will give me further incentive to include text and stories in my work, and be influenced by the treasure that fills every room there. Some of this artwork will be visible in the shop, but there will also be work that is hidden, awaiting discovery as people browse the shelves and corners of the shop…..

Please come and find me in the art room, I will be there monthly throughout the year. I look forward to meeting lots of lovely Scarthin people in the year ahead.”