Throughout 2012 there have been a number of radio interviews and book signings for Black Shuck, including Waterstones in Norwich in October 2012. Then the great news came that Black Shuck has been shortlisted for the East Anglian Book Awards - http://www.edp24.co.uk/what-s-on/shortlists_for_book_awards_announced_1_1549519
The Awards ceremony is 15th November 2012 - keep your paws crossed!
Monday 8 October 2012
Thursday 2 February 2012
Is Norfolk the most haunted county in England?
One of the first ghost stories based in Norfolk that I heard was that of Black Shuck. For some reason the story captivated me and stayed with me until, years later, I wrote the book Black Shuck: The Devil's Dog. But by then I had learnt that Norfolk has more ghost stories and hauntings associated with it than anywhere else, earning it the title: the most haunted county in England.
This notion was often promoted in the magazing Paranormal Norfolk which was produced from 2005-2007 - sadly no longer continued. Having finished writing Black Shuck, which drew both on my experiences as a wildlife film-maker and of the North Norfolk Coast, I was on the lookout for another local legend to base the sequel on. I was spoilt for choice! First there are many evocative and spooky place names around Norfolk, such as Tombland, The Devil's Throat and Grime's Graves, but also a whole host of scary stories such as the Ghost Fiddler of Binham Priory (Fiddler's Hill), the beheaded Lady Ann Boleyn riding through Blickling Estate, the White Lady of Gunton Park, the Pump Hill Ghost of Happisburgh, the Phantom Coach of Long Stratton, the Brown Lady of Raynham, the Children of Wayland (Wailing) Wood ... And so the list goes on. A great book exploring these legends is The Lore of the Land by Westwood & Simson.
So, if I decide that all future spooky adventures of Harry Lambert (the protagonist in Black Shuck) are to be based in Norfolk, I will have no shortage of material to draw from. The sequel is underway!
Tuesday 3 January 2012
The Hound of the Baskervilles
Was Norfolk's Black Shuck the black dog that inspired
The Hound of the Baskervilles?
One of the first ghost stories based in Norfolk that I heard was that of Black Shuck. For some reason the story captivated me and stayed with me until, years later, I wrote the book Black Shuck: The Devil's Dog. It was only later that I heard that Black Shuck may indeed have been the inspiration for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to write one of his most famous Sherlock Holmes stories: The Hound of the Baskervilles.
Apparently in 1901 Sir Arthur Conan Doyle took a golfing holiday in West Runton and Cromer in Norfolk where he heard the tale of Black Shuck. The following year he published The Hound of The Baskervilles, so it's not surprising that many have though his inspiration came from the Norfolk legend.
For some reason Conan Doyle replaced Norfolk with the wilds of Dartmoor as the setting for the book, but his description of Baskerville Hall certainly bears a likeness to Cromer Hall.
Although there have been many classic film and TV versions of The Hound of the Baskervilles, there is a fresh and growing interest in Conan Doyle's stories thanks to the BBC series Sherlock, written by Mark Gatiss and starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman. The second programme of Series 2 is entitled The Hounds of Baskerville and is to be broadcast on BBC One on 8th January 2012.
And the interest in all things Sherlock and hounds is also leading to a growing interest in other tales of hellish black dogs ...
The Hound of the Baskervilles?
One of the first ghost stories based in Norfolk that I heard was that of Black Shuck. For some reason the story captivated me and stayed with me until, years later, I wrote the book Black Shuck: The Devil's Dog. It was only later that I heard that Black Shuck may indeed have been the inspiration for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to write one of his most famous Sherlock Holmes stories: The Hound of the Baskervilles.
Apparently in 1901 Sir Arthur Conan Doyle took a golfing holiday in West Runton and Cromer in Norfolk where he heard the tale of Black Shuck. The following year he published The Hound of The Baskervilles, so it's not surprising that many have though his inspiration came from the Norfolk legend.
For some reason Conan Doyle replaced Norfolk with the wilds of Dartmoor as the setting for the book, but his description of Baskerville Hall certainly bears a likeness to Cromer Hall.
Although there have been many classic film and TV versions of The Hound of the Baskervilles, there is a fresh and growing interest in Conan Doyle's stories thanks to the BBC series Sherlock, written by Mark Gatiss and starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman. The second programme of Series 2 is entitled The Hounds of Baskerville and is to be broadcast on BBC One on 8th January 2012.
And the interest in all things Sherlock and hounds is also leading to a growing interest in other tales of hellish black dogs ...
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