‘I salute him with the most heartfelt respect and admiration’ PHILIP PULLMAN ‘Entrancing … a creative manifesto’ TELEGRAPH ‘Mesmerising … vibrating with life and curiosity’ OBSERVER In this lyrical and revelatory memoir, Alan Garner, Booker shortlisted author of Treacle Walker, traces the line of his life: from a working-class childhood in the landscape of Cheshire during World War II, through a grammar school education and on to the University of Oxford, and then home to see if he could become what he most desired: a writer.We see the serendipitous moments that drove his course, from coming-of-age in a period of great cultural change, to crossing paths with a famous mathematician while out long-distance running, to the fateful day he chanced across Blackden, the medieval hall, miraculously located next to the giant telescope at Jodrell Bank, that was to become his lasting home and the setting for Treacle Walker.As Garner tells us, a lifetime of working with a pen produces the powsels and thrums of research, imagination and story. These oddments can be shaped into something more than its parts: a vivid tapestry of a creative life that will inspire any reader, and what a celebration it is. ‘Advice is practical as well as profound … Garner is a magus. Read him’ Guardian ‘Offers a remarkable window into Garner’s mind and heart … Garner’s prose is as clear as glass’ Spectator ‘A creative manifesto … We are all the richer for it’ Byline Times This autobiography is a rich tapestry of Garner's life, showcasing his literary prowess and his ability to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary. His experiences, from his humble beginnings to his success as a best-selling author, are beautifully captured in this memoir.For fans of Erica Wagner (Chief Engineer), Ursula K. Le Guin (Lao Tzu ), Sam Leith (The Haunted Wood), Katherine Rundell (Why You Should Read Children's Books, Even Though You Are So Old and Wise), and Madeleine L'Engle (The Summer of the Great-Grandmother).HarperCollins 2024
Related
Related
Related