Elizabeth Hopkinson's Hidden Grove

It's almost 2018, and here I am with my Christmas/birthday book haul. Possibly the best ever. I thought I'd post this now, at the threshold to a new year and revisit it later when I've read all the books in the pile, so you can hear my verdict on them. So, here's the list: To the Bright Edge of the World by Eowyn Ivey, author of The Snow Child.  Strange things happen when a husband goes to explore the interior of Alaska and his wife is left behind. At the Back of the North Wind by George MacDonald, author of my beloved Phantastes . Classic Victorian fantasy about a boy and a cab horse. The Paper Magician by Charlie N Homberg. First in a series about a student magician. The Iron Age by Arja Kajermo. A fairy-tale memoir of Finland and Sweden. Recently mentioned by booktuber Jen Campbell. The Less than Perfect Legend of Donna Creosote by Dan Micklethwaite, one of my fellow Fogotten & Fantastical authors. A modern fairytale of the inner city. The Travellin...

                                       5th August is an important date for Gulliver's Travels fans.  It is the date on which Gulliver embarks on his third voyage, aboard the good ship Hopewell.   This journey will take him to the flying island of Laputa, the Academy of Lagado, Luggnagg (home of the Struldbrugs), the necromancer's island of Glubbdubdrib, and the only real-life place Gulliver ever visits: Japan. I made use of this in Silver Hands , having Margaret embark on the same ship on the same day in chapter four, "The Sailing of the Hopewell ".  The name of the ship, Captain William Robinson and any dates I mention are all straight from Swift.  He was having a laugh at the expense of travellers's tales (and making some satirical points about matters closer to home) but I tried to re-imagine the Hopewell as a real ship in the context of the times, a context of the ...

Last time, I told you about my trip to Japan in 2011, and some of the sites which influenced Silver Hands.   Today, I will complete the tour and look at three more historic Japanese sites with Silver Hands connections. I'd like to start with Seison-kaku, a villa in Kenrokuen Garden, Kanazawa.  The garden itself is a splendid traditional garden, with tea-houses, pines, plum groves and cherry trees.  But the villa is particularly interesting because it was built for a woman: Shinryu-in, widow of Maeda Narinaga.  It is fascinating to look at the different rooms, which are named after the paintings on their skirting boards (tortoise room, butterfly room etc.), to stand in the grand reception room (pictured above) and imagine life as a Japanese noblewoman in days gone by. This is the future Taro pictures for Margaret. Last time, I spoke about Nijo Castle in Kyoto, which houses a magnificent set of mansion buildings.  For those of you familiar with Lian Hea...

Last time, I promised you a tour of historical sites in Japan that relate to my research when writing my historical fantasy novel, Silver Hands.  However, when I looked at my scapbook of my trip to Japan with Oku Japan (formerly Oxalis Holidays)  in 2011, I realised there's far too much to fit into one blog.  So I'm dividing it into two parts.  This is the first. The first place I'd like to mention is Kiyosumi Gardens in Tokyo.  It was one of the first places I visited in Japan and I instantly felt, "This is Taro's garden!"  There was even a man in a kimono sitting on the veranda to the tea house you can see in the picture.  The garden was originally part of the residence of Edo period business magnate , Kinokuniya Bunzaemon, and later (1716-1736) part of the Edo residence of the Lord of Sekiyado castle.  So extremely appropriate for Silver Hands.  I can definitely picture Margaret and Taro walking here. Another site is Matsumo...

My historical fantasy novel Silver Hands is now on sale!  To celebrate, I'll be doing a couple of blogs about researching the historical background to the story, starting with this one about research I carried out locally. Amazingly, you often don't have to go far to find a whole wealth of knowledge and inspiration when it comes to history, even with a story like Silver Hands , which ranges in geographical scope from the English coast to a Japanese castle town.  There are three museums local to my native Yorkshire that get a special mention from me in the "acknowledgements" section of the book for being particularly helpful.                                             The Bay Hotel, Robin Hood's Bay The first is the Captain Cook Memorial Museum at Whitby.  Whitby and its neighbour, Robin Hood's Bay, were extremely useful to me in researching the parts of ...

A Japanese noble with a generous spirit Born: Edo (?) around the year 1688.  Presently 19 years old and living half the year in his ancestral home of Tokushiro, the other half in Edo. Family: father (the previous Lord Shimatani) is deceased.  Mother and younger sister, O-matsu, are hostages in Edo.  Elder sister is married to another noble.  Also has uncles and several cousins with whom he frequently associates. Occupation: feudal lord. Skills: horsemanship, falconry, swordsmanship, poetry, calligraphy.   Interests: He is a patron of the arts and keeps several artists employed in his home.  Also interested in making his estate more productive.  Enjoys a game of go .  Takes an active interest in the design of his gardens. He can seem distant and formal because of his position, but is in fact a warm and kindhearted person who wants to do the best for all those in his care.  He has natural authority and is fair and competent in running hi...

Nothing could have excited my imagination more than the Guardian' s recent reports on the alleged discovery in North Korea of Kiringul (unicorn's lair), associated with ancient king Tongmyong who, according to Korean legend, rode on unicorns. A king rode unicorns in Korean legend?!?  Why did I not know of this before?  I find this especially interesting because in the Korean graphic novel series Bride of the Water God by Mi-Kyung Yun there is a character called Lynn, who appears to be a unicorn.  In fact, he has two forms.  In one, he is a winged unicorn.  (He looks like a horse but with more of a cow's tail).  In his other form, he looks like a human, but with pointed ears and a unicorn-like horn in the middle of his forehead.  He is ridden in his horse form by another character, Huye. According to the Guardian , Korean unicorns are called kirins or qilins.  They are described either as a 4-legged beast with a dragon's head (does...