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Thursday, February 27, 2014

I'm reading: Friday 2/28 noon, AWP Seattle

On-site Reading25 for 25: A Lambda Literary Foundation Celebration Reading
Featuring: Rigoberto Gonzalez, Nicola Griffith, and Ellery Washington
Friday, February 28, 12:00 pm – 1:15 pm
Room 615/616/617, Washington State Convention Center, Level 6 
Off-site Reading25 for 25 Lambda Fellows Reading & ReunionR Place
619 East Pine St (206) 322-8828
Friday, February 28, 6-9 pm
(Above info stolen whole cloth from the Lambda Literary website.)

I will definitely be at the first (I'll be reading from Hild) and hope to be at the second--though it depends on other stuff that might happen that day.

Meanwhile, if you don't know what AWP is, here's a handy guide from The Stranger...
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Tuesday, February 25, 2014

HILD a finalist for the Nebula Award

I’m delighted to announce that Hild is one of the eight finalists for the Nebula Award for Best Novel. I’m in fantastic company:
  • We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, Karen Joy Fowler (Marian Wood)
  • The Ocean at the End of the Lane, Neil Gaiman (Morrow; Headline Review)
  • Fire with Fire, Charles E. Gannon (Baen)
  • Hild, Nicola Griffith (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
  • Ancillary Justice, Ann Leckie (Orbit US; Orbit UK)
  • The Red: First Light, Linda Nagata (Mythic Island)
  • A Stranger in Olondria, Sofia Samatar (Small Beer)
  • The Golem and the Jinni, Helene Wecker (Harper)
The award is presented annually by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) at the Nebula Awards Weekend, which this year will be May 15-18, 2014 at the San Jose Marriott. More info on other nominees here. (Do go look. It’s an excellent way to put together a reading list!)

Kelley and I plan to be there and beam at all the other nominees in person. (And, yep, there will be beer.) Oh, I am enormously pleased about this!
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Saturday, February 22, 2014

Hild roundup #13

No interviews this week but two weeks' worth of reviews, including two (!) in The Toast. Both long, juicy, and worth your time. If you read just one thing, then read one of those. Seriously.

All previous round-ups here. (Note to insane completists: there’s a lot of stuff. A lot. Don't burst anything...)

If you get to the end of this marathon roundup your reward is another cat reading Hild.
NEWS

REVIEWS
The Toast
"If you are a female reader of genre fiction, you have probably gotten used to being dismissed. You are dismissed within the narratives of the stories you love, which all too often cast you as a lover or a witch, a virgin or a crone, a sexy plot-device on two long, supple legs [..] The good news is that Nicola Griffith’s Hild is the book you’ve been waiting for, the one that has room for you in it: it’s long and smart and beautiful, set in a world so old that the languages and tribes feel supernatural in their distance from our own, and it’s expansively, gloriously, breathtakingly feminist, nearly six hundred pages of story about women that takes them and their complex, active lives seriously."

Bookifer
"This novel imagines a history for Hild, following her from age three to her late teens, and does so in a way which is both utterly believable and entirely absorbing. I really can’t stress that last point enough. […] The bare bones of the story that Griffith imagines for Hild would be remarkable enough, but she doesn’t stop there. Instead, she takes it to another level entirely, exploring the development of Hild’s personality and identity with extraordinary skill and, in doing so, carving out a character of rare depth and complexity."

The Toast (again!)
"If you read Nicola Griffith’s new historical novel Hild, you’ll learn a lot about life in seventh-century Britain. When you finish the book you’ll find it strange not to be drinking sharp white mead and eating game. You’ll miss the textures of cloth, the aural world of birdsong and snapping twigs, the sense of a battle axe always at your side. Hild’s senses are near-superhuman in their acuity; she’s extraordinary, like many of the characters we love best. But she’s thoroughly grounded in her time, in its political realities and religious uncertainties, and you never get the sense that she’s invulnerable."

The Cannonball Read
"Was sort of uninterested in this book, until I read this blog post by the author. Boom! Sudden interest, give it to me now. And I’m really glad I picked it up. My experience with Hild is the textbook example of why it’s a good idea to read outside your normal genres every once in a while. I don’t read very much historical fiction, and those I do read are usually the ones that have some sort of unusual hook, like TWO MEN IN WWII RUSSIA LOOK FOR A DOZEN EGGS! (City of Thieves) or WOMAN TIME TRAVELS TO SCOTLAND AND HAS LOTS OF SEX! (Outlander). [...] Hild is Nicola Griffith’s examination of the early years of St. Hilda of Whitby, about whom almost nothing is known, except that she was probably one of the most influential women who ever lived. (Really, you should click that link at the top — it’s very interesting.)"

Lindy Reads and Reviews
"While this isn't a lesbian novel, I did appreciate the significant bisexual content. I also like the way Griffith quietly inserted a reference to her very first novel, Ammonite (1993), by having Begu gift her gemaecce Hild with one of these fossils. […] Readalikes: The Eagle and the Raven (Pauline Gedge); Wolf Hall (Hilary Mantel); The Skystone (Jack Whyte); The Last Light of the Sun (Guy Gavriel Kay); Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley); and Kristin Lavransdatter (Sigrid Undset)."

Room to Speak
"There are four ways that Hild stands out as a feminist piece of literature:
1) The novel features a powerful young woman, smart enough to influence the men who “control” the politics…
2) No emphasis is placed on her appearance or beauty. Griffith’s characterization of Hild is focused on her intellect, not on her desirability as a wife or mother…
3) While most of the characters believe Hild to be some sort of witch, the reader is left to wonder if she possesses magic, or if she is incredibly insightful and cunning enough to use this insight to gain influence…
4) Breaking down the societal norm of assuming a woman is straight (or if she is not straight then she must be a lesbian). Griffith allows Hild to explore her sexuality and sexual need/desire more fully than is typical in literature."

Wyrt Wizard
"Whether historical fiction, fantasy or another genre, the best novels create a believable world and show it to the reader. In most cases the novelist opens a window to display the world to the reader. Nicola Griffith does much more in her fascinating novel Hild. She pulls the reader right into seventh-century England and gives the reader a vantage point behind the title character’s shoulders. Griffith’s depiction of Northumbria is so vivid that the reader can hear the battle sounds and smell the animals in the barn."

The Bastard Title
"Well, it’s barely February, and I’ve already read a strong contender for my favorite book of the year. Hild was an incredible novel, the kind that will be very hard to top."

Compulsive Overreader
Hild by Nicola Griffith, Trudy Morgan-Cole
"Hild is the kind of work of historical fiction that can’t be discussed without using words like “epic.” […] In terms of its depth and scope as a historical novel I can’t compare this to anything other than Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall."

The Wichita Eagle
"Much of the book is about how deftly and delicately Hild manages to use her skills as a woman (girl, really) in a time when men ruled utterly. / Like Game of Thrones, Wolf Hall and many other books about kings, Hild traces the complex strategies of alliances and wars to gain more power."

Frogfather
"…the land and way of life for Hild and Edwin and Cian and all the others is immediate and alive in this book… Hild climbing a tree to watch the flight of the birds. Cian desperate to show off his fighting prowess. Edwin nervously watching his gesiths for signs of disloyalty. And everyone trying to make sure they make it through to next summer, and preferably better off than last time. It’s a stunning piece of work."

MISCELLANEOUS
[ff to 33-minute mark]
Rebecca Onions endorses Hild, and Dana Stevens says "you had me at '7th-century nun.'"

[In which a librarian talks about the podcast of my reading from Seattle Central Library]
"Nicola Griffith has the type of voice which is perfect for reading aloud. It draws you in and welcomes you to sit and listen."

[Yes, a live event that’s now past. But I’m including it in the hope that someone will give me a report.]
Well-known scholars of Tolkien studies and popular culture will discuss the ways in which the works of later authors both develop from and go beyond J. R. R. Tolkien’s works of fiction, especially The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion. Panelists will discuss the relationships between Tolkien’s works and recent works such as Nicola Griffith's Hild, Neil Gaiman’s Ocean at the End of the Lane, J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, Lois McMaster Bujold’s Vorkosigan series, George R. R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire series, Doctor Who, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, among others.

Hild spotted in the windows of:
Kepler's
Foyle's Southbank
I was scooping these images (from Twitter? Facebook?) in the UK via my phone using limited WiFi; attached info fell by the wayside. I apologise. If you sent these please get in touch so I can thank and credit you.

And finally, the moment I know you’ve all been waiting for:
Talya the Russian Princess (who is served by Anne) has her way with Hild 
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Tuesday, February 18, 2014

How do you feel about SF?

From: Luke

I have got Slow River, which hopefully I shall read some time in the near future. Ammonite has crossed my SF book searching in Waterstones. Hopefully, I'll get to read it at some point. 

How do you feel now about your ventures into SF, particularly those 2 novels? 
Ammonite is now 21 years old. In sfnal terms that's ancient. But when I reread it a couple of years ago in preparation for the Gollancz Masterworks Series republication in the UK I found it still supple. That's the beauty of writing about a distant planet in the far-off future: there are no vacuum-tubes or wired telephones or short-skirted 60s uniforms to stick out like cacti on the Yorkshire moors. I remember trying very hard not to be too specific about technology and although I think I failed in one or two places in general I think I succeeded. The women-only world thought-experiment--seeing women playing all the roles, being fully human in, of, and by themselves--is, sadly, still relevant today. And of course I think the story, the internal change and growth of the central character, works. I am proud of that book.

I haven't read Slow River for... Well, actually I'm not sure how long it's been but I doubt it was this century. But I'm immensely proud of that one, too. I learnt so much from it, about myself and about writerly technique. And I feel for the characters, still. Given that I haven't read it for a while, I can't really comment on how it holds up in sfnal terms. But as far as I know the concepts--of bioremediation, personal handheld communication technology, the elite maintaining an IP stranglehold over industry--still apply. And the seamier side of human nature hasn't changed.

Bending the Landscape, the three anthologies I co-edited with Stephen Pagel, is a slightly different case. The goal of the series as a whole, which seemed so new then, isn't any longer. What Stephe and I did in the late nineties--getting non-genre writers to dip their toe in the great surging creative pool that is non-realistic fiction; persuading straight writers to write queer characters; soliciting trans writers (though I admit to some serious clumsiness on that front and perhaps one day will write a whole other blog post on what I learnt from the experience)--now happens without much fuss almost every day. This makes me nothing but happy.

My short fiction--I don't write much--continues to fall naturally in the spectrum that could easily be published as f/sf today. I have a story, "Cold Wind," coming out from Tor.com in April.

Long-time readers of this blog know, of course, that I've been threatening for years to publish a collection. I think I might finally have enough stories...

Edited to add: and I just heard Hild is a Tiptree Honor book.
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Friday, February 14, 2014

HILD to be published in the UK!


I'm delighted to announce that Hild will be published in the UK by Blackfriars, a brand-new imprint of Little, Brown UK. The digital edition is out 10th April followed by the hardback on 24th July. This year. It's happening fast.

I'm thrilled about this. Hild's story is deeply British; I yearn to get this book into the hands of people who walk the landscape she walked.

More news when I have it. For now: I am grinning.
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Friday, February 7, 2014

When the hell is Volume Two coming?

From: Sara Finegan

I keep heading over to your blog to find out if you've already answered my question but it's difficult to navigate in that there are round-ups galore sort of clogging it up. The cat pictures are great and very entertaining to my Siamese, who actually feel as strongly as I do that you should just get with the program and produce Volume Two right now, this very minute, and why the hell is it taking so long because really, we've re-read Hild 3 times now and we do not have a lot of patience.


Which leads me to the question: When the hell is Volume Two coming and why the hell is it taking so long, because I've read Hild 3 times now and look, I always keep one Harry Potter book half-read because I don't really want to leave Hogwarts and with only one Hild volume available it will become slightly difficult to remain partially immersed, and now I can only hop between Hogwarts and Muggle world when I SHOULD be able to bop between Hogwarts, Muggle world, and Anglo Saxon Britain.

We all appreciate that you get to get married and that your agent wants you doing interviews and book tour things but let us be frank (and when I say "we", of course, I'm really referring to ME and the Siamese) there are things more important than you getting married and interviews and book tours, and #1 on that list is providing us with more access to Hild World and the rest of, or another part of, her story. When you think about it, what else could be even close to as important? Nothing that WE can think of.

By now you've wasted an incredible amount of good writing time reading this email so just give me a due date and go WRITE, damnit!

I want HILD II to be done, too. It isn't. But as you're a ranter after my own heart, here's a snippet of info.

On my immediate horizon there are three things that will get in the way of writing: travel, teaching, more travel. And I'm not even counting the unexpected. Bottom line: HILD II won't be out any time soon.

Speaking of travelling I'll be away from my desk for a couple of weeks. Don't be alarmed by the eerie silence. But perhaps when I get back there will be News...
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Saturday, February 1, 2014

Hild roundup #12

After a dearth of beasties today we have lots of cats. Enjoy! Previous roundups here.

REVIEWS
Paris Review
"…dazzling… Griffith’s lyrical prose emphasizes the savagery of the political landscape, in which religion, sex, and superstition are wielded mercilessly for personal gain."

Strange Horizons
[Hild from a medievalist’s perspective—long and juicy. Go read it.]

Book Riot
"I loved it from the start and am calling it: Hild will be one of my favorite reads of 2014."

INTERVIEWS
Seattle Wrote
[An interview over coffee at the local Chocolati—fun had by all!—in which I ponder how I came to story, and how I got to where I am today.]

MISCELLANEOUS
Fitz (who owns Traci Castleberry) loves library books
Bliss (who supervises Jo Booms) reads to the fish
Hilda (who advises Pastor Pilgrim) communes with an ARC
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