Anglo-Saxon historical fantasy epic poem | Crowdfunding begins!

Hey folks! Back again from the shadows 🙂

I hope you’re all sage and are having a good start to the new year.

Just dropping by for a quick shout-out to a Kickstarter campaign just launched.

As many followers of this blog may know, I wrote a book back in November 2019: Hæstingas: A retelling of the valiant fall of England in verse.

The book, a historical fantasy, 4,000-line epic poem set during one of the most turbulent times in English history, is now getting the Special Edition Hardcover treatment!

If you have an interest in Anglo-Saxon history, are a fantasy reader and love to odd-bit o’ poetry (as Samwise Gamgee would say) every now and then, your support in this endeavour would be most appreciated!

Rewards and bundles are there for the taking, so head over to the Kickstarter campaign page and take a look.

In the meantime, copies of the paperback edition of Hæstingas are still available from Amazon.com and Amazon UK.

Till next time! 😉

I’m still here … re-reading Tolkien

It’s been over 3 months since my last post on this blog …

I feel as ashamed as an orc that has nothing evil to do, or an elf that has no singing to be done.

Tolkien’s Poetry | Octosyllabic Couplets + New Project Announcement

 

The Lay of Aotrou and Itroun and The Lay of Leithian are, in my opinion, two masterly-crafted long, epic poems (even though the latter, alas, remains unfinished).

I am no poetry expert, having never managed to successfully appreciate many poems (especially those of the modern sort, with free verse and all that), but there was something in Tolkien’s own poetic writings which I found accessible, instant and attractive. And while Tolkien might not be considered one of the great poetry writers, his verses seem to embody a character of their own — steeped in history and language, harking back to the style and tone of the great classical works, The Odyssey, The Divine Comedy and, naturally, Beowulf.

Possible Middle-earth films…

Other promising stories contending for the silver screen 

Even during the initial stages of production on The Hobbit, people worldwide were already speculating what other future projects pertaining to the world of Middle-earth may grace our screens.

The Silmarillion is a vast horde of riches sitting beneath the clutches of a fire-breathing dragon; a source of material barred from cinematic adaptation within the foreseeable future – and perhaps, a good thing too.

However, copyright issues aside, we must not forget the other stories contained within the appendices of The Lord of the Rings; stories that have been virtually untouched by Peter Jackson’s expansion of his Hobbit trilogy.