Phil Rickman
Phil Rickman (also known under the pen names of Thom Madley and Will Kingdom) is a British author of supernatural and mystery novels.[1]
Biography
He was born in Lancashire in northern England and worked as a journalist for BBC World Service TV and BBC Radio 4. He published his first book, Candlenight, in 1991 and began his Merrily Watkins in 1998.[2] In 2010 he began the John Dee Papers series, which focuses on the Welsh mathematician and astrologer John Dee.[3] Rickman has also worked on several music albums based upon his books and has helped write many of the albums' songs.[4]
In his writing, Rickman states that he performs research into the folklore, religion, and supernatural themes in his books, citing that "If I can't believe it, it doesn't go in".[2] He has also voiced his unhappiness over his earlier works labeling him as a horror writer, stating that he felt that the books did not fit neatly within the genre.[2]
Bibliography
Standalone novels
- Candlenight (1991)
- Crybbe (Curfew in the United States) (1993)[5]
- The Man in the Moss (1994)
- December (1994)
- The Chalice (1997)
- The Cold Calling (1998, as Will Kingdom)
- Mean Spirit (2001, as Will Kingdom)
- Night After Night (2014)
Marco series
- Marco's Pendulum (2006, as Thom Madley)
- Marco and the Blade of Night (2007, as Thom Madley)
Merrily Watkins series
- The Wine of Angels (1998)
- Midwinter of the Spirit (1999)
- A Crown of Lights (2001)
- The Cure of Souls (2001)
- The Lamp of the Wicked (2002)
- The Prayer of the Night Shepherd (2004)
- The Smile of a Ghost (2005)
- The Remains of an Altar (2006)[8]
- The Fabric of Sin (2007)
- To Dream of the Dead (2008)
- The Secrets of Pain (2011)
- The Magus of Hay (2013)
- Friends of the Dusk (2015)
- All of a Winter's Night (2017)[9]
- For the Hell of It (2019)[10]
Short stories
Non-fiction
- Merrily's Border: The Places in Herefordshire & the Marches Behind the Merrily Watkins Novels (with photographer John Mason) (2009)
Discography
- Songs from Lucy's Cottage (2009, by Lol Robinson and Hazey Jane II)[14]
- A Message from the Morning (2010, by Lol Robinson and Hazey Jane II)
- Abbey Tapes: the Exorcism (2011, by Philosopher's Stone, based upon the novel December)
Television
The second Merrily book Midwinter of the Spirit (which is the first "Exorcism" story)[15] has been made into a three-part TV drama by ITV. The Cast includes Anna Maxwell-Martin as Merrily, Sally Messham as Jane, and David Threlfall as Huw Owen.[16][17] It was released in late 2015.
References
- "Veterans of genre thrill and chill". Chronicle Herald. Retrieved 9 August 2013.
- "Exorcising crime with Merrily Watkins". CounterCulture. Retrieved 9 August 2013.
- Kerridge, Jake. "A page in the life: Phil Rickman". Telegraph. Retrieved 9 August 2013.
- "Rickman creation comes to life on CD". Hereford Times. Retrieved 9 August 2013.
- "Review: Curfew". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 9 August 2013.
- Lytle, Betty. "Book review: Phil Rickman's "The Bones of Avalon"". News OK. Retrieved 9 August 2013.
- May, Philippa. "Philippa May reviews 'The Bones of Avalon' by Phil Rickman". Hereford Times. Retrieved 9 August 2013.
- Yager, Susanna. "Firmly grounded in reality". Telegraph. Retrieved 9 August 2013.
- http://www.philrickman.co.uk/home1-3/
- https://www.fantasticfiction.com/r/phil-rickman/for-the-hell-of-it.htm
- http://www.philrickman.co.uk/other-stuff/
- http://www.oxfam.org.uk/shop/features/oxcrimes
- https://www.amazon.co.uk/House-Susan-Lulham-Kindle-Single-ebook/dp/B00R34ZFAG/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1418848546&sr=1-1&keywords=The+House+of+Susan+Lulham
- "Crime novels inspire album". Kirkintilloch Herald. Retrieved 9 August 2013.
- http://www.philrickman.co.uk/a-letter-from-ledwardine-2/
- http://www.itv.com/presscentre/press-releases/itv-announces-superb-lead-cast-midwinter-spirit
- https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4853930/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm#cast