James Barclay
Encyclopedia : J : JA : JAM : James Barclay
James Barclay is a high fantasy author.
He has written two trilogies, Chronicles of The Raven and Legends of The Raven, and a related novella, Light Stealer.
His latest project is a new trilogy titled The Ascendants of Estorea, scheduled for release in October 2005.
Biography
The story so far - to September 2004
Birth
I emerged with the traditional kicking and screaming on 15th March 1965, shortly after midday.
Family and home
I lived in Felixstowe, Suffolk for eighteen years in the same house with the same set of parents (Thea and Keith) two sisters (one older, Nancy, one younger, Virginia) and one older brother, Mike. All are still alive today, for which I am eternally grateful. I also have more nephews and nieces than you can shake a stick at...
My proximity to Ipswich has left me a borderline fanatic Ipswich Town FC supporter.
The writing starts
Writing came from a love of reading. I was introduced by brother Mike to Sci-Fi and Fantasy after reading every Biggles book there is, beginning in my early teens. Creativity developed through consuming books and through long years of role playing games in both genres (plus a fantastically entertaining wild west game called Boot Hill) and I've been scribbling since the age of eleven - it's my favourite hobby. I will forever feel honoured and lucky to be paid for indulging in it. Early avid reads included Tolkein, Aldiss, Heinlein, Alan Dean Foster and Moorcock. There were many more.
The early stories
First of any length at age 13. It was and is utterly awful. For the record, the story is called 'Troja: Dawn'. I've still got it.
Second came a vaguely sci-fi/fantasy fusion. Its very pompous title is 'What Price, Civilisation?' It was an improvement on the first (not difficult), written when I was 15 and the body count is far lower. I've still got it.
College Years
At 18, I went off to Sheffield City Polytechnic to study Electronics Control and Design Engineering and for two weeks I sat in lectures and didn't understand a word that was said. So, rather than leave, I changed from science to arts and took up Communication Studies. I carried on writing and had a short story published in a local journal. There was also another book on the typewriter...
Being an actor
By the end of my course, I'd decided to become an actor so I ambled off to London to do a post graduate course in Performing Arts. By the end of that, I’d made lifelong friends and also been so disillusioned by the idiots I met that I changed tack again.
Still, I joined forces with one of those friends and earned my Equity Card (mainly because the Principal at the drama school said I’d never get it). I've done some walk-ons and the odd student film and one day, I'd love to be able to devote myself to giving it another go.
That next manuscript
This was the first full length one and had its roots in the earlier sci-fi/fantasy fusion. I drafted it three times, I think and submitted it around the place. It's called 'The All-God's Gift'. I've still got it. Maybe I'll look at it again some day.
The working years
They started at 23. First and worst job was as a parcel delivery driver. I lasted nine weeks. Next have come three financial/investment jobs, ending up as Advertising Manager for Insight Investment, the job I left in March 2004 to write full time.
Published at last - what a feeling
I never stopped writing and submitting and in May 1998 the call came through I was going to be published. I was at the office and it was a surreal moment, one of those you never forget. The next best feeling is seeing your book on a shelf for the first time - absolutely incredible. Lump in the throat stuff.
Since then, Noonshade, Nightchild, Elfsorrow, Shadowheart and Demonstorm have been written on and off the London Underground.
Having lived in Harrow and Wembley I'm now split between Maida Vale which is a great place to be, and Barnes, which is even better as my girlfriend, Clare, lives there.
The current and the future
I’m writing new fantasy at the moment – The Ascendants of Estorea – and a screenplay along with a friend of mine.
I’ve ideas for more screenplays, Raven adaptations and children’s books on the blocks and will be spending time developing fledgling fantasy ideas too. I also want to finish a TV series I was writing with a friend who has very sadly died (you'll find a dedication to him in the front of Nightchild).
And so far, that's largely it. Further details on request...
Bibliography
The Chronicles of The Raven is primarily set on Balaia and revolves around a group of mercenaries who call themselves The Raven. The trilogy consists of three novels:
- Dawnthief
- NoonShade
- NightChild
- Elfsorrow
- ShadowHeart
- DemonStorm
Light Stealer is set in the same world as the above trilogies, but set several hundred years previously. The events revolve around a famous mage named Septern who is mentioned many times in the trilogies. Light Stealer is published by PS Publishing.
He probably does not have more plans for The Raven, and his next duology, The Ascendants of Estorea, will depart from the world of Balaia.The titles of the two books are:
- The Cry of the Newborn
- A Shout For The Dead - To be released in September 2006
External links
From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.