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I’ve been asked if I’m doing public signing ev

I’ve been asked if I’m doing public signing events ahead of Christmas, and actually I only have one scheduled for the UK. I’ll be at the ✨Brilliant✨ @dial_lane_books in Ipswich, next Sunday, 24th November, between 1 & 3. Maybe see you there!

Happy Ghastly Night! Or, as those of you not in Ee

Happy Ghastly Night! Or, as those of you not in Eerie-on-Sea call it, ‘Halloween’. We do carve the odd pumpkin, it’s true. But you would have to be brave to venture out trick-or-treating with the Shadowghast stalking the streets our strange little seaside town. That’s why we light Manglewick Candles, you see, setting creepy shadows dancing to confuse the spectre. Good luck! And goodnight… 🎃😈👻#shadowghast #ghastlynight #eerieonsea

Today I went to see the great Susanna Clarke talki

Today I went to see the great Susanna Clarke talking about her majestic book, ‘Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell’, on its 20 year anniversary. It would be hard to overstate the effect this book has had on my imagination, and my own ambitions as a writer. It played, along with Philip Pullman’s writing, a large part in my own decision to dare to write fiction at all. Not that I would compare, of course. But ‘Strange & Norrell’ was such an extraordinary and bonkers and fiercely-its-own-thing book that it felt like permission to have a go. Anyway, fascinating to hear her speak at the Royal Festival Hall. And the Reverend Richard Coles was the perfect interviewer. #susannaclarke

He’s back! Nearly a decade after he quietly went

He’s back! Nearly a decade after he quietly went out of print in the UK, Dan and his ghostly side-kick Simon have returned to book form in Turkey. And a third book, newly written and set in Istanbul, will be published next month. Thank you @genctimas for producing the books so beautifully. I hope Dan and Si will find favour with Turkish readers. And readers in English wondering about these books can still find ‘Dan and the Dead’ lurking in all good secondhand bookshops🤓.

An extraordinary and wonderful day, a piece of ama

An extraordinary and wonderful day, a piece of amazing news I can’t share yet, and one of those cryptic posts that everyone finds so annoying.

Meanwhile, in Turkey (though only in Turkey for no

Meanwhile, in Turkey (though only in Turkey for now😎), something spooky is coming… 👻✨ @genctimas

They laughed at me when I bought a squirrel labyri

They laughed at me when I bought a squirrel labyrinth, for the two squirrels — Sredni and Vashtar — who visit my garden every day. But I have a labyrinth! With squirrels in it! So, who’s laughing now?
Of course, strictly speaking this is a maze not a labyrinth. There is a fascinating and subtle difference between the two. In fact, someone should write a book about that… #squirrel #labyrinth #Ifinishedmynewbook!

During my recent visit to Palermo, I was taken to

During my recent visit to Palermo, I was taken to visit the catacombs. It was a startling and sombre experience, and not at all what I was expecting: thousands of embalmed corpses from the last two centuries or so, many wearing what I can only imagine was their ‘Sunday best’. The clothes stole it for me actually, as they hinted a little at the personalities that once inhabited these remains, and whose stories — though now mostly beyond us — will still be rippling out across the world today. Photography is strictly forbidden, but the experience has stayed with me and I drew these rather fanciful sketches from memory. #catacombedeicappuccini #pentelbrushpen

Well, I had a wonderful time at ✨Palermo Comic C

Well, I had a wonderful time at ✨Palermo Comic Con✨, live sketching creepy things, meeting lovely people, and signing books and prints. Thank you, @palermocomicconvention for inviting me, and @ilcastorolibri for turning ‘Eerie-on-Sea’ into ‘Marina Infesta’ so brilliantly. There were panel events (“escrementi di dinosauro!”), Green Room moments, and of course delicious things to eat (even Gorgonzola ice cream). And good coffee! The atmosphere was wonderful, the costumes amazing (I failed spectacularly to take good photos, so visit @palermocomicconvention to see for yourself), and far too many lovely people to mention by name. I also made a bit more peace with Harry Potter thanks to some magical people, especially @alwayswands, @potterix92, and the fabulous @pottercast_live crew. Top marks go to @the_maxbeth for the best costume and persona! That’ll be ten points off Huffelpuff then, I guess🤓😉. But gosh, fan conventions are different to bookfairs, aren’t they! Crazy times, but it was all enormous fun, and I’m delighted to have been invited to beautiful Sicily to be part of it all. Thank you!

Everyone thinks this is staged, but it’s really

Everyone thinks this is staged, but it’s really not. Someone has been sneaking into my studio to steal peanuts. Can you see who it is? And that someone has also been writing my book! #squirrel #iseeyoucyril

Crikey! My trip to Italy, to @palermocomicconventi

Crikey! My trip to Italy, to @palermocomicconvention, is already just a few days away. It’s exciting to have the chance to bring Eerie-on-Sea to the ancient island of Sicily, not least because the Italian editions of #Malamander, Gargantis, and Shadowghast (Spectralis!) are so unique and stylish (thanks, @ilcastorolibri). I’ll also be talking about my adventures with Harry Potter, and the cover art I painted back when it all began. Swipe to see timings — I’ll be in the festival bookshop every day, signing and drawing in books. I’ll also be doing a couple of panel events too. So, if you’re sailing past Palermo between 12th and 15th of September, chuck the anchor overboard and come say hi! 🧜🏼‍♀️😺✨

I finally got out to the wonderful @norfolkcbc, to

I finally got out to the wonderful @norfolkcbc, to show my face and say hello. And judging by the extraordinary collection of author/illustrator messages, signatures, and drawings on the wall, I’m the last one to the party! I managed to find a corner to leave an Erwin, to keep an eye on the books and any lost readers. It’s definitely worth a visit, especially if you are heading out to Cromer for the day. A magical place. #eerieonsea

I visited Eerie-on-Sea.. I mean, Cromer, today —

I visited Eerie-on-Sea.. I mean, Cromer, today — one of the two main inspirations (along with #Hastings) for #malamander and its sequels. I was interviewed by a student studying the relationship between fictional and real locations, which sounds fascinating. And if you go to Cromer, you really would be getting about as close to Eerie-on-Sea as it’s possible to be. I’ve never stayed at the Hotel de Paris, but I should — it’s the original inspiration for the Grand Nautilus Hotel. #cromer #eerieonsea

People say black cats are hard to photograph, but

People say black cats are hard to photograph, but I don’t see the problem🧐😺

What wonderful book post! ‘✨The Seamaiden’s

What wonderful book post! ‘✨The Seamaiden’s Odyssey✨’ by the great @berliedoherty, stunningly illustrated by my good friend @hobs_lantern. See how it gleams in the evening sun! I just had to take it down to the sea to be photographed. Thank you, Tamsin, for sending it — it’s a triumph, as I knew it would be🧜🏼‍♀️. Published next month. #theseamaidensodyssey

I’m very happy to have received my purchases fro

I’m very happy to have received my purchases from the recent ‘Sophie’s Secret Postcard’ auction, in support of the @royalmarsden Cancer Charity. The bidding was pretty intense, so I was lucky to win even these! Two beautiful prints by @amanda_ribbans and @kateheiss. I’m looking forward to the next auction… #sophiessecretpostcard @sophiessecretpostcard

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Shadowghast - Eerie on sea mystery by Thomas Taylor

SHADOWGHAST

I'm delighted to say that the third book in the 'Mysteries of Eerie-on-Sea' series --…

14/09/2021

Gargantis by Thomas Taylor

GARGANTIS

It’s hard to believe it has now been a full year since Malamander was published!…

06/05/2020

Malamander by Thomas Taylor

Malamander

I’ve always lived near the sea, and seaside towns have always featured in my life,…

10/02/2019

Scarlett Hart - Monster Hunter

Scarlett Hart

As I’m writing this, the last few monster-free days before Scarlett Hart is published are…

04/03/2018