30 CEOs, 1 Room, and a Polar Bear

October events, giveaways and a weekend-in-the-life with Isabelle!

Oct 04, 2024

∙ Paid

A very happy Friday to you Scribblers,

The blankets are on my bed and the double socks are on - as far as I’m concerned, it is now Winter and I’m ready with my duvet, tea supply and stack of books. Ready also is our visiting Steiff polar bear from Greenland (let us know in the comments what we should call him?!) who swam over with the latest 2025 proof copies: ‘The Wager and the Bear’ by internationally best-selling author, John Ironmonger! To describe the ‘heart-warming dystopia’ (ELLE UK), I’ll hand over to storyteller John…

“The narrative unfolds over a whole human lifetime, and the central characters are front-seat observers of the climate disaster. The story involves two young men. One, Monty, is a politician. He is a climate change-denier. He lives in a grand house on the beach in Cornwall. He has a splendid lifestyle, and like so many of us in the slow-motion train crash, he doesn’t see the precipice approaching. The second man, Tom, is a climate scientist and campaigner. One drunken night, over too many glasses of cider in the local inn, the two men get into a quarrel. It ends with a deadly wager. In fifty years, either the sea will rise enough to drown Monty in his home, or Tom will accept the jeopardy himself, and will walk into the sea and drown. A video of the wager, posted online, goes viral. How will it all work out? Well we have fifty years for the story to unfold. The lives of the two men cross several times, leading them both onto a melting glacier, and ultimately onto an iceberg floating down the coast of Greenland where their only companion is a hungry bear.”

To be in with the chance of winning this lovely Steiff bear, worth £100, simply preorder The Wager and the Bear direct from the FOTW shop here, and we will post the winner their prize in the first week of December, perfect for a Christmas present!

Events this month!

In the North West…

See you lovely lot tomorrow at Manchester Central Library for a performance edition of the NORTHERN PUBLISHERS’ FAIR.

Friday 11th October Blackwell's Manchester Modern Gothic launch

Wednesday 23rd October Bluecoat Arts Centre, Liverpool Modern Gothic author panel with Dead Ink Books

Tuesday 29th October House of Book and Friends Lunchtime lecture on the Gothic with Pete Hartley

In the North East…

Tuesday 10th October - Laura Fish launch of ‘Lying Perfectly Still’ at Collected Books, Durham

Saturday 26th October - In Conversation with Laura Fish at Newcastle Central Library with Opt Indie Bookshop

Wed 30th Oct The Lit and Phil Library, Newcastle - Michael Bird in conversation with Opt Indie (Modern Gothic)

If you’re thinking, aw Isabelle why do you never visit ‘X’, do let me know where in the comments.

Books in the news!

'SJ Bradley declines to force the experiences of her characters to fit an established storytelling aesthetic. This is important in terms of the working-class lives she examines, because the structure of the stories we tell shapes the way we see our place in the world.' - The Morning Star 's Andy Hedgecock really capturing the spirit of SJ Bradley's short story collection.

Now this week I wanted to chat about something personal. Being a predominantly solo business owner for the past six years, and working from home, can be a lonely game.

Last weekend, I attended an event called the Fierce Females Club, aimed at female CEOs seeking genuine connections. Having recently been to several networking events, I've grown accustomed to the transactional nature of these gatherings—each conversation seemingly having a price tag attached. They remind me of book fairs I've attended, where everyone wants to sell but no one wants to buy. In other words, no one is truly listening.

This event was refreshingly different. It focused on values, combining personal identity with business ethos. When the event CEO asked about our year, she meant both personal and professional aspects. She understood that one influences the other. As the founder of Fly on the Wall Press—both a passion project and a business aiming to provide me with a full-time salary—I find it impossible to separate my mood, thoughts, and demeanor from the day-to-day operations. (Apologies primarily to my long-suffering mother, but also friends and possibly my guinea pig…)

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