On this day, when the focus of most Ricardians is on the sad events of 536 years ago – when King Richard III and many others lost their lives at the battle that became known as Bosworth – it’s been pleasant to start to turn my attention to other matters.
After eighteen months of being unable to plan far in the future because of the pandemic, it’s good to be lining up a number of events with a real hope of their not being cancelled. Of course, some are down to me alone (mainly the upcoming publication of King in Waiting on 17 September, which shouldn’t be derailed by outside events, only by my not being sufficiently organized…), but others have potentially been at the mercy of changing government arrangements or advice.
The first event of note is a return to Middleham Castle. I know how lucky I’ve been this summer to have been able to visit without difficulty – and this will be my third time there in a matter of weeks. As part of the town’s Bank Holiday weekend event on 28th and 29th August, I will be setting up my stall once again outside the castle to sign books and do readings (do request your favourite if you come along!)
I’m delighted that this time I’ll be joined by fellow author Marla Skidmore, author of the acclaimed Renaissance: Fall and Rise of a King.
Next up I’ll be attending the Barnet Medieval Festival, for the first time since 2018, just after publication of The King’s Man. This year of course is the 550th anniversary of the battle of Barnet, so it’s a very important commemoration. It takes place on 11th and 12th September, and anyone who is intending to come is encouraged to buy tickets in advance to be sure of getting in. It will be nice to attend an event when I can happily cheer on the victorious team!
Next of course will be publication of King in Waiting. Watch out for the reveal of the fantastic cover in the next few days and of course details of how to pre-order the ebook. The paperback should also be available from 17 September. No details have been confirmed yet, but I hope to have a little online launch a few days later.
And finally, the actual launch of King in Waiting will take place in the wonderful surroundings of the Merchant Adventurers’ Hall in York, during the members’ day of the Richard III Society. I can think of few better places to launch a book than a building that was in use when King Richard visited York and when Matthew Wansford lived in the city.
I hope to be able to meet you at one or another of these events. Failing that, I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a full programme of events around the country next year – with not just one, but two new books to offer…
Alex Marchant is author of two books telling the story of the real King Richard III for children aged 10+, The Order of the White Boar and The King’s Man, and editor of Grant Me the Carving of My Name and Right Trusty and Well Beloved…, two anthologies of short fiction inspired by the king, sold in support of Scoliosis Association UK (SAUK).
A third book in the ‘White Boar’ sequence, King in Waiting, will be published on 17 September 2021, with the fourth, Sons of York, due out in 2022. Alex has also published a standalone timeslip novel for readers aged 10+, Time out of Time.
Alex’s books can be found on Amazon at:
My Twitter handle and Matthew Wansford’s
Instagram: AlexMarchantAuthor
The Order of the White Boar 