Hello!

I wondered whether, as someone who was kind enough to pledge for my previous novel, you might like to know that I've recently completed the follow-up. It's called 1983, which is also the year in which it's set, and I'm very excited about it. If you'd like to reserve a signed first edition hardback of it ready for its publication in spring, and support the book's funding in the process, you can do so here. 

I initially pictured 1983 as simpler than Villager. It is, and it isn’t. During the writing of it I passed through a few more interdimensional portals than anticipated. Its themes are space travel, the funny parts of childhood that remain no less funny in adulthood, 1980s politics, Nottinghamshire, inspiring teachers, alpacas and mining, but, as always seems to be the case with me, it’s about many other subjects as well. You can read a bit more about the fun I had writing it here, and about some of the photos that inspired it, including the attached one of the man who used to walk his cow through the village where I grew up.

I also now have a Substack page, which you can subscribe to here.

All the best, and thank you for reading,

Tom