Bread and Roses

It was fun to join eight other authors at the Bread and Roses Theatre in Clapham, London, yesterday – one of many pub-theatres in the capital – for our National Crime Reading Month gig. ICYMI National Crime Reading Month is a joint promotion by The Crime Writers’ Association and The Reading Agency that runs through June each year. Thanks to author Anne Coates for sending this photo of my reading!

The welcome was warm, but the weather was in the low-mid 30s (°C). I read from something new, talked a little about The Fountain in the Forest and its follow-up, about the challenges and necessities of writing fiction set in a contemporary law-enforcement environment, and about the Guardian Quick Crosswords that I’d do every day in 1985 and returning to them as source-material now.

Interesting trivia: apparently the Bread and Roses is the only London pub to be owned by a trade union! Well, I guess the clue is in the name. And this beauty was blooming in a garden opposite.

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Replied Don Quixote (live)

It was a great pleasure and privilege to perform in Flanders House, London (part of the Belgian Embassy in the UK), alongside poets from Belgium and the UK, for the European Poetry Festival, curated by Steven J Fowler.

I’m not a poet, but my contribution (celebrating speech in a spirit of European exchange) was a performance remix of Thomas Shelton’s first English translation of Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes, the first modern European novel. This was presented as a live improvised collaboration with avant-garde musician Benedict Taylor. As part of last night’s mixed bill, we could only present the first seven minutes of the work – the whole thing might last considerably longer.

Tony White (L) and Benedict Taylor, Flanders House, London, 19 June 2025 (photo: Eleanor Wilders)

In fact Shelton’s translation (undertaken in 1607, as a favour for a friend who couldn’t read Spanish, and then published in London in 1612, and with the second part of the novel in 1620) was the first translation of ‘The Quixote’ into ANY language. It also turns out to have had a particular and very significant connection with Belgium… So it was a thrill to bring it home last night.

Steven J Fowler the curator of the European Poetry Festival filmed us from the front row – thank you to Steven, project supporters, the superb audience, and the Embassy team at Flanders House for all their hard work and hospitality.

The event opened with solo readings by Lies Gallez, Tijl Nuyts and Astrid Haerens, followed by new collaborations featuring: Lies Gallez and Mischa Foster Poole / Astrid Haerens and Mark Waldron / Tijl Nuyts and James Wilkes / Tony White and Benedict Taylor / Sinnead Singson and Regina Avendano / Bella Weerasinghe and Caitlin Nugent / Victor Rees and Iarla Prendergast Knight. And here’s the group shot! You can see more videos and photos of the whole event here…

Photo: Eleanor Wilders

EPF Flanders was generously supported by Flanders Literature and The Embassy of Belgium: Delegation of Flanders. Curated by SJ Fowler with thanks to Patrick Peeters.

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Phantom – update

I’m sad to write that my seventh novel Phantom at the Feast – the follow-up to The Fountain in the Forest – won’t now be published in November 2025 as planned. We had to end the publishing agreement with Unbound/Boundless for Phantom at The Feast owing to breach of contract due to non-payment of the signature and delivery advances. It hurts. I’ve lost time, and money I was counting on. But all rights are now back with me – which is a huge relief.  

It’s always a great leap of faith when a novel goes out on submission to publishers, particularly since Phantom at the Feast marks the completion of a ten-year project. So it was a thrill to get a great deal very quickly, and to start making exciting plans with an editor I admire. I’m gutted that it’s not to be, but acutely aware that I’m fortunate compared with author and industry colleagues who’ve lost much larger sums. My heart goes out to them, and to everyone affected.

Sincere thanks to those who’ve posted, liked, or messaged in recent months to say how much you’re looking forward to reading the follow-up to The Fountain in the Forest. To everyone that jumped on board with Phantom at the Feast, who offered an advance quote, or got in touch to line up interviews or share events – thank you. I’m hopeful that we’ll be able to pick up these conversations again before too long.

With love and solidarity, Tony

(Photo: Port Meadow, Oxford, 2 January 2025.)

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Hardest scene?

Q. What was your hardest scene to write?

A. From a forthcoming novel: The Battle of Orgreave considered as a descent into Hell after Botticelli…

Read the whole interview here!

It was a great pleasure (virtually, at least) to visit the Tregolls Lodge Book Club in Truro, Cornwall, a few months back. Book groups and book clubs are important to their members, to authors, and to the book industry more widely. It’s always a great pleasure to hear that a book club has been reading one of my novels, and even sometimes to get feedback from them, or – more rarely – an invitation to visit. This one had been in the diary for a while, so it was great to finally meet. Thanks all for your hospitality and great chat! Howard and Jeannie who run the book club also publish a monthly newsletter compilation of interviews with visiting authors, which since we’ve been in touch I have read with interest (and always learn something from other writers). Then it was my turn.

This interview was published in Tregolls 1 October newsletter last year. I’ve been meaning to share it… The interview was actually done the year before that in June ’23, when we were first in contact, but most of the answers still hold – except very sadly my answer to the question about mascot/avatar/spirit animal): beloved Popsy is no longer with us.

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European Poetry Festival

On Thursday 19 June I’m delighted to be taking part in the European Poetry Festival 2025. Make a date for your diaries: Thurs 19 June!

I’ll be presenting a new improvised collaboration with musician and composer Benedict Taylor, as part of Flanders Poetry Night. Three Flemish poets visit London to present brand new collaborations made with British counterparts, just for this special night of ‘Camarade’ collaborative poetry. Celebrating the remarkable contemporary Flemish literary scene and exploring both literary and experimental poetry, this event is held in the beautiful environs of Flanders House, in the heart of London.

The event will open with solo readings by Lies Gallez, Tijl Nuyts and Astrid Haerens, followed by new collaborations featuring: Tony White and Benedict Taylor, Lies Gallez and Mischa Foster Poole, Astrid Haerens and Mark Waldron, Tijl Nuyts and James Wilkes, Elif Duygu and Eleanor Wilders. Flanders house, 1A Cavendish Square. London. W1G 0LD – Free, but booking essential. More info and tickets…

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CLOSES TODAY!

It’s the last day of the special extended run of ‘Thirty-one Years of Piece of Paper Press: artists’ books, artworks and ephemera, 1994–2025’ at the brilliant Matt’s Gallery, London. Originally scheduled to run until 23 March, the show was extended for a further month, but must end today Friday 25 April!

So it’s your last chance to see/touch/read rare artists’ books, artworks and ephemera from Ian Bourn, Pavel Büchler, Peter Bunting, Barbara Campbell, Mikey Cuddihy, Stevie Deas, Joolz Denby, Tim Etchells, Stephanie Fawbert, Rose Frain, Jane Gifford, Bruce Gilchrist, Halford + Beard, M John Harrison, David Hayden, Christopher Hewitt, Steven Hull, Sharon Kivland, Liliane Lijn, Elizabeth Magill, Andrea Mason, Penny McCarthy, Susana Medina, Katharine Meynell, Michael Moorcock, Andrew Mottershead, Courttia Newland, James Pyman, Borivoj Radaković, Sheena Rose, Pete Smith, Gordana Stanišić, Selina Thompson, Suzanne Treister, Alison Turnbull, Joanna Walsh, and more.

And your very last chance to get one of the handful of remaining numbered sets of the beautiful new artists’ books by Andrew Mottershead (POPP.046) and Katie Cuddon (POPP.047) which were published in association with Matt’s Gallery as part of the show.

Best, then, to head to the exhibition running at Matt’s Gallery in Vauxhall . . . Comprising two vitrines’ worth of display copies, proof copies, correspondence, and related miscellanea, it could offer inspiration to anyone who wishes to experiment with their own variations on this ‘simple, miniature and archaic’ format. (The TLS)

Matt’s Gallery, 6 Charles Clowes Walk, London SW11 7AN. 12-6pm today Friday 25 April 2025 only!

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‘One of the best London novels you’ll ever get to read’

That’s what the author and critic Toby Litt said about my 2003 novel Foxy-T in the Herald on Sunday.

You can read much more press for Foxy-T here, including reviews and coverage by Michael Moorcock, Boyd Tonkin, Roy Moxham, 3am Magazine, et al…

Foxy-T is currently out of print in all formats, but there are a few ‘good’ and ‘very good’ condition second-hand copies of the paperback for sale out there for under a tenner!

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Buy Fountain from Matt’s Gallery!

BTW if you want to read my last novel The Fountain in the Forest right now, before the follow-up comes out later this year, you can also buy the paperback direct from the legendary Matt’s Gallery – either in person during opening hours or via the shop on the gallery website!

You can read what people said about the novel on my ‘Press’ page…

The exhibition at Matt’s Gallery in Nine Elms, ‘Thirty-one Years of Piece of Paper Press’, ends its extended run next week on 25 April. New opening times Weds–Fridays 12–6pm (excluding Good Friday).

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Up the Junction…

‘THE BIG READ II: A Dagger of Crime Writers’ at The Bread & Roses Theatre, featuring Heidi Amsinck, Julie Anderson, Alice Castle, Anne Coates, Victoria Dowd, Jennie Ensor, Ivy Ngeow, Tony White, and Diana Wilkinson. Join us for an atmospheric afternoon of crime fiction. This event brings together crime writers reading gripping excerpts from their novels—live, raw, and unfiltered. Expect thrilling storytelling, dark twists, and literary intrigue, all in the intimate setting of one of London’s best fringe venues. The Bread & Roses Theatre, 68 Clapham Manor Street, London SW4 6DZ, 2–4pm. FREE, booking recommended!

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SoA day of action – Thursday 3 April

Today Thursday 3 April is a day of action against Meta, organised by the Society of Authors in the UK.

The SoA is organising a day of protest against Meta following revelations of pirated books being used to train their large language models.

On Thursday 3 April, we are planning a day of action to protest against Meta’s alleged theft of copyright-protected works and to showcase the strength of feeling amongst creators.

Find out more and download your own posters and graphics like this one…

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