Reading in Riverside Studios, from The Platinum Carnival, at two Novel London events

It was a pleasure to perform readings from my next title in progress, The Platinum Carnival, at two Novel London events in Riverside Studios recently. My thanks to organisers Safeena Chaudhry and Rosina Chaudhry for inviting me to read at both, first on 14 April and then at Novel London’s very last event on 18 August.

In The Platinum Carnival, the labyrinthine splendour of Venice hosts an elemental conflict. Three colourful hair-stylists in a chic salon each discover they have a highly-empowered semi-human friend, all of their own, who moves and interacts with them throughout Venice’s canal-side alleyways. Sinister and destructive figures also appear—the Bouncing Grunters, then the Fellmonger—which leads to battle and to an enormous shadowy carnival whose ethereal darkness brings these voltages to a convulsive conclusion.

I’ll know more about The Platinum Carnival as it approaches completion. Meanwhile, above is a video of the extract that I performed at the April event (also watchable on YouTube here). And below is a video of the extract I performed at the August event (also watchable on YouTube here).

Congratulations to the queen of Novel London, Safeena Chaudhry, and to Rosina Choudhry, for programming the organisation with fun and love over ten successful years, before coasting it into a smooth and lovely finish on its tenth birthday there in the River Room with the Thames rolling past outside the window.