Brit Grit Alley features news and updates on what's happening down British crime fiction's booze and blood soaked alleyways.
Ey up! This week down Brit Grit Ally, I have a natter with the editor of Byker Books. Byker Books, for those of you that don't know, are probably the ultimate Brit Grit publisher. Their Radgepacket anthologies have included the writings of Ray Banks, Sheail Quigley, Andy Rivers, Darren Sant, Danny King and more. Their latest venture is the Best Of British series of ebook novellas which has included corkers from thelikes of Ian Ayris and Nick Quantrill. And, very soon, Byker Books will be publishing Guns Of Brixton by, er, me. So, here we go: PDB: What is Byker Books?
Byker Booksstarted five years ago as a tiny little publisher hoping togive unknowns some hope that they would get into print rather than the 'celeb' types from reality shows. To date we have published over 120 writers via our 'Radgepacket'collections and there are at least five separate novelists who may well have not made it into print without our help.
We hide our light under a bushel most of the time but we set up to help out the frustrated and struggling working class authors at a time when no-one else was, when self-publishing was an expensive stigma riddled process and when things like the Kindle were not even heard of and we've done it with no funding or outside help and made a good job of it
PDB: Who are the criminal masterminds behind Byker Books?
We can't tell you who they are as they'll have us fed to the fishes...
PDB: Which authors are involved in Byker Books?
We've published a few novels now by Danny King, Andy Rivers and Tom Arnold with another two this year from Eileen Wharton (Shit Happens- top selling E-book) and BAFTA nominee Danny again (Infidelity For Beginners - funny as f*ck!) As I say though we've also published short stories, novellas and books by the likes of Ray Banks, Sheila Quigley, Paul D. Brazill, Nick Quantrill, Ian Ayris, Luca Veste, Col Bury, Linda Lewis, Darren Sant ...the list is endless.PDB: Which books have been published so far?
Loads. More Burglar Diaries, Maxwell's Silver Hammer, Dumb Luck. The whole 'Best of British’ collection, Radgepackets...etc.
PDB: Where can we find out more about Byker Books?
PDB: Is there anything else you think we should know about Byker Books?
We're all good looking buggers! ;-)
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Thanks Ed!
The latest publication from Byker Books, by the way, is Darren Sant's Tales From The Longcroft volume two. Daz says: ' I can confirm there are four stories in volume two entitled: Ernest's Gift, Pete's Tale - Devil Gate Drive, Brothers In Arms and an almost novella length story called Open All Hours. TFTL 2 brings you the usual blend of dark humour, violence and emotion that you've come to expect.'
And what a fantastic cover that is!
There'll be more carrryings on down Brit Grit Alley next week.
Fanx Tara!
