Fat Tuesday

It's Fat Tuesday again in Hastings - the Fat Tuesday Tour takes place tonight in the Old Town. I'm looking forward to checking out a couple of young bands I've seen before: BEAU and Chimer, highly recommended, and maybe discovering some new artists.

Barry Humphries Sale at Christie's

While in London last week I popped into Christie's to see the exhibition devoted to the incredible collection of the late Barry Humphries prior to going for auction on 13 February.

See here for Christie's sale.

What a treasure trove for the decadent and symbolist enthusiast:

a small work by Fernand Khnopff, many paintings by Charles Conder, a letter from Beardsley, many signed editions of Oscar Wilde, rare books including several by Aleister Crowley (Diary of a Drug Fiend with dust jacket), Bodley Head books with sumptuous covers, first yellow 1897 edition of Dracula, as well as Dame Edna Everage dresses (including the Munch Scream dress) and glasses. 

Apparently I bought the very last catalogue (sorry). Not everything was extravagantly priced, so it might be worth bidding for some items, although I imagine they will net much more than their estimated prices.  

Buying Mansion of Gloom

At the moment most copies of Mansion of Gloom are being bought on eBay.

The advantage to the purchaser is that they can make an offer rather than pay full price (although obviously I'd prefer to get the full amount). Also I reduce the price myself to encourage sales. You're only allowed to list one item at at time, but I try to relist the book as soon as it sells.

While stocks last you will receive one of the copies with a limited edition artist's print. 

I have some very good made-to-measure cardboard packaging and post and packing is free.

There are 7 tickets left for the talk in London on Friday 7 February. Book here. Books also for sale at the talk. I've bought a SumUp portable reader for card sales.

Nick Drake Event

 

I'm very grateful to the three authors who will be presenting an event at Westminster Reference Library, discussing the life of singer songwriter and guitarist Nick Drake, who despite his short life and recording career has influenced hundreds of subsequent musicians. The event will also feature a look at the burgeoning folk scene in the late 1960s and early 1970s when Drake was active.

This FREE event will take place on Friday 21 March from 6-7pm.

Half the tickets have already been reserved at time of writing.  

Book through Eventbrite HERE

Richard Morton Jack's previous books include Labyrinth (2024), Galactic Ramble (2019), Psychedelia(2017) and Endless Trip (2010). He edits the occasional music history magazine Flashback and has overseen definitive reissues of many classic rock, jazz and folk albums. He also co-founded the music marketplace and archive elvinyl.com, which launched in 2020.

James Wilson is the author of six previous novels: The Dark Clue, The Bastard Boy, The Woman in the Picture, Consolation, The Summer of Broken Stories , and Coyote Fork. He has also written plays, radio and TV documentaries, and a prize-winning work of narrative non-fiction, The Earth Shall Weep: A History of Native America. His work has been translated into nine languages.

Cathi Unsworth began her writing career on the legendary music weekly Sounds. Her journalism has subsequently appeared in The Guardian, Bizarre, The Financial Times, Melody Maker, The Fortean Times and Uncut. She has also published six crime novels and two works of nonfiction, the most recent of which is Season of the Witch: the Book of Goth.

Mansion of Gloom Talk in London Friday 7 February plus Frank Norman Exhibition

Eventbrite says that the FREE Illustrated talk about Mansion of Gloom at Westminster Reference Library has sold out. However I've released a few more places today (27 January) as, in my experience, there are usually a considerable number of no-shows on the night and it's disappointing when 100 people have booked and only 40 show up.

Book here. 

I've just learned of an exhibition of Frank Norman's prison paintings that are on show at the Century Club on Shaftesbury Avenue. There's also a display of photographs from the classic Soho Night and Day he wrote with Jeffrey Bernard (one of my favourite London books) at Soho's French House. I've mentioned Frank in the blog before:

see here.

Century Club here.

French House here.

Poe Film Event at the Electric Palace in Hastings

 

The showing of the Watson & Webber 1928 avant garde interpretation and the 1949/50 Hastings-filmed version (partly filmed in the Netherwood guesthouse with Aleister Crowley in attendance) directed by George Ivan Barnett and introduced via short film by his son Adrian went very well on Sunday. The first short film was greatly enhanced by Maria Christofi's atmospheric accompaniment with singing bowls and percussion.  I hope to do some more similar events over this year.

Thank you to Katie Spooner and the rest of the staff at the Electric Palace.

Mansion of Gloom that includes a long section on The Fall of the House of Usher on film can be purchased here.

Mansion of Gloom and Other Events in 2025

 

In addition to Mansion of Gloom talks listed in previous posts there will be a talk to the Dracula Society on Saturday 26 April at The Barley Mow pub in Horseferry Road, London.

Booking details to follow. 

Also an online talk for the Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities on Thursday 10 April.

See here and book here.

Sohemians talk at the Fitzroy Tavern to be confirmed.

I've also agreed to do three walks in London over the summer on Decadent London, Whistler in Chelsea and William Burroughs in London (the last with Bill Redwood and Jim Pennington).

Booking details to follow.

There may be a reprint of Decadent London this year, time and money allowing.

There's also the Electric Palace Hastings film event with two versions of The Fall of the House of Usher on Sunday 19 January. Book here. THIS EVENT IS NOW SOLD OUT.

Illustrated talk about Mansion of Gloom at Westminster Reference Library (about 15 tickets left at time of writing). This event will probably sell out soon.

Book here. 

I'm also organising some non-Mansion-of-Gloom events featuring other guest speakers that I hope will prove popular. Details to follow shortly.

Mansion of Gloom is now available from Treadwell's Books in London.

Online purchases through The Big Cartel.

Sohemian Talk in 2025

 

Another talk on Poe and Mansion of Gloom has been pencilled in for the venerable Sohemians in Fitzrovia. I spoke about Sax Rohmer at one of their earliest meetings many years ago and the group later fell into desuetude and suffered like so many others as a result of the COVID period, to be revived very successfully recently by writer Paul Willetts.

More details closer to the time. The talk will take place at the Fitzroy Tavern later in the year.

The Sohemians can be found here.

Meetings used to take place upstairs at The Wheatsheaf in Rathbone Place, historic drinking den of such blog regulars as Julian Maclaren Ross, the Two Roberts, John Minton, Nina Hamnett and of course Aleister Crowley. It was also where Dylan Thomas met his wife Caitlin.

NB The Sohemians will relocate in a few weeks to The Fitzroy Tavern - even more appropriate given the cynosure it became for artist, writers, poets, Bohemians and Fitzrovian lowlife.

More Mansion of Gloom Events for 2025

More promotional events for Mansion of Gloom in 2025.

I'm very pleased to report that I'll be introducing a couple of fascinating Usher film adaptations on Sunday 19 January at The Electric Palace in Hastings. I'll give a talk based on the new book and introduce the 1950 Hastings-filmed version made partly at Netherwood and other local locations and the 1928 Watson & Webber US experimental evocation with live accompaniment provided by Hastings artist and musician Maria Christofi.

Order from the Electric Palace here. I'm expecting that this will be a popular event so get in quick as the cinema is not that large.

I have freed more tickets for my talk on Poe and The Fall of the House of Usher in London on Friday 7 February. Places can be reserved here.

Copies bought from me at events will include a limited edition signed art print by St Leonards artist Luciana Haill. 

I'm planning more events for March and April. Also some exciting music-related events (not promoting Mansion of Gloom) in London featuring some very well-known writers and musicians.

Buy copies of Mansion of Gloom here or here.

The book will also be on sale at all events.

Mansion of Gloom London Talk

Eventbrite is now saying 'Few tickets left' for my talk in London on 7 February. I'll try to add some more places by the end of the week for this FREE event as I find that roughly one third of people book and never turn up, so I allow for that.

BOOK HERE

COPIES OF MANSION OF GLOOM WILL BE AVAILABLE ON THE NIGHT AND I WILL OF COURSE SIGN THEM.