Caroline Akrill - news

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Fidra books will be re-publishing Caroline Akrill's excellent Eventing trilogy. Regular readers will know I am a big fan of this: the Fane sisters, for whom Elaine-the-would-be-eventer works are inspired creations and I think these books are some of the very few pony stories to be laugh out loud funny, as well as touching. The scene where the big grey (I am writing this at speed and I can't remember his name) is re-united with his former, now horribly arthritic owner, makes me cry.

A few months ago I interviewed Caroline, and the results are on my website here.

Comments

haffyfan said…
Thats brilliant...these are my most favourites ever and your right the 'Galloping Fanes' are amongst the best ever book characters and are certainly inspired. Did she let on who she based them on....could it be suggested that a follow up would be nice...looking back say 10/15 years later?

The os was The Comet. I liked the bit where either Henrietta or Nigella (I forget which) hunted him sidesaddle - hilarious.

Unfortunatly I have several copies of these...will they be reprinting the very elusive showing series at all? Now they are books I would like to get my hands on.
31 October 2007 at 14:38
Jane Badger said…
THe Comet.... that's it. Caroline said Lady Fane was based on someone who is still around, but she (the original) has never spotted that she lives in print! I did ask Caroline if there was another Fane story but alas no.

I don't know whether Fidra will do the showing series as well. I still haven't read Caroline Canters Home - one came up on ebay but it went way beyond my pathetic purse! But Fidra have the early Jills as well as the Eventers to get through so I guess even if they do pick the showing series up it will be a year or two before they publish it. The cover of Caroine is lovely, by the way.
31 October 2007 at 15:39
haffyfan said…
I need Caroline Canters Home and If I Could Ride. I was outbid on the ebay one as went on hol the day it finished....typical!!!
Your Right the cover is stunning though. I like the original Eventers ones too that continue onto the back.
31 October 2007 at 18:32
smallbutmighty said…
Echo haffyfan I would solove to get my habds on the showing series as I remember bits of them and am itching to re-read. Ditto saw editions on ebay but can't really justify the price! I'm sure I had them from the librray originally...if only still there.....
31 October 2007 at 20:44
Vanessa said…
Hello,

Re cover: we'll see. I haven't decided yet but I think we might need new covers if I'm to sell them to a wider audience than some of our rarer titles. But I like the covers that wraparound to the back as well and promise to avoid pink sparkles!

Re showing series: I haven't discussed these with Caroline yet and we're scheduled until early 2009 so it will be a while but we'll see how the eventing books go... I'll see if I can get hold of copies to re-read.
1 November 2007 at 08:11
Unknown said…
I've got 'If I could Ride' and 'I'd Rather Not Gallop', both of which I enjoy.

If Fidra bought out the rarest one, 'Caroline Canters Home', I'd buy that.

Then I'd have a set of three, all in different editions. So much for tidy bookshelves... :)
1 November 2007 at 16:58
Jane Badger said…
I too have "If I Could Ride" - I've read "I'd Rather Not Gallop", which I loved. I'd buy Caroline like a shot too. When I interviewed Caroline, I asked her whether "Caroline Canters Home" actually existed as I couldn't find it listed anywhere on the British Library or Copac. She said not many were printed as it was the third in the series, but it does (as we know) exist.
1 November 2007 at 18:19
haffyfan said…
Vanessa - There you go your first four pre orders already!
2 November 2007 at 10:08
pullein-thompson-archive said…
I think that is great that Fidra are republishing the series. Although I have the Eventing series, it is good that they are bringing it to a new audience.

I have 2 out of the showing series - I am missing Caroline Canters Home.
2 November 2007 at 16:47
Susan in Boston said…
I'm starting to feel guilty....do I have the only complete showing set around?

I've got the (considerably less rare) Eventing series in hc/dj too, but it's fantastic to see it coming back into print anyway (even if it doesn't help my book values!) just because new generations must get to know these wonderful characters!
5 November 2007 at 20:46
Jane Badger said…
Well Susan, I think you might be one of the few - I do know someone who has a Caroline, as she is the supplier of the photo on the website. But that's as near as I've got.
6 November 2007 at 10:08
haffyfan said…
Does it count if your mum chucked 2 of them away because she thought she smelt fusty? (love her really but sometimes....only the rare ones too for some reason!)
6 November 2007 at 18:44
Jane Badger said…
Haffyfan - your Mum did what????? Aarghhh. Mind you, many of my customers are customers because their mothers dumped their ponybook collections wholesale because they were "too old for them."

My own mother, bless her, nobly held on to boxes of my pony books for years until I finally took them back.
8 November 2007 at 15:21
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