Happy Winter Solstice! This day begins the novel that made me first want to be a writer: Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising. It was my introduction, as a young reader, to true menace depicted on the page. The lore drew me in, the marvelous characters, and Will Stanton's quiet, rural life.
These wonderful songs (made to accompany a dramatic reading of the novel) epitomize so much of the book's feeling: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lLWQeCvmFty0yLkLWNz8joUn4nXu-pDEI
In "Silver on the Tree," from Susan Cooper's "The Dark Is Rising" series, the evil servants of the Dark wear cloaks of either black or white to demonstrate their extreme, uncompromising fanaticism while the noble servants of the Light prefer more nuanced shades of gray or blue.
#WyrdWednesday #BookChatWeekly #31DaysofHaunting #literature #fantasy #SusanCooper #DarkIsRising
For everyone who adored The Dark is Rising series as a kid, BBC World Service just started a new series of 12 episodes.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CmZ9CehISPv/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Robert Macfarlane shared a post on Instagram: "Happy Midwinter Eve, one & all; today the the first episode lands of The Dark Is Rising—our audio adaptation for @bbcworldservice of Susan Cooper’s astonishing, cult-classic novel of the same name, the eeriest book I know. Susan’s novel opens on 20 December too, & so our adaptation unfolds in almost-matching real time, an episode released a day for 12 days. Listen, if you can, gathered round the radio with your family; or walking at dusk with your headphones in; or driving, ready for the jump-fright. We recorded much of it binaurally, so with earphones it sounds as if you are *in* that winter landscape with young Will Stanton, with austere Merriman, with the ghostly Lady, with red-eyed Herne and his Wild Hunt of Hell Hounds… The circle of the Old Ones—the guardians of the Light—stretches round the world, so it seems true and happy to us that our adaptation is available around the planet: the World Service, which turns 90 this week, broadcasts to more than 200m people in more than 40 languages. Link in bio. We’ve worked for a year on the adaptation. The experience has been one of the creative highlights of my life. I/we would love to know what you think of it, here in the replies, as you listen along. Also — we’d love as many people as possible to listen, so, what the hell, pls tag someone you know who might enjoy this, add #TheDarkIsRising hashtag, plus anything else you’d like to say; I’ll pick two replies & send them signed copies of The Dark Is Rising. This production has been a huge team effort, led by the indefatigable, brilliant Simon McBurney & including the amazing: @garethfry (sound design) @tmebell (producer extraordinaire) @amblomfield & all @complicitetheatre @joshuasneesby (music) James Yeatman (script & more) Leon Chambers (sound production) Catherine Bailey (co-producer) @simonnpitts (commissioner) Art here by the superb @eleni.debo As well as our extraordinary cast. The songs, of which more tomorrow, were a collaboration between @johnnyflynnmusic, @heloisesioleh, @landshapesluisa & me. OK — enough already from me. You may be able to tell I’m happy.". Follow their account to see 372 posts.
The first episode of The Dark is Rising has dropped on #BBC World Service! Continues each day through the 26th.
I loved these books as a kid.
Diane Magras (she/her)
Vivienne Dunstan
Bevan Thomas
Thom Maycroft
Eva
@melissa13mw
Jane Kulesza
Mark
Sara Hjelm