Tim Bowler - Author
Tim was our Guest Editor in February 2011. Click here to see his selections.
Tim Bowler is one of the UK’s most compelling and original writers for teenagers. He was born in Leigh-on-Sea and after studying Swedish at University he worked in forestry, the timber trade, teaching and translating before becoming a full-time writer. He lives with his wife in a small village in Devon and his workroom is an old stone outhouse known to friends as ‘Tim’s Bolthole’.
Tim has written eighteen books and won fifteen awards, including the prestigious Carnegie Medal for River Boy. His most recent novel is the gripping Buried Thunder, and his provocative Blade series is being hailed as a groundbreaking work of fiction. He has been described by the Sunday Telegraph as ‘the master of the psychological thriller’ and by the Independent as ‘one of the truly individual voices in British teenage fiction’.
Q & A with Tim Bowler
1. What inspired you to write Buried Thunder?
Buried Thunder started from an image in my head. I had no idea what that image meant or where it was going to lead, but I followed it because it was so intriguing. I saw a girl rushing through a forest at dusk and stumbling – literally – upon a body, and then a second, and a third; and a figure standing near. By this time I was hooked, so I carried on.
2. Describe the basic story in two or three sentences.
Buried Thunder is a thriller based around an ancient hotel in a small country village. It is the story of fourteen-year-old Maya and her desperate attempts to understand and resist the evil that has closed around her since she and her family moved to the village. Her struggle leads her to the brink of madness and the discovery of a terrifying secret.
3. How long did it take you to write Buried Thunder?
It took about a year. I wrote one big, sprawling draft, realised it was much too loose, went over it with my editor, then pruned it right back.
4. What do you think people will say about Buried Thunder?
I hope they will be gripped by the story and will feel deeply for Maya as she goes through her terrifying ordeals. I also hope it will scare them witless!
5. Are you working on something else at the moment?
I'm busy with a new novel, which will hopefully be published in Spring 2012, together with the new bind-up version of the Blade series, which I'm dying to see.
6. What is your favourite food? Vegetarian shepherd's pie the way my wife cooks it, followed by coffee ice cream.
7. What makes you laugh out loud? I can never predict what will set me off. I laugh at all kinds of things. The only humour I dislike is humour that is cruel.
8. What is your one luxury item you would take with you on to a Desert Island? A basketball.
9. What is your most treasured memory? The day I got married.
10. What is your weakness? A tendency to be over-driven when it comes to writing, an inability to let it go when I ought to have a rest.
11. Who is the person you most admire? I admire many, many people and wouldn't want to single out just one.
12. What is your most embarrassing moment? The time I opened a bottle of fizzy water before starting a talk and found myself spraying the front row because someone had shaken the bottle earlier.
13. What is the best piece of advice you have ever received? A saying attributed to Goethe: "Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, do it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Start now."
14. Define beauty. Something that can't be defined, only recognised (like love).
15. What are you reading at the moment? A book called Stepping Stones about the poet Seamus Heaney. I'm also re-reading the Diary of Samuel Pepys and a two-volume collection of the letters of the composer Delius.
16. What are you reading at the moment. I'm re-reading Out of Shadows by Jason Wallace (gets better every time) and the collected short stories of Guy de Maupassant (an old favourite). Have just finished Trash by Andy Mulligan, which blew me away.
17. Favourite holiday destination? Nowhere in particular but I prefer quiet, remote places as untouched as possible by tourism.
18. Which authors have most inspired you? Shakespeare most of all, and various poets, especially Keats and Blake, and certain more recent poets like Heaney and (from the last century) the Swedish poet Gunnar Ekelöf, whose work I've loved since I first met it at university.
19. What is your favourite children’s book? Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome.
20. Most treasured possession? My life.
21. Where are you happiest? There's no single place or experience. Sometimes I'm happiest when I'm with the people I love most; sometimes I'm happiest when I'm alone thinking and working. Happiness doesn't follow rules. It just falls when it falls.
22. Favourite biscuit? They don't make them any more but you used to be able to buy biscuits called "Dad's Cookies" and they were absolutely scrummy.
23. Pet hates? People who are pompous.
24. If you could change one thing about the world we live in today what would it be? I'd make human beings incapable of violence.
August 2014 Book of the Month Award-winning Tim Bowler will set heartbeats racing in this gripping story set in a dark underworld filled with violent men who will stop at nothing to achieve their ends. Zinny’s life is bleak enough already but from the day he skives off school and finds a sinister stranger watching the house and a creep coming home to it with his mum, things go rapidly from bad to worse. Where once misery was just on a domestic scale, Zinny is caught up in doing delivery jobs for a bunch of crooks. With seemingly no one to turn to, Zinny is soon in fear of his life!
Award-winning Tim Bowler tells a complex story which captures the mystery and intensity of life on a remote island where survival depends on the unpredictable powers of the sea. Hetty is used to being a loner but it is not that she doesn’t care about people. She is quick to get to rocks to offer help when a boat smashes on them. And, when the sole survivor, a frail old woman, turns out to bring disaster and the fulfilment of an evil prophecy with her, Hetty springs to her defence. ----------------------------------------------- Sea of Whispers is an ideal book for a Reading Group, perfect for years 6,7 and 8. Download a Reader's Guide, from the right hand column, with notes to help you explore the novel, extra information about the book and ideas for talking points.
Blade has done all he can. But it's not enough. Men are swarming over the city hunting him. And his enemy is still free. But Blade isn't finished yet. He has strength in him for one more fight. And it's got to be now. Revenge isn't sweet ... it's just necessary. Book four in the unmissable Blade quartet. Complete the series with Blade 1: Enemies, Blade 2: Flight, and Blade 3: Firestorm.
Award-winning Tim Bowler tells a complex story which captures the mystery and intensity of life on a remote island where survival depends on the unpredictable powers of the sea. Hetty is used to being a loner but it is not that she doesn’t care about people. She is quick to get to rocks to offer help when a boat smashes on them. And, when the sole survivor, a frail old woman, turns out to bring disaster and the fulfilment of an evil prophecy with her, Hetty springs to her defence. ----------------------------------------------- Sea of Whispers is an ideal book for a Reading Group, perfect for years 6,7 and 8. Download a Reader's Guide, from the right hand column, with notes to help you explore the novel, extra information about the book and ideas for talking points.
Blade is back in the big city. Back where the trouble started. A bad place to live. And a worse place to die. He never meant to return. But there are things he's got to put right. Things that matter. So now it's getting rough. And the stakes are high. Book three in the unmissable Blade series. Complete the series with Blade 1: Enemies, Blade 2: Flight and Blade 4: Endgame.
This is the second double edition in the unmissable Blade series, previously published as Breaking Free and Running Scared. Blade is in danger. He's frightened. His enemies are all around him. And they're closing in. He's got to run, get away. He's always been good at that. But this time it's harder. He's badly wounded. And he's not on his own. Narrated by Blade himself, be prepared to enter his world. It's not pretty ...it's urban, real and dangerous. As Blade's story unfolds, readers will become completely hooked by this unforgettable character. Complete the series with Blade 1: Enemies, Blade 3: Firestorm and Blade 4: Endgame.
This is part one of an unmissable series. Previously published in two parts as Blade: Playing Dead and Blade: Closing In, this is a stunning new package for this groundbreaking series. Narrated by Blade himself, be prepared to enter his world. It's not pretty ...it's urban, real and dangerous. As Blade's story unfolds, readers will become completely hooked by this unforgettable character. Complete the series with Blade 2: Flight, Blade 3: Firestorm and Blade 4: Endgame.
A tense and haunting thriller in which the power of the forest looks set to destroy all around it. Drawn to the forest around the house, Maya witnesses strange and unnatural events. Even when in the safety of her new home, she is terrorised by strange scratchings in the night. Can Kate uncover the mystery that stalks her parents’ new home? And how can she get anyone to believe her story? Click here for a video of author Tim Bowler talking about Buried Thunder and here to watch Tim reading from the book.
A tense and haunting thriller in which the power of the forest looks set to destroy all around it. Drawn to the forest around the house, Maya witnesses strange and unnatural events. Even when in the safety of her new home, she is terrorised by strange scratchings in the night. Can Kate uncover the mystery that stalks her parents’ new home? And how can she get anyone to believe her story? Click here for a video of author Tim Bowler talking about Buried Thunder and here to watch Tim reading from the book.
For Blade life is simple, in his eyes at least. Win and live, win and die. Just one big enemy left: Me. From the Carnegie Medal-winning author of River Boy, Starseeker and Bloodchild comes the final title in this startlingly compelling series. Contemporary, pacy and utterly gripping, Blade takes you on a roller-coaster ride through the secret, dangerous life of its unforgettable narrator. This thrilling series for teenagers combines an enormously likable and engaging central character with the harsh realities of street life and the youth gang culture that is so prevalent in today's news. The mysteries and cliff hanger endings of these short, accessible books will have the power to tempt all readers as they gradually become absorbed into Blade's dangerous world. Teenage boys in particular will love the pace, the page-turning action and the fact the books are so short.
From the Carnegie Medal-winning author of River Boy, Starseeker and Bloodchild comes the penultimate title in this startlingly compelling series. Contemporary, pacy, and utterly gripping, Blade takes you on a roller-coaster ride through the secret, dangerous life of its unforgettable narrator. This thrilling series for teenagers combines an enormously likable and engaging central character with the harsh realities of street life and the youth gang culture that is so prevalent in today's news. The mysteries and cliffhanger endings of these short, accessible books will have the power to tempt all readers as they gradually become absorbed into Blade's dangerous world.
This is where we find out - who's the hunter, who's the prey? From the Carnegie Medal-winning author of River Boy, Starseeker and Bloodchild comes the sixth title in this startlingly compelling series. Contemporary, pacy, and utterly gripping, Blade takes you on a roller-coaster ride through the secret, dangerous life of its unforgettable narrator. This thrilling series for teenagers combines an enormously likable and engaging central character with the harsh realities of street life and the youth gang culture that is so prevalent in today's news. The mysteries and cliffhanger endings of these short, accessible books will have the power to tempt all readers as they gradually become absorbed into Blade's dangerous world.
If you’re on the hunt for a book that will really grab you, put shivers down your spine and ensure that at the end of every chapter you gasp for breath, then Bowler’s Bloodchild is the novel for you. Incredibly atmospheric of time and place with characters that draw you in, Bowler is the true master of the teenage psychological thriller and a wonderfully individual voice to boot.
This is a wonderful, rich novel, written with lyricism, drama and power. Tackling issues of loss, love, and healing, and filled with the sense of a universe bursting with music, it is unputdownable from the first page to the last.
From the prize-winning author of the prestigious Carnegie Medal comes the fourth title to feature the enormously engaging central character, Blade. Pacy, gripping and very cool and contemporary this series will engage even the most reluctant reader. A roller-coaster ride is guaranteed and best of all, for those less than enthusiastic readers the book is short and every chapter ends on a knife edge. To see other titles featuring Blade as well as the author's other fiction for teenagers then click here. Click here to visit the Blade webiste and find out more about the characters and book
The third in the Blade series, this is another short, very accessible novel for teens. Pacy, gripping and packed with action, and a central character that’s incredibly engaging, even the most reluctant reader will devour it. Blade is in even more danger than ever before and it will take all his resources to survive this time. The first two titles in this thrilling and ground-breaking series are Blade: Playing Dead, and Blade: Closing In. Click here to visit the Blade webiste and find out more about the characters and books. Perfect for Reluctant Readers as well as keen readers. To view other titles we think are suitable for reluctant readers please click here.
If you’re on the hunt for a book that will really grab you, put shivers down your spine and ensure that at the end of every chapter you gasp for breath then Bowler’s Bloodchild is the novel for you. Incredibly atmospheric of time and place with characters that draw you in, Bowler is the true master of the teenage psychological thriller and a wonderfully individual voice to boot.
Totally gripping teens thriller written in a direct and compelling style. Tough kid Blade wants no one to know him. He’s a loner and wants to keep it that way. It’s the best way to keep out of trouble. But Blade gets caught up in someone else’s trouble and Blade has to make some compromises…The first in a pacey new series set against a dark face of contemporary urban life. Click here to visit the Blade website and find out more about the characters and books. The Lovereading comment: The first in a compelling new series and yet another captivating creation from the very talented author Tim Bowler. The story combines an enormously likable and engaging central character with the harsh realities of street life and the youth gang culture that is so customary in today's news. Blade will be a fascinating new series and is predicted to be an enormous success. Make sure you check out the second in the series Blade: Closing In and Blade: Breaking Free, released in January.
The second in the Blade series, this is another short, very accessible novel for teens. Pacy, gripping and packed with action, and a central character that’s incredibly engaging, even the most reluctant reader will devour it. Blade is on the run from the shadowy figures of his past along with Becky who has left her gang behind to be with Blade but forces are closing in on them. Is there no escape this time? The first in this thrilling series is Blade: Playing Dead, and Blade: Breaking Free, the third title is Blade: Breaking Free and is also now published. Click here to visit the Blade webiste and find out more about the characters and books. Perfect for Reluctant Readers as well as keen readers. To view other titles we think are suitable for reluctant readers please click here.
Non-stop tension and utterly compelling are the hallmarks of a Tim Bowler thriller; so much so, that you’ll be drawn into the characters and the story from the very start. He is pre-eminent in the field of psychological thrillers in the teenage market – no one does it better. Our advice is read it but it might just touch too many nerves for those nearly teenage and just teenage readers. Anyway, try it and make up your own mind and if it’s just too traumatic then leave it for a while and come back to it when you’re ready. It will have been worth the wait. Click here for details of River Boy by the same author.
In the competitive world of squash, Jamie's dad is determined that Jamie should succeed where he failed. Jamie feels backed into a corner and doesn't know where to turn. Then he discovers the girl hiding in his shed and together they go on the run. It's surely only a matter of time before they're both discovered. Jamie knows the time is going to come when he'll have to emerge from the shadows and face up to his problems - whatever the cost ...
Non-stop tension and utterly compelling are the hallmarks of a Tim Bowler thriller; so much so, that you’ll be drawn into the characters and the story from the very start. He is pre-eminent in the field of psychological thrillers in the teenage market – no one does it better. Our advice is read it but it might just touch too many nerves for those nearly teenage and just teenage readers. Anyway, try it and make up your own mind and if it’s just too traumatic then leave it for a while and come back to it when you’re ready. It will have been worth the wait. Click here for details of River Boy by the same author.
Winner of the prestigious Carnegie Medal. River Boy has all the hallmarks of a classic - it deepens with re-reading and takes the reader on a journey. You are not the same person at the end of the book.' carnegie Medal Judges
A heart-stopping story that will take the reader to the very core of good and evil - and a vision of the world that is unforgettable. In a hostile community in which his parents have disappeared Kit must face trials and dangers beyond his imagining as well as something he never expects to encounter - love...
A compulsive read from beginning to end, full of atmosphere, energy and emotional shrapnel. Fin is devastated by guilt when his sister, Ella, is kidnapped. As the kidnappers make their demands, Fin's guilt is replaced by a fierce determination to find his sister and bring the criminals to justice. But as the drama unfolds, it emerges that Ella's kidnapping is revenge for mistakes Fin's father made, years before.
Grandpa is dying. He can barely move his hands any more but, stubborn as ever, refuses to stay in hospital. He's determined to finish his last painting, River Boy, before he goes. At first Jess can't understand his refusal to let go, but then she too becomes involved in the mysterious painting. And when she meets the river boy himself, she finds she is suddenly caught up in a challenge of her own that she must complete - before it's too late . . . This amazing book by critically-acclaimed author, Tim Bowler, was the winner of the prestigious Carnegie Medal and is being published in this stunning edition for a new generation of readers. With a stunning new cover by Tom Clohosy Cole and an introduction by award-winning writer, David Almond, this new edition will appeal to a whole new generation of readers.
Life is hard for Mikey. He's frightened of open spaces and would much rather curl up in his room and avoid the world outside. So going to a noisy, public place is a big deal - but with his sister Meggie by his side, it should be safe. And Mikey is determined to overcome his fear. But things go badly wrong when he encounters a gang and witnesses something terrible. To make matters worse, they know where he lives, and now they want to see him . . . This time, there's no hiding place for Mikey . . .
August 2014 Book of the Month Award-winning Tim Bowler will set heartbeats racing in this gripping story set in a dark underworld filled with violent men who will stop at nothing to achieve their ends. Zinny’s life is bleak enough already but from the day he skives off school and finds a sinister stranger watching the house and a creep coming home to it with his mum, things go rapidly from bad to worse. Where once misery was just on a domestic scale, Zinny is caught up in doing delivery jobs for a bunch of crooks. With seemingly no one to turn to, Zinny is soon in fear of his life!
Award-winning Tim Bowler tells a complex story which captures the mystery and intensity of life on a remote island where survival depends on the unpredictable powers of the sea. Hetty is used to being a loner but it is not that she doesn’t care about people. She is quick to get to rocks to offer help when a boat smashes on them. And, when the sole survivor, a frail old woman, turns out to bring disaster and the fulfilment of an evil prophecy with her, Hetty springs to her defence. ----------------------------------------------- Sea of Whispers is an ideal book for a Reading Group, perfect for years 6,7 and 8. Download a Reader's Guide, from the right hand column, with notes to help you explore the novel, extra information about the book and ideas for talking points.
Blade has done all he can. But it's not enough. Men are swarming over the city hunting him. And his enemy is still free. But Blade isn't finished yet. He has strength in him for one more fight. And it's got to be now. Revenge isn't sweet ... it's just necessary. Book four in the unmissable Blade quartet. Complete the series with Blade 1: Enemies, Blade 2: Flight, and Blade 3: Firestorm.
This is the second double edition in the unmissable Blade series, previously published as Breaking Free and Running Scared. Blade is in danger. He's frightened. His enemies are all around him. And they're closing in. He's got to run, get away. He's always been good at that. But this time it's harder. He's badly wounded. And he's not on his own. Narrated by Blade himself, be prepared to enter his world. It's not pretty ...it's urban, real and dangerous. As Blade's story unfolds, readers will become completely hooked by this unforgettable character. Complete the series with Blade 1: Enemies, Blade 3: Firestorm and Blade 4: Endgame.
This is part one of an unmissable series. Previously published in two parts as Blade: Playing Dead and Blade: Closing In, this is a stunning new package for this groundbreaking series. Narrated by Blade himself, be prepared to enter his world. It's not pretty ...it's urban, real and dangerous. As Blade's story unfolds, readers will become completely hooked by this unforgettable character. Complete the series with Blade 2: Flight, Blade 3: Firestorm and Blade 4: Endgame.
A tense and haunting thriller in which the power of the forest looks set to destroy all around it. Drawn to the forest around the house, Maya witnesses strange and unnatural events. Even when in the safety of her new home, she is terrorised by strange scratchings in the night. Can Kate uncover the mystery that stalks her parents’ new home? And how can she get anyone to believe her story? Click here for a video of author Tim Bowler talking about Buried Thunder and here to watch Tim reading from the book.
Blade is back in the big city. Back where the trouble started. A bad place to live. And a worse place to die. He never meant to return. But there are things he's got to put right. Things that matter. So now it's getting rough. And the stakes are high. Book three in the unmissable Blade series. Complete the series with Blade 1: Enemies, Blade 2: Flight and Blade 4: Endgame.
This is a wonderful, rich novel, written with lyricism, drama and power. Tackling issues of loss, love, and healing, and filled with the sense of a universe bursting with music, it is unputdownable from the first page to the last.
Winner of the prestigious Carnegie Medal. River Boy has all the hallmarks of a classic - it deepens with re-reading and takes the reader on a journey. You are not the same person at the end of the book.' carnegie Medal Judges
While trying to cope with the knowledge that her grandfather is dying, Jess meets a boy who challenges her to swim down the river to the sea - her grandfather's ambition. The boy then disappears, and Jess learns her grandfather has died peacefully.
A compulsive read from beginning to end, full of atmosphere, energy and emotional shrapnel. Fin is devastated by guilt when his sister, Ella, is kidnapped. As the kidnappers make their demands, Fin's guilt is replaced by a fierce determination to find his sister and bring the criminals to justice. But as the drama unfolds, it emerges that Ella's kidnapping is revenge for mistakes Fin's father made, years before.
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