The UK edition of Hild will be published by Blackfriars
The ebook and paperback will be available in fifty-plus territories: UK, Australia, India, New Zealand, Singapore, Ireland, South Africa, Malaysia, Myanmar, Jordan, Sri Lanka etc. The hardback will mainly be for the UK, I think, but I’m guessing some enterprising retailers will be willing to ship. More on links to retailers in another post.
Blackfriars agree with my original notion of Hild cover art: no representation of Hild. Perhaps it’s a cultural thing. I am very, very happy with this:
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| Original art Anna and Elena Balbusso, original design Charlotte Strick, Blackfriars design Sian Wilson |
I particularly like the way that, without Hild and her unfathomable gaze taking up all the air, the lettering and the cross come to the fore. They hint (to me) of knife cuts on wood, and bloody deeds.
You want to hear some of those bloody deeds? Then on April 6th tune into your local NPR station and To the Best of Our Knowledge; I’ll be reading a one-minute segment of Hild being the butcher bird of Elmet, plus two other snippets as well. And, of course, talking to Anne Strainchamps. I hope you’ll join us.
Nicola Griffith 
I see your point about the UK cover but just so you know, every US person I have shown the book to just about swoons on the cover.
I love it. Must have a copy like this!
I agree. I want to know the character through the words. I want to paint my own picture as I get to know her. My image of her impact on my relationship with her. So.. for these reasons I do not want someone else's image.
I also think this cover speaks of depth and mystery and dark days and it pulls me in. The character portrayal did not have this impact. You were absolutely right!
Lel
It's a beautiful cover, yes. Absolutely lovely. But culturally I think the UK cover will work better in the UK.
Well, hey, it just so happens that it'll be available at the end of July :)
I hope the book works for you. I can't wait to see what English people think! Especially someone who's background I know…
I agree.
I think both covers are fantastic, and my congratulations to the artist for negotiating the differing needs of the publishers with such aplomb.
I like both covers, but the one with Hild herself seems more suggestive of the art of her era. I had to explain to someone that you couldn't have written in the language of the time, because int hat case no one currently living would have understood the novel — except a handful of linguistic scholars.
They have a website. I get they'd love to hear that directly.
Yes. I tried very hard to only use words that sounded as though they could have originated in the time/place of individual characters. But even scholars don't know enough Northumbrian dialect Old English to write an entire novel :)
I like both covers, but in some ways I felt the US cover coded “YA”, in part due to the artistic style of the portrait and in part due to featuring a portrait at all.
Not disagreeing…
I love the new cover. almost tempted tobuy ANOTHER copy so I can have this cover.
Sorry about that :)