Image description: A 3-D representation of a book, ‘Spear by Nicola Griffith.’ Above, lettered in black, ‘Coming 4.19.22…’ The background of the book cover is charcoal, shading to black at the bottom, with the author’s name at the top in orange-red and the title, at the bottom, and ‘from the author Hild’ in white. The main image is of a great hanging bowl of black iron with inlaid figures and great bronze escutcheons for the hanging hooks. It is wreathed about by smoke and flame and fumes, and the fumes form images: in white, woods with a woman and a stone and a sword; about the trees, shading to orange, is an figure with a spear on a horse; a fort gate and box palisade, and over all, flying up in the smoke towards the author’s name, two birds.
If you pre-order Spear from Phinney Books as a holiday gift (for yourself, for some other lucky person, for everyone you know), I will sign and personalise it/them for you when it arrives at the shop in April. For the first ten pre-order customers I’ll also include a specially-designed postcard with a hand-written message from me. All books (including those with the cards) will ship directly to you on publication.
To whet your appetite, here’s an eight-minute audio snippet of me reading from the beginning.
You can read lots more about the book, including reviews, on the Spear book page.
Nicola Griffith 
What a scandal. They ship to New Zealand, Australia, and…even to waelh folk with shaved heads but not to Saxonia. But it’s allright, I will bide my time, honing my blade…;)
Done. Something wonder-filled to look forward to in 2022.
And I should have done it before my walk—might have been spared the ice and snow shower!
Done! Yay! Hmm, now I will have two copies, but I can hardly think of any friends I *wouldn’t* Wan to give one to. :)
Lovely!
I’ve read so many books lately that are just…hard: tense, stressy, difficult. Spear is definitely none of those things!
nothing to do with ‘Spear’ but noticed those archaeological finds;
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/dec/14/rare-runes-roman-hoards-five-treasures-discovered-uk-2020
*Rare runes*
A rare and mysterious early medieval gold pendant with a rare runic inscription was found in the north of England. The pendant, in the form of a cross, dates to about AD700-900 and was found near Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland. Runic inscriptions often provide the name of a person associated with the object, such as its maker or owner. This one can be translated as Eadruf, suspected to be a previously unknown name, potentially making it a new addition to recorded early medieval names. *A seal belonging to a woman of status*
An unusual silver seal matrix dating to the early 13th century inscribed in Latin with the name Matilda de Cornhill was found at Hollingbourne, Kent. It depicts a kneeling female figure, assumed to be a representation of Matilda herself, praying to the enthroned virgin and child, a well-known motif of the medieval period. The find is unusual because seal matrices from this period were more commonly owned by men, and were usually made of copper alloy or lead alloy, leading archaeologists to suspect that Matilda was a person of status in her own right. The owner may be Maud de Cornhill, the steward of St Augustine’s Abbey, Canterbury, whose husband was Reginald de Cornhill – active 1189–1215 – the high sheriff of Kent and constable of Rochester Castle.
You got me, sold! I wanted to read this regardless…I generally don’t pre-order books, but for you, I’ll make an exception.
Question….could I pre-order it I January and still get it signed? I already have overspent my Dec21-Jan 20 credit card.
Lee
Of course! You can preorder (or order, after April 19) from Phinney Books anytime and get it signed.
Excellent! Thank you.
I’m glad they gave the transcription of the runes. I could read the f and the d, and might (stress, might) have figured out the e but the rest were indecipherable to me. And it just happens I’ve been thinking about Berwick-on-Tweed lately, so very useful, thank you!