Derek Owusu (author of That Reminds Me) to co-write a children’s book with Rudimental’s Leon “Locksmith” Rolle
A Storytelling Lifestyle Brand. Because Stories Are Life!
A Storytelling Lifestyle Brand.
Because Stories Are Life!
Because Stories Are Life!
Author: Shae Davies
#FirstFridays – A RIVER CALLED TIME by Courttia Newland
An OWN IT! curated playlist released on the first Friday of every month.
Threading the themes of love, spirituality, time and space, while paying homage to London, this month’s #FirstFridays playlist takes you on a sonic journey inspired by the alternative world(s) in A River Called Time by Courttia Newland.
A universe where slavery never happened and African, Asian and ancient philosophies permeate the psyches and lives of its inhabitants. From hiphop, jungle and garage to soul, Jazz and rock, the journey begins…
LISTEN ON APPLE MUSIC HERE
LISTEN ON SPOTIFY HERE
FULL PLAYLIST:
A River Called Time is Courttia Newland’s first speculative fiction novel and sees an alternative London, devastated by war and climate change and divided into a wealthy Inner City and poverty-stricken Outer City.
Set in an alternate world where slavery and colonialism never happened, Newland’s staggering novel is both a timely exploration of social inequality and a story about love, loyalty and the search for the truth.
The Ark was built to save the lives of the many, but rapidly became a refuge for the elite, the entrance closed without warning.
Years after the Ark was cut off from the world, a chance of survival within its confines is granted to a select few who can prove their worth. Among their number is Markriss Denny, whose path to future excellence is marred only by a closely guarded secret: without warning, his spirit leaves his body, allowing him to see and experience a world far beyond his physical limitations.
Once inside the Ark, Denny learns of another with the same power, whose existence could spell catastrophe for humanity. He is forced into a desperate race to understand his abilities, and in doing so uncovers the truth about the Ark, himself and the people he thought he once knew.
AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER HERE
OWN IT! Interviews: Courttia Newland speaks about his new Novel ‘A RIVER CALLED TIME’, with Jude Yawson.
OWN IT! Interviews: Join Jude Yawson – Author of Stomzy’s Rise Up: The #Merky Story So Far – for this absorbing and fascinating interview with the talented Courttia Newland, author of 7 books including his much-lauded debut THE SCHOLAR, to discuss his upcoming Sci-Fi Novel A RIVER CALLED TIME.
An inspirational and empowering conversation any writer should listen to.
. —————— A RIVER CALLED TIME – OUT 7 JANUARY 2021 ——————
Set in an alternate world where slavery and colonialism never happened, Newland’s staggering novel is both a timely exploration of social inequality and a story about love, loyalty and the search for the truth.
The Ark was built to save the lives of the many, but rapidly became a refuge for the elite, the entrance closed without warning. Years after the Ark was cut off from the world, a chance of survival within its confines is granted to a select few who can prove their worth.
Among their number is Markriss Denny, whose path to future excellence is marred only by a closely guarded secret: without warning, his spirit leaves his body, allowing him to see and experience a world far beyond his physical limitations.
Once inside the Ark, Denny learns of another with the same power, whose existence could spell catastrophe for humanity. He is forced into a desperate race to understand his abilities, and in doing so uncovers the truth about the Ark, himself and the people he thought he once knew.
PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY NOW HERE
Courttia Newland is the author of seven books including his debut, The Scholar. His latest novel, The Gospel According to Cane, was published in 2013. He co-edited The Penguin Book of New Black Writing in Britain, and his short stories have featured in various anthologies and broadcast on BBC Radio 4. He was shortlisted for the 2007 CWA Dagger in the Library Award and the 2010 Alfred Fagon Award. In 2016 he was also awarded the Tayner Barbers Award for science fiction writing and the Roland Rees Busary for playwriting. As a screenwriter, he has co-written episodes of Steve McQueen’s 2020 BBC series Small Axe (See more here).
Jude Yawson is a multifaceted writer of essays, articles, poetry and Film Reviews. In 2018 Jude became an author, co-writing and editing Rise Up: The #Merky Story So Far with Stormzy and the Merky team. Jude curates his eclectic writing through his website turned Blog House Of Horous, where his entire personal writing journey is hosted.
He has also contributed an essay entitled “Existing as a Black person living in Britain” to SAFE : On Black British Men Reclaiming Space. An anthology edited by Derek Owusu.
Rose Cartwright to screen-write for Netflix’s new sci-fi series from Game of Thrones creators (David Beinoff and D.B. Weiss) and True Blood’s Alex Woo.
Based on Lui Cixin’s enthralling novel series The Three Body Problem, Beinoff and Weiss describe the books as “the most ambitious science-fiction series we’ve read, taking readers on a journey from the 1960s until the end of time.”
The Three-Body problem won the Hugo award for fantasy fiction in 2015 and is the first Chinese science-fiction novel to be translated into English.
Beinoff and Weiss were creators, writers and showrunners of Game of Thrones, adapted from George RR Martin’s hit novels. Whilst Alex Woo, who has worked on a range of television series including True Blood, called it an “elegant and deeply human allegory”.
The Three-Body Problem is the story of humanity’s first contact with an alien civilization, with science, interweaved with fiction, all drawn together by the story of all of humanity vulnerable to the same threat, with insight into how this both unifies and divides us.
With Liu acting as a consulting producer for the series, a talented and thoughtful creative team has been assembled to produce the English-language series adaption, including writer Rose Cartwright, author of Pure (Now a major Channel 4 series) – Cartwright’s memoir on her ten-year struggle with ‘Pure O’, a little-known form of OCD, which causes her to experience intrusive sexual thoughts of shocking intensity. A brave and frequently hilarious account of a woman who refused to give up, despite being undermined at every turn by her obsessions and enduring years of misdiagnosis and failed therapies.
Although Cartwright never imagined she would find herself writing Sci-Fi, she has been drawn to it and forced by the circumstances of her life and mind to question the nature of her reality and what is real. Which in itself, is a key feature of the sci-fi genre.
Cartwright secured the position as a writer for the upcoming series, off the back of a script she wrote about intergenerational trauma, which includes her experience of taking magic mushrooms and trauma work.
Author and consulting producer Lui Cixin commented: “I set out to tell a story that transcends time and the confines of nations, cultures and races; one that compels us to consider the fate of humankind as a whole.”
DECEMBER NEWSLETTER
Because Stories Are Life.
Keeping up to date with all things OWN IT!
PUBLISHING NEWS
#FIRST FRIDAYS – ONE SATURDAY IN 82 ON BROADWAY MARKET.
An OWN IT! curated playlist released on the first Friday of every month.
December’s Playlist is built around the late great Stuart Goodman’s photography book ONE SATURDAY IN 82 ON BROADWAY MARKET.⠀
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The songs on this playlist were all released in the UK in 1982, and are reflective of the part of London the photographs were taken. From the burgeoning Dancehall of Jamaica, to New Wave, Pop, Hip Hop and Soul. These songs capture the spirit of the time and place
LOOKING BACK AT 2020
Here’s a look back at what we’ve published this year.
- One Saturday in 82 on Broadway Market – by Stuart Goodman
- HOW TO: Be More Pirate – by Sam Conniff + Alex Barker
- Endless Fortune – by Ify Adenuga
Stuart Goodman’s One Saturday in 82 on Broadway Market preserves images of an East London landmark, featuring Stuart Goodman’s account of his and Stephen Selby’s role in setting up a community initiative to save Broadway Market from demolition.
Goodman speaks of the London that existed before gentrification. An East London native brought up on a Hackney council estate, Goodman had lived in the market and been a shop keeper there for 6 months before photographing it for the first time. ⠀
HOW TO: Be More Pirate by Sam Conniff + Alex Barker.
The follow-up book to Sam Conniff’s Be More Pirate. Whether you want to overcome personal limitations, upend the status quo in your line of work, or find some co-conspirators, this book will help you to be more radical, relentless, and ambitious in your life and work.
Available in paperback here
and now available as an audiobook from Audible here.
ENDLESS FORTUNE by Ify Adenuga
Ify’s powerful memoir is the first book of its kind from the mother of four highly successful British creatives (Skepta JME, Julie Adenuga and Jason Adenuga) to examine the experience of the African diaspora and the complications around immigration from a personal perspective.
Get your copy now from IFYADENUGA.COM, Waterstones, Amazon + All good retailers.
If you missed out in June, you can still catch-up on all sessions via our Youtube channel.
OWN IT! Onlline Fest
A Virtual Festival by OWN IT!
In June of this year, we put on an Online Festival, featuring 20 OWN IT! authors and artists and consisting of workshops, Insta live talks, discussions and conversations, animation, comedy, poetry and live readings.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH NOW
OWN IT! AGENCY SPOTLIGHT
With 2021 round the corner, look out for these exciting reads to come.
A River Called Time by Courttia Newland. OUT 7 JANUARY 2021
Set in an alternate world where slavery and colonialism never happened, Courttia Newland’s staggering novel is both a timely exploration of social inequality and a story about love, loyalty and the search for the truth. For more information visit here
“Courttia Newland’s alternative, decolonised vision of London is a staggering feat of imagination. There’s so much to love here: an everyman hero who discovers he has abilities that are anything but ordinary, parallel cities across a multiverse, African cosmology belief systems, a keep-them-guessing ending . . . An amazing achievement”
NOEL CLARKE
Mrs Death Misses Death by Salena Godden. OUT 28 JANUARY 2021
Set in an alternate world where slavery and colonialism never happened, Courttia Newland’s staggering novel is both a timely exploration of social inequality and a story about love, loyalty and the search for the truth. For more information visit here
“A fantastically imaginative story about life, death and everything in between – a potent reminder that life is short and every second should be cherished”
IDRIS ELBA
Check out the two editions available of Mrs Death Misses Death. Support local independent bookshops and shop with them to purchase the exclusive edition of Salena Godden’s book in white.
NATIONAL LITERACY TRUST: GAME CHANGERS – TRUE STORIES – Interviews with excluded role models.
Featuring OWN IT!’s Jude Yawson, Nile Ranger and MC Angel.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS, from OWN IT! x
This year…give the gift of a story…Because Stories Are Life.
It’s been a tough year for all of us, but here’s looking at a better year for everyone to come. Happy New Year from everyone at OWN IT! x
See you in 2021!
Derek Owusu (author of That Reminds Me) to co-write a children’s book with Rudime…
OWN IT! Interviews: Courttia Newland speaks about his new Novel ‘A RIVER CALLED T…
Rose Cartwright to screen-write for Netflix’s new sci-fi series from Game of Thrones cr…
CANVAS | NETFLIX SHORT FILM REVIEW BY JUDE YAWSON
LOVERS ROCK | REVIEW