Bright blessings to everyone at the Summer Solstice, and welcome to
all new subscribers and members of the Stonewylde Community!
Beltane was only seven weeks ago but almost a distant memory as so
much has happened since then. The most important piece of news
I’ve been dying to tell you all is that I have now sold the worldwide
rights, for a very good price, to the major publisher Orion! They will be
publishing Stonewylde under their Gollancz imprint, and I will be
working with a wonderful editor called Gillian Redfearn. She and the
whole Gollancz team took me and Mr B out for a celebration
champagne lunch recently and I’m now working hard on meeting their
deadlines.
The existing three books will be re-published early next year, with new
jackets, and then, the very best news of all ... the fourth book,
Shadows at Stonewylde, will be published in August 2011! I can’t tell
you how thrilled I am about this and it will be so good to be able finally
to answer that dreaded question “When’s book four out?” It’s actually
available to pre-order already from Amazon too!
What is so wonderful about Gollancz is that they want to continue with
all that we’ve been trying so hard to achieve. They love the website,
the community site, the T-shirts and cards and don’t want to change
anything. They adore Stonewylde and are completely in tune with it all,
which is the one thing which always worried me about selling the
rights. We can continue to sell such stock as we have left (so if you
want the orginal books get them now!) and we’ll continue to sell our T-
shirts etc. The biggest change is that Stonewylde will be available all
over the world and I’ll have the time and means now to actually write!
Gollancz is issuing a trade press release about the deal today, and in it
Gillian says, ‘I’m thrilled that Kit Berry has joined the Gollancz list. The
STONEWYLDE books are a breath of fresh air, a multi-faceted series
with something that will reach out to every reader, and a character to
touch every heart. There’s a refreshing innocence, a sinister
undertone, a compelling cast, and a tremendous story, all set against
the stunning Dorset landscape. Kit Berry, and the STONEWYLDE
series, is bringing a touch of magic to the genre.’
So you can see why I’m so delighted to be working with her!
We spent a wonderful Beltane in a wet field in the heart of Dorset by
invitation of a member of the community (thanks Midnight Man!) and
watched The Dolmen play a very lively set, followed by an incredible
burning of the wicker man ceremony. The next day was the Monkton
Wyld May Fair - a lovely event made more special by the local Morris
Dancers who performed very energetically and even welcomed
audience participation. I spent a week on retreat at Monkton Wyld
(which I thoroughly recommend if you need to chill out), and walked for
miles in the beautiful countryside. I also re-read Stonewylde and
started redrafting the fourth book.
We had a brilliant afternoon at Charborough Park, the Dorset estate
which originally inspired me to create Stonewylde, as guests of the
charity Life Education Wessex. We sold books and T-shirts and were
delighted to see many familiar faces, all as curious as us to know what
exactly is behind the famous boundary walls. The bluebells in the
woods there were the most spectacular we’ve ever seen -
unbelievably beautiful. Richard Drax, the owner and also newly-
elected MP for South Dorset, was charming if slightly alarmed to learn
of Stonewylde and my ideas about his walls! I hope he reads the
books now.
The July issue of the magazine Spirit & Destiny ran a great feature
about “spiritual entrepeneurs”, women who’d “experienced a mystical
bolt from the blue” which inspired them to change their lives and follow
their dreams. I was given a lovely double page spread which told all
about my transition from school-teacher to author. Copies are still on
sale now if you want to take a look.
Breaking Stonewylde news
Stonewylde now has an official new logo,
designed by me and my sister at Helixtree one
afternoon in her kitchen. (By the way, she’s just
had a very successful time during Dorset Arts
Week and sold loads of her beautiful paintings -
lucky buyers!) Rob Walster at Big Blu Design
then transformed the logo into a truly
professional design and I’m so pleased with it.
This ties in with our new registered trademark
status, to prevent exploitation and copyright
infringement.
We’ve created new T-shirts featuring this official
logo which come in ladies’ strappy tops, lady-fit T-
shirts and normal comfort-fit T-shirts. There’s also
a lovely cotton eco-bag too - I do hope you like
them all. They look very striking and are great
attention grabbers for Stonewylde. We still have
silver labyrinth T-shirts left as well, for those of you
who must wear black! Remember to send us pics
of you wearing your Stonewylde T-shirt in an
unusual or exotic location. Details of prices here.
Wild Roses continues to work on the designs for
the silver Stonewylde pendants and we’re hoping
to launch these for the Autumn Equinox. These
will be all hand-crafted from high quality silver, and there will be a range of eight
designs to choose from. All will feature the Stonewylde logo on one side and the
image from the festival of your choice on the other, as
mentioned in the books. Individual totem charms can be
commissioned to add later. I’m so excited about these pendants, and will let you know
just as soon as they’re available to pre-order. In the meantime, Wild Roses continues to
make the most exquisite jewellery imaginable - check it out here!
We’re still running our successful special offer in the Stonewylde Store. You can buy the
trilogy of Stonewylde books, personally dedicated and signed by me, and also a
beautiful Stonewylde Wheel of the Year greetings card (blank for you to write in) for only
Stonewylde Newsletter 29
June 21st 2010
Bright blessings at
to all Stonewylders
What’s been going on ...
The Summer Solstice, an ancient fire festival is perhaps
the one most publicised today, with high exposure in the
media of celebrations at Stonehenge and other sacred
sites throughout the country. It also requires some
commitment to be up to greet the rising sun!
If you haven't yet risen in the strange half-light of
predawn and sat
patiently waiting for
the first glimpse of
the sun, I
recommend it. It's
great to be part of a
large gathering, but
personally I find it
most spiritual alone,
tuning myself into
the rhythm of the
earth, imagining the
planet at its utmost tilt towards the sun. I always feel
very in harmony with our ancestors who did exactly the
same thing for so many centuries. The same is true of
the Solstice sunset, many hours later. And there's a
certain sadness in knowing that the days will now be
getting shorter again.
The symbol of the Summer
Solstice at Stonewylde is the
oak leaf, as folk lore tells us
that this was the festival of the
Oak King. There was perennial
conflict between the Oak King and
the Holly King, one superceding the
other at each solstice.
At Stonewylde this is the time of the Midsummer
holiday, when all the hard-working Villagers get a
chance to relax and enjoy themselves. There are many
organised sports
and games, and
picnics all around
the estate of
Stonewylde.
Visiting Hallfolk
swell the numbers
and of course
expect to be
waited on hand
and foot. Hay
has been harvested and the other cereal crops are now
Dates for your diary ...
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY JULY 10th and 11th - Quest at Newton Abbot, Devon
I’m delighted to be running two workshops at this event, at 11.15 - 12.15 on Saturday, and 1.15 - 2.15 on
Sunday. I’ll be talking about Green Magic, the elements and the
Wheel of the Year, and how by reconnecting with nature you can
live a fuller and happier life. During both days I will also be
signing books and be available for a chat at Mercury Rising
Books’ stall, who’ve supported Stonewylde from the start. This
is a wonderful event with a very special atmosphere, and there’s
camping available too. Visit the Quest website here.
SATURDAY OCTOBER 16th - Charmouth Literary Festival, West
Dorset
I’m extremely honoured to be the opening speaker at the second ever lit
fest in Charmouth. This festival is free to attend, and aimed particularly at
people wishing to write or trying to get published. It’s also fun for anyone
interested in the world of books and writers, and there will be a variety of
authors and workshops to suit all tastes. There are many lovely local
places to visit, and plenty of splendid accommodation (including nearby
Monkton Wyld) so why not make a weekend of it? More details here. Oh
- and there’s a piece of Charmouth in Stonewylde - can anyone guess which bit?
SATURDAY OCTOBER 30th - Poole Literary Festival, Poole, Dorset
I’ve been invited to speak and do a signing at this brilliant new literary festval, along
with other fab names such as Michael Morpurgo, Carol Ann Duffy, Minette Walters and
Gervase Phinn - what a great honour! More details to follow but click here to read
more about the festival. The organisers are keen to have a Dorset theme, and also
Hallowe’en - perfect for me then!
Please note: Regretfully I have been turning down many invitations for events this summer and autumn due to
my writing commitments. There’s now a very pressing need to get the manuscripts for Books Four and Five to
the publisher - I’m sure you all understand!
Stonewylde Community news ...
The weekend of May 22nd was a very special one indeed.
Almost 90 Stonewylders gathered together at Avebury for
the biggest Stonewylde Gathering yet! They came from
all corners of the UK and many stayed in campsites,
hotels and B&Bs, making a whole weekend of it. The
event was organised by a member of the community,
Natureman, and was originally intended just for him and a
couple of other members so he could show them the
stones at Avebury.
But once word got out on the forum, more and more
people asked if they could come too until the whole thing
reached epic proportions. We hired the lovely Village Hall
for the day, thinking we may need to provide shelter from
the rain, and at least be a base for folk to meet in, use the loos and have a cup of tea. But as it turned out,
people came in to escape the blazing sun outside and fill their water bottles! One
long-standing member, Beantighe, had embroidered a beautiful Stonewylde
banner based on the original Stonewylde Green Man T-shirt. It was a really
gorgeous day, and so good to see old faces again, and meet so many of the
new members of our community who until this event were only names and
avatars.
Many of us then met up in the Barge Inn at Seend nearby for supper, and I
believe the party continued at various campsites and B&Bs across Wiltshire. It
was a very special day indeed and I think everyone who’d made so much effort
to come really enjoyed themselves. We’re all extremely grateful to Natureman
for his organisation of the gathering.
Our online community goes from strength to strength - do join us and receive a
lovely Stonewylde welcome.
.
growing well in the fields, ripening towards the beginning
of August when the folk of Stonewylde will be celebrating
Lammas.
CELEBRATING
THE SOLSTICE
Many Stonewylde
readers are pagans
and celebrate the
ancient festivals in
the Wheel of the
Year. If you’re new
to all this, you may
like to mark this
special time of year
in a simple yet satisfying way. Set your alarm clock and
get up very early. Summer Solstice falls on a Monday this
year so you may of course have to get off to work
afterwards! I can remember feeling very tired teaching in
the classroom on June 21st after such an early start.
It gets light long before sunrise, but wrap up warmly.
Watch the sun rise (or the light brighten if it’s cloudy) from
a special spot such as a hilltop if you can, but if not, a
garden or park is still lovely. As the sun rises, reflect on
the knowledge that you are doing what our ancestors did
for millenia. Just sitting patiently waiting for the first rays
of the sun. Focus on the Earth and her beauty, and the
eternity of the changing seasons and spinning of our
planet through space and time. A flask of hot drink and a
bite to eat can be very welcome, both as fruits of the
earth to savour, and to warm you up after a chilly start.
Take something to sit on too unless you want a dew-
damp bottom! Why not make a little Summer Solstice
table or altar, if you don’t already do so. Decorate with a
bright cloth and some
candles, and remember
this is a fire festival and a
day of sunshine and
summer. Orange, yellow
and gold are good colours
for your table and flowers,
and at Stonewylde the
oak leaf is the symbol of
the Summer Solstice. If
you can, watch the sun
set after 9pm in the
evening, maybe from the
same place you watched
it rise if it’s visible from
there. Reflect on the fact
that from now on, nights
will be getting longer and the days shorter until the Winter
Solstice.
©Steve Perry
