Powsels and Thrums

Praise for Alan Garner

‘His work has a symphonic quality unique in fiction’ The Times

‘Garner is his own man … taut, powerful, credible’ Penelope Lively, Independent

‘A unique genius’ New Statesman

‘His is a consummate artist’s vision that matches landscape and people and story’ Ralph Elliott, Labrys 7

Praise for Powsels and Thrums

‘Who could resist such a title? The term derives from handloom weaving, Alan Garner’s great-grandfather’s trade, and refers to the scraps of cloth that weavers kept for themselves – an evocative metaphor for the writings collected herein … These snippets, produces on the same magical loom, together attain a mesmerizing wholeness, vibrating with life and curiosity’ Observer

‘A creative manifesto … We are all the richer for it’ Byline Times

‘Sublime, filled with meaning’ Bookmunch

‘Mind-bending, but all of a piece … Garnerworld might be a narrow plot, but he’s dug it deep, in every sense … Garner is a magus. Read him.’ Guardian

‘A sequence of work collected from various sources across the years which offers a remarkable window into Garner’s mind and heart. I use the word window advisedly, for Garner’s prose is as clear as glass, perfectly conveying the precision of his thought … You don’t have to know his work well to become immersed in this little book’ Spectator

‘He [Alan Garner] calls the pieces collected here the “powsels and thrums of research and experience and imagination and story”. Together they weave into something quite thrilling’ New Statesman

‘He’s a complete one-off, Garner … Entrancing’ Sam Leith, Telegraph

‘Alan Garner’s themes are huge, urgent, compassionate, his voice distinguished by clarity, compression, precision, depth of feeling and sharpness of thought’ Neil Philip, A Fine Anger: A Critical Introduction to the Work of Alan Garner

Alan Garner was born and still lives in Cheshire, an area which has had a profound effect on his writing and provided the seed of many ideas worked out in his books. His fourth book, ‘The Owl Service’ brought Alan Garner to everyone’s attention. It won two important literary prizes – The Guardian Award and the Carnegie Medal – and was made into a serial by Granada Television. It has established itself as a classic and Alan Garner as a writer of great distinction.