It lives! The Elements of Dark Academia, my next anthology, publishes on August 27th from Vintage Classics.

Here’s where to find it:

These are all UK-only links, as the book is currently a UK-only type deal. (American publishers, our agents are standing by and awaiting your call.)

I would like to point out that Blackwells continues to offer free international shipping, so if you did want a sexxxy British hardcover, you can get one without resorting to inappropriate methods.

This book promises to be an absolute beauty. Vintage Classics do an amazing job of making amazing books. From the start, we agreed that any book about dark academia has to be beautiful: not only is it a genre about aesthetics, it is particularly and specifically devoted to the aesthetics of books.

The content? Also great. Elements is almost two dozen stories, ranging from Edgar Allan Poe to Olivie Blake; Evelyn Waugh and Dorothy Sayers to Carmen Maria Machado and M.L. Rio. There’s murder and romance and art and magic. Elite institutions, sinister cliques, and secrets galore.

For all intents and purposes, dark academia didn’t even exist until a decade ago. Even then, it was born and popularised as a fashion aesthetic before it later retconned some literary roots (retgrew?). But, whatever it is, and however it came about, we love it. Elements is my best attempt at uncovering what it is about dark academia that makes it so special and so resonant.

The anthology weighs in at about 140,000 words - not counting my various (rather bonkers) introductions, recommendations and rambles. Or the comic.

I believe Elements presents a very good case for the why and how of dark academia - something that both existing fans of the genre (or aesthetic) can enjoy, as well as those who are interested in uncovering what the what this thing is all about. More importantly, it is a really good anthology, containing absolutely brilliant stories. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I have.

A smart piece in Collider about how we respond to stories now, and where fan theories are antagonistic rather than (stealing from Jenkins et al.) ‘convergent’:

If there’s one thing that appears in the Epstein files more than Donald Trump, it is … bran muffins? Correction: nothing actually appears in the files more than Trump. But the bran muffins are in there a lot. This dedicated soul baked them.

BBQ + Mahjong in Alabama. There’s a reference to the American Jewish mahjong tradition in here as well (my grandmother was super into it), which adds another whole wonderful cultural vector into the mix. Also in here, tantilising mentions of ‘pimento cheese wontons’ and other wonders. I have a whole ramble about how ‘real’ BBQ is localised (culturally and geographically) and this story is, I think, BBQ Done Right.

More food culture! (You can tell what I’m into right now) A terrific piece from Pit about an Irish expat’s relationship with potatoes:

Obligatory Amy Coombe update! There are Stay for a Spell events at the Ripped Bodice (13 April) and Vroman’s (15 April) if you’d like to meet THE AUTHOR. (I’ve met her. She’s very nice.)

I don’t know if this is common knowledge, and I hope it doesn’t get me in trouble for sharing it, but the first UK edition has SPECIAL FEATURES. I’ve peeked at the author copies and it has sneaky endpapers and secret boards and it is really lovely.

I’ve been reading the Inspector Frost novels by R.D. Wingfield, and they’re a lot of fun. Frost is a dickhead. Brilliant detective, but kind of a terrible person. And the base levels of corruption, immorality, and sexism in the police are fairly terrifying. But these are also great examples of how to write disreputable, morally ambiguous characters that are, ultimately, ‘forces for good’ and get the reader on-side. They’re also a really amusing take on the police procedural, with Frost (et al.) tackling lots of cases at the same time, McBain-style. But in a much more erratic and whimsical way.

Ilona Andrews’ Hidden Legacy series. I love me some Ilona Andrews. I liked the world-building (as always) and enjoyed the Andrews-style epic scaling of the adventures. There’s also something … progression fantasy … about the whole thing, as the character(s) go from scrappy outsiders to building their political and magical dynasty. The six book series splits at the halfway point, and swaps narrators (although they have essentially the same voice and magical power, so, meh). The second half of the series has the weaker romance (he’s just not very interesting), but better epic fightin’. So your mileage will vary.

It is a relatively small part of the series, but what I was most impressed by was how Andrews deals with PTSD. A large number of the major and side characters are ex-military, and the series doesn’t shy away from the lingering emotional trauma of service. The characters discuss it overtly and talk to one another about what it means, and how it has impacted their lives. (Then they go explode some people with MAGIC.)

Tana French’s The Wych Elm is about the nature of memory and self-deceit, which is brilliant thematically, although less useful for composing a ‘fair’ mystery. Hard to say more, but… highly recommended.

London’s first Food in Print Magazine Fair is on April 19th, and Kindling will be there. Sadly, I will not, but… the organisers are stocking my free, flammable newsletter for BBQ-side conversation. I’ve done a special run of The Keanu Reeves Issue just for this event. Please send me a picture if you go!

I’ve wrapped up a test run of the fourth issue of Kindling: The Gig Issue. This one comes with a fantastic guest essay by Dylan Kilby on his favourite live performance. I’ll be shipping some boxes for BBQ festivals this summer, but, as always, if you’re a bookseller / pub manager / festival runner / food-related-service-provider and you want some disposable newspaper action, let me know.

Did I mention The Elements of Dark Academia?