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Whiteadder/Wolfspider
Not yet published
Expected 11 Mar 27Whiteadder, 1973.
Fresh from tour, psychedelic folk band Once Upon A Time relocate to a row of dilapidated cottages in the Scottish Borders to 'get it together in the country'. Among their entourage on the banks of the Whiteadder river is thirteen-year-old Kit, the sole child in a commune of naïve adults pursuing a fading Sixties idyll of self-sufficiency.
Then out of the wilderness arrives Jonathan. A darkly charismatic fan of the band whose own history is shrouded in secrecy, he quickly infiltrates the community and upends its established hierarchies. Only Kit can see how dangerous this outsider's mind games and proclivities really are. As winter draws in and a devastating storm hits, he is forced into drastic measures that will turn him into an adult before his time…
Wolfspider, 1974.
Forced to flee the commune, Kit runs away to London. He journeys deep into the dark side of the city, from the 'meat rack' of Piccadilly Circus and Soho amusement arcades populated by predators to private Bayswater parties and the safety of the squat scene of Ladbroke Grove. But Kit is still haunted by the terrible violence he left buried in the Borders.
When Once Upon A Time return to play a chaotic, drug-addled festival high in the hills of Yorkshire, Kit is dragged back into their world. But the dream is over – and he is determined to take control of his life once and for all…
Part mindbending puzzle-box, part kaleidoscopic nightmare, Whiteadder/Wolfspider can be read forwards or backwards, upside down or right-side up. A haunting, visionary and exhilarating epic about the death of the Sixties dream, the comedown of the decaying Seventies, music, mythology and failed utopias, it is a triumphant work by one of the most exciting writers at work today.
Fresh from tour, psychedelic folk band Once Upon A Time relocate to a row of dilapidated cottages in the Scottish Borders to 'get it together in the country'. Among their entourage on the banks of the Whiteadder river is thirteen-year-old Kit, the sole child in a commune of naïve adults pursuing a fading Sixties idyll of self-sufficiency.
Then out of the wilderness arrives Jonathan. A darkly charismatic fan of the band whose own history is shrouded in secrecy, he quickly infiltrates the community and upends its established hierarchies. Only Kit can see how dangerous this outsider's mind games and proclivities really are. As winter draws in and a devastating storm hits, he is forced into drastic measures that will turn him into an adult before his time…
Wolfspider, 1974.
Forced to flee the commune, Kit runs away to London. He journeys deep into the dark side of the city, from the 'meat rack' of Piccadilly Circus and Soho amusement arcades populated by predators to private Bayswater parties and the safety of the squat scene of Ladbroke Grove. But Kit is still haunted by the terrible violence he left buried in the Borders.
When Once Upon A Time return to play a chaotic, drug-addled festival high in the hills of Yorkshire, Kit is dragged back into their world. But the dream is over – and he is determined to take control of his life once and for all…
Part mindbending puzzle-box, part kaleidoscopic nightmare, Whiteadder/Wolfspider can be read forwards or backwards, upside down or right-side up. A haunting, visionary and exhilarating epic about the death of the Sixties dream, the comedown of the decaying Seventies, music, mythology and failed utopias, it is a triumphant work by one of the most exciting writers at work today.
Kindle Edition
Expected publication March 11, 2027
About the author
Benjamin Myers
41 books1,298 followersBenjamin Myers was born in Durham, UK, in 1976.
He is an award-winning author and journalist whose recent novel Cuddy (2023) won the Goldsmiths Prize.
His first short story collection, Male Tears, was published by Bloomsbury in 2021.
His novel The Offing was published by Bloomsbury in 2019 and is a best-seller in Germany. It was serialised by Radio 4's Book At Bedtime and Radio 2 Book club choice. It is being developed for stage and has been optioned for film.
The non-fiction book Under The Rock, was shortlisted for The Portico Prize For Literature in 2020.
Recipient of the Roger Deakin Award and first published by Bluemoose Books, Myers' novel The Gallows Pole was published to acclaim in 2017 and was winner of the Walter Scott Prize 2018 - the world's largest prize for historical fiction. It has been published in the US by Third Man Books and in 2023 was adapted by director Shane Meadows for the BBC/A24.
The Gallows Pole was re-issued by Bloomsbury, alongside previous titles Beastings and Pig Iron.
Several of Myers' novels have been released as audiobooks, read by actor Ralph Ineson.
Turning Blue (2016) was described as a "folk crime" novel, and praised by writers including Val McDermid. A sequel These Darkening Days followed in 2017.
His novel Beastings (2014) won the Portico Prize For Literature, was the recipient of the Northern Writers’ Award and longlisted for a Jerwood Fiction Uncovered Award 2015. Widely acclaimed, it featured on several end of year lists, and was chosen by Robert Macfarlane in The Big Issue as one of his books of 2014.
Pig Iron (2012) was the winner of the inaugural Gordon Burn Prize and runner-up in The Guardian’s Not The Booker Prize. A controversial combination of biography and novel, Richard (2010) was a bestseller and chosen as a Sunday Times book of the year.
Myers’ short story ‘The Folk Song Singer’ was awarded the Tom-Gallon Prize in 2014 by the Society Of Authors and published by Galley Beggar Press. His short stories and poetry have appeared in dozens of anthologies.
As a journalist he has written about the arts and nature for publications including New Statesman, The Guardian, The Spectator, NME, Mojo, Time Out, New Scientist, Caught By The River, The Morning Star, Vice, The Quietus, Melody Maker and numerous others.
He currently lives in the Upper Calder Valley, West Yorkshire, UK.
He is an award-winning author and journalist whose recent novel Cuddy (2023) won the Goldsmiths Prize.
His first short story collection, Male Tears, was published by Bloomsbury in 2021.
His novel The Offing was published by Bloomsbury in 2019 and is a best-seller in Germany. It was serialised by Radio 4's Book At Bedtime and Radio 2 Book club choice. It is being developed for stage and has been optioned for film.
The non-fiction book Under The Rock, was shortlisted for The Portico Prize For Literature in 2020.
Recipient of the Roger Deakin Award and first published by Bluemoose Books, Myers' novel The Gallows Pole was published to acclaim in 2017 and was winner of the Walter Scott Prize 2018 - the world's largest prize for historical fiction. It has been published in the US by Third Man Books and in 2023 was adapted by director Shane Meadows for the BBC/A24.
The Gallows Pole was re-issued by Bloomsbury, alongside previous titles Beastings and Pig Iron.
Several of Myers' novels have been released as audiobooks, read by actor Ralph Ineson.
Turning Blue (2016) was described as a "folk crime" novel, and praised by writers including Val McDermid. A sequel These Darkening Days followed in 2017.
His novel Beastings (2014) won the Portico Prize For Literature, was the recipient of the Northern Writers’ Award and longlisted for a Jerwood Fiction Uncovered Award 2015. Widely acclaimed, it featured on several end of year lists, and was chosen by Robert Macfarlane in The Big Issue as one of his books of 2014.
Pig Iron (2012) was the winner of the inaugural Gordon Burn Prize and runner-up in The Guardian’s Not The Booker Prize. A controversial combination of biography and novel, Richard (2010) was a bestseller and chosen as a Sunday Times book of the year.
Myers’ short story ‘The Folk Song Singer’ was awarded the Tom-Gallon Prize in 2014 by the Society Of Authors and published by Galley Beggar Press. His short stories and poetry have appeared in dozens of anthologies.
As a journalist he has written about the arts and nature for publications including New Statesman, The Guardian, The Spectator, NME, Mojo, Time Out, New Scientist, Caught By The River, The Morning Star, Vice, The Quietus, Melody Maker and numerous others.
He currently lives in the Upper Calder Valley, West Yorkshire, UK.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Very dark and that's just the razor sharp humour!
In full
In a sense this book consists two complete stories. The comment seems to be that you can read them in any order. They both concern Kit and a music group called Once Upon a Time.
I read Whiteadder first. It's September 1973 and the group, famous in the Sixties, is finding it hard to be famous in the Seventies. Their leader, Alex who would wish to be seen as charismatic, has found a "pagan paradise" in southern Scotland. It consists of 5 dilapidated houses with a river running past called the Whiteadder and is a long way from anywhere. Alex, who is there with his French girlfriend, suggests that the rest of the group (actually only Bob) join him. With Bob comes his long term partner, Bronwyn, and her child (father unknown) Kit. The band's roadie, Gibby, brings Bob, Kit and Bronwyn and leaves shortly after. The band has had varied lineups over the years which rarely last other than Bob. Jonathan, a fan of the band arrives and stay to join the band. He's described as a "shadow slowly spreading like a jet black puddle", a line I loved and very apt.
It's fair to say that the group of hippy people start fairly dysfunctional and go downhill from there.
In Wolfspider it's April 1974 and Kit is arriving in London by train from the "pagan paradise". It's quickly clear that neither his mother or the other people in Scotland know where Kit is. At 14 Kit is on the streets in London. Dark and sleazy were the words that immediately came to mind about the early part of this story. In practice Kit is looking for Gibby and hoping to stay with him. It is very Seventies with music and drugs being important. The scene then moves to the open air Wolfspider festival in the north of England where the band are to have a reunion and recapture their glory…
I made a note while reading this "be very wary of mescaline"!
I saw Whiteadder as brutal and powerful. For me Wolfspider had light and dark as well as being powerful. This book overall may concern people as there is sexual abuse of young people as well as drug taking. The darkness even applies to the humour which can be razor sharp. I guess I found Wolfspider more amusing though I would understand other not agreeing with me.
I am a fan of Ben Myers's writing generally. The Offing and Rare Singles were both favourite books. In its way I think this one is just as strong. The writing is generally excellent and I loved Kit as a character. It's brutal at times and funny at times. It also can be emotional and both positively and negatively. I do think either story can be read first and I tried to work out what it might have been like if I'd read them the other way around but my brain couldn't manage that! Personally I really enjoyed this book and will happily round up the 4.5/5.
My thanks to the author and the publisher for an advance copy of this book
In full
In a sense this book consists two complete stories. The comment seems to be that you can read them in any order. They both concern Kit and a music group called Once Upon a Time.
I read Whiteadder first. It's September 1973 and the group, famous in the Sixties, is finding it hard to be famous in the Seventies. Their leader, Alex who would wish to be seen as charismatic, has found a "pagan paradise" in southern Scotland. It consists of 5 dilapidated houses with a river running past called the Whiteadder and is a long way from anywhere. Alex, who is there with his French girlfriend, suggests that the rest of the group (actually only Bob) join him. With Bob comes his long term partner, Bronwyn, and her child (father unknown) Kit. The band's roadie, Gibby, brings Bob, Kit and Bronwyn and leaves shortly after. The band has had varied lineups over the years which rarely last other than Bob. Jonathan, a fan of the band arrives and stay to join the band. He's described as a "shadow slowly spreading like a jet black puddle", a line I loved and very apt.
It's fair to say that the group of hippy people start fairly dysfunctional and go downhill from there.
In Wolfspider it's April 1974 and Kit is arriving in London by train from the "pagan paradise". It's quickly clear that neither his mother or the other people in Scotland know where Kit is. At 14 Kit is on the streets in London. Dark and sleazy were the words that immediately came to mind about the early part of this story. In practice Kit is looking for Gibby and hoping to stay with him. It is very Seventies with music and drugs being important. The scene then moves to the open air Wolfspider festival in the north of England where the band are to have a reunion and recapture their glory…
I made a note while reading this "be very wary of mescaline"!
I saw Whiteadder as brutal and powerful. For me Wolfspider had light and dark as well as being powerful. This book overall may concern people as there is sexual abuse of young people as well as drug taking. The darkness even applies to the humour which can be razor sharp. I guess I found Wolfspider more amusing though I would understand other not agreeing with me.
I am a fan of Ben Myers's writing generally. The Offing and Rare Singles were both favourite books. In its way I think this one is just as strong. The writing is generally excellent and I loved Kit as a character. It's brutal at times and funny at times. It also can be emotional and both positively and negatively. I do think either story can be read first and I tried to work out what it might have been like if I'd read them the other way around but my brain couldn't manage that! Personally I really enjoyed this book and will happily round up the 4.5/5.
My thanks to the author and the publisher for an advance copy of this book
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
When the children end up parenting the parents. Dreams - fuelled by drugs, dreams turn into nightmares, freedom turns into a scary prison
Myers continues to confirm his chameleon ability to write as per the story he is telling. His writing changes as per the story. This time round, we're placed in a commune run on the creation of bad music, free love, drugs, sex real and wished for, and dark horses. In the midst of this, we have Kit, a young boy who has to self-parent and fill the huge gaps the dreamy adults around him leave behind. The commune built on free love is no utopia. Nothing is ever free, consequences be they monetary or not, still add up in one way or another.
As if all the above is not enough, Myers then introduces the dark horse, Jonathan. Or is this a sleight of hand, who is the dark horse, is it Jonathan, or...................
Myers gives us lots but hides behind what he gives. Lots of small details that make up a broader picture, but if you move a piece here and then another piece there a different picture emerges.
That ending - rather Machiavellian, Mr. Myers.
Reading order - although the publicity around this book says that you can read these two sections in whichever order you like, I'm of a different opinion. I read Whiteadder first and then Wolfspider, in chronological order. I can't imagine reading them differently because then Wolfspider would rather spoil Whiteadder. It's either this or I'm not seeing something, or I need to take medication to be able to see or unsee further.
An ARC kindly provided through Netgalley.>
Myers continues to confirm his chameleon ability to write as per the story he is telling. His writing changes as per the story. This time round, we're placed in a commune run on the creation of bad music, free love, drugs, sex real and wished for, and dark horses. In the midst of this, we have Kit, a young boy who has to self-parent and fill the huge gaps the dreamy adults around him leave behind. The commune built on free love is no utopia. Nothing is ever free, consequences be they monetary or not, still add up in one way or another.
As if all the above is not enough, Myers then introduces the dark horse, Jonathan. Or is this a sleight of hand, who is the dark horse, is it Jonathan, or...................
Myers gives us lots but hides behind what he gives. Lots of small details that make up a broader picture, but if you move a piece here and then another piece there a different picture emerges.
That ending - rather Machiavellian, Mr. Myers.
Reading order - although the publicity around this book says that you can read these two sections in whichever order you like, I'm of a different opinion. I read Whiteadder first and then Wolfspider, in chronological order. I can't imagine reading them differently because then Wolfspider would rather spoil Whiteadder. It's either this or I'm not seeing something, or I need to take medication to be able to see or unsee further.
An ARC kindly provided through Netgalley.>
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
"Some children never get to experience half the things that you do." "But I never got to be a child, did I?"
Benjamin Myers is one of the most unique voices in contemporary fiction. You can't really categorise his work but whatever he produces will take you on an unforgettable journey of discovery,
This is the story of Kit, a young teenager whose life is controlled by the actions and whims of his mum and the movements of a gradually defunct hippy band of the late 1960s called Once Upon A Time. Kit doesn't go to school as he finds his life is part of the band's entourage . The book looks at two transformative periods of time in Kit's life - Autumn 1973 and Spring/Summer 1974.
The first part of the book finds Kit and the group living in some dilapidate cottages in the Scottish Borders; the band are trying to create new music and find their path again whilst believing they are living a communal lifestyle dream. The only person who can see that things aren't working is young Kit and when a strange joins the group, events take a darker turn forcing Kit to escape. Kit escapes into the countryside observing life along the river Whiteadder ; his interaction with the natural world in Scotland is beautiful
The second part of the story finds Kit in central London navigating the darker areas of survival from predatory men and the world of narcotics; finally finding himself living in a squat with the band's 'manager/roadie'. But the book hinges upon whether Kit will ever find a route of peace and calm and true self-identity especially when things finally come to ahead at a psychedelic festival called the Wolfspider Solstice Fayre.
This is a book that once you get into you can't but be on Kit's side - his wisdom and perception of those around him make him the 'adult' figure as he cuts through the delusions and illusions to face the reality.
At turns tender, astonishing and shocking, it is Kit's desire to find 'himself' as he enters adolescence and find a future path that makes this an excellent read. Period details and attitudes create a sense of claustrophobia within the community that Kit resides but it is hope and sensitivity that shine through.
As with other Benjamin Myers' books a thread of survival runs through the stories- the abandoned, the lost, the misunderstood - all moving forward and ultimately finding a future.
Get through the first few pages ( the band seems overly self-absorbed and deluded) and you will join Kit on this rollercoaster of a story.
A winning read for 2027.
Thank you to Bloomsbury Circus publishing and NetGalley for this advance copy and an honest review
Benjamin Myers is one of the most unique voices in contemporary fiction. You can't really categorise his work but whatever he produces will take you on an unforgettable journey of discovery,
This is the story of Kit, a young teenager whose life is controlled by the actions and whims of his mum and the movements of a gradually defunct hippy band of the late 1960s called Once Upon A Time. Kit doesn't go to school as he finds his life is part of the band's entourage . The book looks at two transformative periods of time in Kit's life - Autumn 1973 and Spring/Summer 1974.
The first part of the book finds Kit and the group living in some dilapidate cottages in the Scottish Borders; the band are trying to create new music and find their path again whilst believing they are living a communal lifestyle dream. The only person who can see that things aren't working is young Kit and when a strange joins the group, events take a darker turn forcing Kit to escape. Kit escapes into the countryside observing life along the river Whiteadder ; his interaction with the natural world in Scotland is beautiful
The second part of the story finds Kit in central London navigating the darker areas of survival from predatory men and the world of narcotics; finally finding himself living in a squat with the band's 'manager/roadie'. But the book hinges upon whether Kit will ever find a route of peace and calm and true self-identity especially when things finally come to ahead at a psychedelic festival called the Wolfspider Solstice Fayre.
This is a book that once you get into you can't but be on Kit's side - his wisdom and perception of those around him make him the 'adult' figure as he cuts through the delusions and illusions to face the reality.
At turns tender, astonishing and shocking, it is Kit's desire to find 'himself' as he enters adolescence and find a future path that makes this an excellent read. Period details and attitudes create a sense of claustrophobia within the community that Kit resides but it is hope and sensitivity that shine through.
As with other Benjamin Myers' books a thread of survival runs through the stories- the abandoned, the lost, the misunderstood - all moving forward and ultimately finding a future.
Get through the first few pages ( the band seems overly self-absorbed and deluded) and you will join Kit on this rollercoaster of a story.
A winning read for 2027.
Thank you to Bloomsbury Circus publishing and NetGalley for this advance copy and an honest review
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Benjamin Myers pulls another completely different book out of the bag to amaze and amuse me. This is a dark tale of young Kit, dragged from pillar to post by his groupie mother at the tail end of the Seventies in service to a once famous folk band, now diminished by drugs, egos and shifting fashions. The first half of the book sees Kit adrift in the wilds of Scotland, living on porridge and his wits while the adults fail to acknowledge their neglect or the sinister agenda of a stranger who arrives in their midst. The second half sees Kit running off to London to escape the catastrophe of Scotland. You are supposed to be able to read each half in any order you like but I think it works best with Scotland first and then London. It's a twisty, clever book with a strange charm and dark humour that lifts it from the edge of horror.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I love and admire Benjamin Myers novels, though less the folk noir ones which I find difficult to stomach. However this novel is more along the lines of Rare Singles or The Offing and is just as good.
Set in the early 1970s it is the story of Kit, a 13 year old who hasn't attended school for some time, but lives a semi-nomadic existence with his mother, a hippy who has weak mental health, and her partner, who is a member of a band - Once Upon a Time (an appropriate name) who were popular in the 1960s but who now exist on dwindling royalties, drugs and fading memories. They move to set up a commune in a set of dilapidated cottages in Scotland where they live in great discomfort (Kit is constantly hungry) and with the malign presence of a newcomer, Jonathan, who appears and joins the band, despite any apparent musical talent.
A sequence of events (no spoilers) sees Kit moving to London and initially falling into the world of young runaways who work as rent boys to powerful men. In some ways this is a coming of age story, but not one we would wish or want for anyone we know. Things come to a head at a ramshackle festival in Todmorden, Yorkshire and a revelation that may surprise or we may have known all along.
Definitely recommended and many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a review copy.
Set in the early 1970s it is the story of Kit, a 13 year old who hasn't attended school for some time, but lives a semi-nomadic existence with his mother, a hippy who has weak mental health, and her partner, who is a member of a band - Once Upon a Time (an appropriate name) who were popular in the 1960s but who now exist on dwindling royalties, drugs and fading memories. They move to set up a commune in a set of dilapidated cottages in Scotland where they live in great discomfort (Kit is constantly hungry) and with the malign presence of a newcomer, Jonathan, who appears and joins the band, despite any apparent musical talent.
A sequence of events (no spoilers) sees Kit moving to London and initially falling into the world of young runaways who work as rent boys to powerful men. In some ways this is a coming of age story, but not one we would wish or want for anyone we know. Things come to a head at a ramshackle festival in Todmorden, Yorkshire and a revelation that may surprise or we may have known all along.
Definitely recommended and many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a review copy.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Whiteadder/Wolfspider by Benjamin Myers, the brilliant auteur behind Cuddy, Pig Iron and The Gallows Pole (to name but three of his other novels), returns with new puzzle box of a novel - one his publishers say can be read forward or backwards or whichever way you wish. I read it chronologically, from page 1 to its end, which is the way I expect most of his readers will approach it. And what a fabulous novel it is.
It is 1973 and the psychedelic folk band Once Upon A Time move to the Scottish borders to gain some freedom, where Kit - our central character here - is young, just thirteen, but about to grow up very suddenly.
Then it is 1974 and Kit is in London, prowling around SoHo and haunted by his past - something comes smashing back into his present when Once Upon A Time reunite to play a festival.
Beautifully capturing a snapshot of the UK on the cusp of major changes - and of a music scene that would also soon be changing dramatically - Myers' latest novel is another triumph. I absolutely adored reading Whiteadder/Wolfspider, ploughing through it in one breathless sitting. I can't wait to re-read it again!
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.
It is 1973 and the psychedelic folk band Once Upon A Time move to the Scottish borders to gain some freedom, where Kit - our central character here - is young, just thirteen, but about to grow up very suddenly.
Then it is 1974 and Kit is in London, prowling around SoHo and haunted by his past - something comes smashing back into his present when Once Upon A Time reunite to play a festival.
Beautifully capturing a snapshot of the UK on the cusp of major changes - and of a music scene that would also soon be changing dramatically - Myers' latest novel is another triumph. I absolutely adored reading Whiteadder/Wolfspider, ploughing through it in one breathless sitting. I can't wait to re-read it again!
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
God, being in The Incredible String Band must have sucked.
This is incredibly readable and captures the era of 60s idealism curdling into a greyer and more oppressive 70s brilliantly. Following on from The Perfect Golden Circle and Rare Singles, this further demonstrates that Myers has an uncanny knack for getting under the skin of a subculture. Could be a top book of 2027 for me.
This is incredibly readable and captures the era of 60s idealism curdling into a greyer and more oppressive 70s brilliantly. Following on from The Perfect Golden Circle and Rare Singles, this further demonstrates that Myers has an uncanny knack for getting under the skin of a subculture. Could be a top book of 2027 for me.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Another great book from Benjamin Myers.
Kit is living in a Scottish commune with members of the band Once Upon A Time. It's a bleak, self sufficient existence, made worse by the arrival of a stranger. And then the unthinkable happens. A death occurs.
Kit runs away to London, to experience yet more chaos...
A quirky, darkly comic story that is utterly compelling.
Kit is living in a Scottish commune with members of the band Once Upon A Time. It's a bleak, self sufficient existence, made worse by the arrival of a stranger. And then the unthinkable happens. A death occurs.
Kit runs away to London, to experience yet more chaos...
A quirky, darkly comic story that is utterly compelling.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews