Coronet lands 'shocking and wickedly funny' short story collection from Blindboyboatclub

Coronet has landed a “shocking and wickedly funny” short story collection from Blindboyboatclub.

Harriet Poland, editorial director, acquired world rights to Topographia Hibernica and one other book from Melanie Rockcliffe and Amanda Harris at YMU. It will be published in hardback, e-book and an audiobook on 16th November 2023.

The publisher said: “Topographia Hibernica unravels the knotted threads of humanity, nature and colonisation. From a donkey stuffed into the back of a Fiat Punto to jackdaws pecking brains out through the roof of a confessional box, this is the compelling and twisted world of a brilliant, maverick mind.

“Taking its title from a 12th century English manuscript of the same name, which dehumanised the people and culture of Ireland to facilitate domination, the collection stretches from the comic and macabre to the absurd and enlightening. Capturing human potential and illuminating the traps of the human mind, these are stories of the strange unsettlings in the souls caught between the past and possibility; stories of heart-blinding rage and disquieting compassion.”

Blindboyboatclub is hailed by the publisher as “one of Ireland’s foremost artistic voices”. He has published two number one bestsellers, The Gospel According to Blindboy and Boulevard Wren (Both Gill Books). His show “The Blindboy Podcast” reaches over one million listeners monthly. A national podcast tour will tie in with the launch of Topographia Hibernica in November. 

Blindboyboatclub said: “This short story collection has been a wonderful opportunity to turn my curiosity to themes that have been consuming me for the past few years.”

Poland added: "If you’ve been listening to ’The Blindboy Podcast’ in all its mercurial splendour and mind-bending insight, you’ll be as excited about this collection as we all are. It is a feast of the shocking and wickedly funny, an unravelling of literary conformity.”