Chilling new folk horror novel by lecturer and Costa-winning writer published
The much-anticipated fourth novel by an award-winning novelist and creative writing lecturer whose work was recently seen in cinemas is about to be published.
Andrew Hurley’s Barrowbeck is set in a remote valley on the Yorkshire-Lancashire border, where for centuries the inhabitants have lived uneasily with dark forces beyond their reckoning.
Published on 24 October by John Murray, the tale follows the families who for generations have been living with a sinister presence running through the village, which finally threatens their community and their safety.
The novel’s publication follows the film adaptation of Hurley’s third novel Starve Acre, which opened in UK cinemas last month to rave reviews. Starring Dr Who’s Matt Smith and Lord of the Rings’s Morfydd Clarke, it will soon land on streaming platforms Apple TV and Prime Video.
Hurley’s first novel The Loney went on to sell in 20 languages and win the Costa Best First Novel Award and the Book of the Year at the British Book Awards. Devil’s Day, his second novel, was picked as a book of the year in five newspapers and won the Encore Award.
Hurley said: “Barrowbeck is a departure for me in terms of structure and has made me think differently about how I use the novel form. The story takes place in one particular corner of England but the struggles the inhabitants face are universal.
“I’ve enjoyed this more experimental approach to my novel writing, and I hope that readers will enjoy the familiar dark menace and suspense that’s in keeping with the folk horror genre.”
As part of Manchester Literature Festival, Andrew Hurley will be taking part in a panel event and discussion about Barrowbeck on Friday 18 October at Manchester Central Library. He will also be giving a talk at Waterstones in Preston on Thursday 24 October.
