It's time for a thread of (my) editions of Alan Garner's "The Owl Service" & related books. I'd love to hear what you think, and all about your own copies. And do, please, share if you enjoy it.
Anyway, off to the magical Shelf of Garner...
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#OwlService 1/22
Anyway, off to the magical Shelf of Garner...
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#OwlService 1/22
"The Owl Service", Alan Garner, Collins, 1967
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Starting at the beginning, here's the first edition of "The Owl Service", with a jacket design by Kenneth Farnhill.
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#OwlService 2/22
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Starting at the beginning, here's the first edition of "The Owl Service", with a jacket design by Kenneth Farnhill.
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#OwlService 2/22
"The Owl Service", Alan Garner, Collins, 1967
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Here's the plate design, created by Griselda Greaves from the original plates belonging to her mother, Betty, and now in print for the first time on the paste-down and free endpapers of the hardback.
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#OwlService 3/22
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Here's the plate design, created by Griselda Greaves from the original plates belonging to her mother, Betty, and now in print for the first time on the paste-down and free endpapers of the hardback.
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#OwlService 3/22
"The Owl Service", Alan Garner, Collins, 1967
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Alan & Griselda signed this copy for me. (I've pixelated Griselda's signature as it's not already on the internet.) A note from Griselda which might be of interest. I like the red binding, even if it's a mistake.
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#OwlService 4/22
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Alan & Griselda signed this copy for me. (I've pixelated Griselda's signature as it's not already on the internet.) A note from Griselda which might be of interest. I like the red binding, even if it's a mistake.
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#OwlService 4/22
"The Owl Service", Alan Garner, Peacock Books, 1969
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The television adapatation of "The Owl Service" was broadcast in late 1969. This is the edition which accompanied the series. I'm fairly sure that this is the first paperback edition.
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#OwlService 5/22
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The television adapatation of "The Owl Service" was broadcast in late 1969. This is the edition which accompanied the series. I'm fairly sure that this is the first paperback edition.
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#OwlService 5/22
"The Owl Service", Alan Garner, Peacock Books, 1969
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The cover shows Gwyn, Roger and Alison (Michael Holden, Francis Wallis and Gillian Hills). This copy is also signed, and here's (half of) the paperback's version of the famous plate design.
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#OwlService 6/22
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The cover shows Gwyn, Roger and Alison (Michael Holden, Francis Wallis and Gillian Hills). This copy is also signed, and here's (half of) the paperback's version of the famous plate design.
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#OwlService 6/22
"The Owl Service", Alan Garner, Peacock Books, 1969, reprinted 1969, 1970, 1971
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This copy arrived yesterday. That incredible cover—my favourite of them all—is by Charles Keeping (uncredited in my 1971 reprint, but credited in @folk_horror's 1972 reprint).
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#OwlService 7/22
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This copy arrived yesterday. That incredible cover—my favourite of them all—is by Charles Keeping (uncredited in my 1971 reprint, but credited in @folk_horror's 1972 reprint).
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#OwlService 7/22
"The Owl Service", Alan Garner, Peacock Books, 1969, reprinted 1969, 1970, 1971
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This is harder to find than most. I thought it predated the television tie-in, but seemingly not. My current theory is that '69/'70 were photo-covers, and '71/'72 had this cover.
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#OwlService 8/22
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This is harder to find than most. I thought it predated the television tie-in, but seemingly not. My current theory is that '69/'70 were photo-covers, and '71/'72 had this cover.
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#OwlService 8/22
"The Owl Service", Alan Garner, Collins Modern Classics, 1998
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The fern on James Marsh's cover reminds me of the Welsh hillsides of childhood holidays. This edition gains a 1998 postscript by Alan. It also has illustrations for each chapter, by Bob Harvey.
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#OwlService 9/22
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The fern on James Marsh's cover reminds me of the Welsh hillsides of childhood holidays. This edition gains a 1998 postscript by Alan. It also has illustrations for each chapter, by Bob Harvey.
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#OwlService 9/22
"The Owl Service," Alan Garner, Folio Society, 2013
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This is everything one would expect from a @foliosociety edition: beautifully made and printed, with outstanding illustrations by @DarrenHopes, and a preface by Susan Cooper.
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#OwlService 10/22
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This is everything one would expect from a @foliosociety edition: beautifully made and printed, with outstanding illustrations by @DarrenHopes, and a preface by Susan Cooper.
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#OwlService 10/22
"The Owl Service: 50th Anniversary Edition", Alan Garner, HarperCollins, 2017
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Bright. Stands out on a shelf. Introduction by @PhilipPullman. I created a long thread for the anniversary, with a lot of links. You can read it here:
#OwlService 11/22
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Bright. Stands out on a shelf. Introduction by @PhilipPullman. I created a long thread for the anniversary, with a lot of links. You can read it here:
https://twitter.com/sarahkmarr/status/899526620498755586?s=20
#OwlService 11/22
"Llestri'r Dylluan", Alan Garner, trans. @BethanGwanas, Atebol, 2018
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Given the setting of the story, and the sources of its mythology, it's wonderful that a Welsh language translation has been printed. (No, I can't read it. Yes, I wish I could.)
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#OwlService 12/22
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Given the setting of the story, and the sources of its mythology, it's wonderful that a Welsh language translation has been printed. (No, I can't read it. Yes, I wish I could.)
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#OwlService 12/22
"Llestri'r Dylluan", Alan Garner, trans. @BethanGwanas, Atebol, 2018
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To give a feeling for the translation of Garner's "The Owl Service", here are the opening pages from the first edition and the Welsh language edition.
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#OwlService 13/22
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To give a feeling for the translation of Garner's "The Owl Service", here are the opening pages from the first edition and the Welsh language edition.
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#OwlService 13/22
"The Owl Service", adapted by Alan Garner, dir. Peter Plummer, Granada Television, from 21 Dec 1969
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For more on the television adaptation see my 50th anniversary thread. The @networktweets release comes with a fine booklet by Stephen McKay & @AnnoDracula.
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#OwlService 14/22
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For more on the television adaptation see my 50th anniversary thread. The @networktweets release comes with a fine booklet by Stephen McKay & @AnnoDracula.
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#OwlService 14/22
"Filming the Owl Service", Alan, Ellen, Adam & Katherine Garner, & Peter Plummer, Armada, 1970
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This fantastic little volume was written by Alan's children, Alan & the series's director. Hard to find, harder to find at a reasonable price. But not impossible.
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#OwlService 15/22
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This fantastic little volume was written by Alan's children, Alan & the series's director. Hard to find, harder to find at a reasonable price. But not impossible.
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#OwlService 15/22
"The Mabinogion", trans. Gywn Jones & Thomas Jones, Everyman's Library 97, Dent, 1966 reprint
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The Mabinogion threads through "The Owl Service": Jones & Jones are in the acknowledgements. On television, Alison reads it: she's top left here; I'm bottom left.
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#OwlService 16/22
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The Mabinogion threads through "The Owl Service": Jones & Jones are in the acknowledgements. On television, Alison reads it: she's top left here; I'm bottom left.
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#OwlService 16/22
"I've Seen a Ghost", ed. Richard Davis, Granada Publishing, 1980
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The director of "The Owl Service", Peter Plummer, has a chapter in this book, in which he details the weird and unsettling goings-on associated with the filming of the series.
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#OwlService 17/22
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The director of "The Owl Service", Peter Plummer, has a chapter in this book, in which he details the weird and unsettling goings-on associated with the filming of the series.
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#OwlService 17/22
"Time Screen: The Magazine of British Telefantasy", Number 10, Winter 1987
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"The Owl Service" is 'British cult television'. This is the excellent article adapted by Stephen McKay for the @networktweets DVD, with an episode guide by Andrew Pixley.
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#OwlService 18/22
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"The Owl Service" is 'British cult television'. This is the excellent article adapted by Stephen McKay for the @networktweets DVD, with an episode guide by Andrew Pixley.
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#OwlService 18/22
"Explorations of the Marvellous", ed. Peter Nicholls, Fontana, 1978 (first pub. as "Science Fiction at Large", Gollancz, 1976)
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Alan writes about the health problems which he suffered during the filming of "The Owl Service" (& much more) in "Inner Time".
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#OwlService 19/22
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Alan writes about the health problems which he suffered during the filming of "The Owl Service" (& much more) in "Inner Time".
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#OwlService 19/22
"A Fine Anger: A Critical Introduction...", @neilphilipmyth, Collins, 1981
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The thread would be incomplete without this core text. Chapter 3 is on "The Owl Service". (The debossed Týr rune, right, also appears on the first ed. of Garner's "The Stone Book".)
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#OwlService 20/22
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The thread would be incomplete without this core text. Chapter 3 is on "The Owl Service". (The debossed Týr rune, right, also appears on the first ed. of Garner's "The Stone Book".)
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#OwlService 20/22
"First Light: A Celebration of Alan Garner", ed. @EricaWgnr, Unbound, 2016
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Garner's impact is clear from the contributor list of "First Light". Helen Dunmore's chapter is on "The Owl Service", but the entire book is an indispensible companion to Garner.
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#OwlService 21/22
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Garner's impact is clear from the contributor list of "First Light". Helen Dunmore's chapter is on "The Owl Service", but the entire book is an indispensible companion to Garner.
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#OwlService 21/22
And that's it for my copies of "The Owl Service": I have a few others, but these are my favourites. Again, I'd love to hear about your copies: the ones you read at school, the ones you still have… And remember, she wants to be flowers, but you make her owls.
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#OwlService 22/22
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#OwlService 22/22
Bonus, by request:
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"Elidor", Alan Garner, Puffin Books, 1969, (1971 reprint) & Armada Lions 1974 (20th imp. 1988)
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Illus. by Charles Keeping. Lion cover by Stephen Lavis. Puffin is a redrawn version of an '60s cover (with red background) by Keeping.
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#ElidorNotOwlService
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"Elidor", Alan Garner, Puffin Books, 1969, (1971 reprint) & Armada Lions 1974 (20th imp. 1988)
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Illus. by Charles Keeping. Lion cover by Stephen Lavis. Puffin is a redrawn version of an '60s cover (with red background) by Keeping.
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#ElidorNotOwlService
"The Mabinogion", trans. Gywn Jones & Thomas Jones, Everyman's Library 1097, Dent, 1974
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Peter Whiteman's beautiful cover features Blodeuwedd, surrounded by flowers & golden petals/claws. Definitely the unofficial companion edition to "The Owl Service".
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#OwlService bonus/22
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Peter Whiteman's beautiful cover features Blodeuwedd, surrounded by flowers & golden petals/claws. Definitely the unofficial companion edition to "The Owl Service".
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#OwlService bonus/22
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