Contemporary Gothic Reading Group 2: Dyson & Nyman, The Warlock Effect

Join members of the Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies for the second of our Spring/Summer Contemporary Reading Groups for 2024. This is the second of a series of 4 reading groups(the first two will be in person, the last two online). These free sessions, which we run in the summer months, give us a chance to explore the prominent role of the Gothic in modern and contemporary culture. Come along for a relaxed conversation among enthusiasts and avid readers.

This reading group will start with a Q and A with special guest, the author Jeremy Dyson, also known as a screenwriter, director, playwright and co-creator of the multi-award-winning comedy show The League of Gentlemen. This is one of our special author workshops in our International Gothic Summer School from 11-14 June. For more information on the Summer School, please visit our site: https://www.mmu.ac.uk/news-and-events/events/detail/international-gothic-summer-school-2024

The event takes place on Manchester Metropolitan University campus, in the Grosvenor East Building. We will confirm the room the week before.

FORMAT
The session will be led by one of our postgraduate Gothic researchers Sarah Dutson and Bronte Schiltz. There is no need to prepare questions or reviews. Please just turn up on the day ready to chat about the book.

AUDIENCE
This reading group is free and open to everyone, but please note that regular attendees tend to be postgraduate researchers and members of staff. For this reason, the group might not suit total beginners.

For more information on the Contemporary Gothic Reading Group and previous reading lists, please visit our website: https://www.mmu.ac.uk/english/gothic-studies/modern-and-contemporary-gothic-reading-group/ or join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1589997731237020

Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman's novel The Warlock Effect (2023; out in paperback soon!) is a twist-filled thriller set in Cold War London - and a glimpse into the phenomenal mind of an extraordinary magician.

Meet Louis Warlock.
Man about town, denizen of Soho's nightclubs and cabaret bars - and the most skilled magician of his time . . .

As a boy, Ludvik Weinschenk fled Nazi Germany to England with a pack of playing cards and three tricks to his name. Twelve years later, in 1950s London, having risen through the ranks of concert parties, night clubs and variety theatres, Ludvik - or Louis Warlock as he is now known - is the most famous magician in Britain.

But after his talent for deception attracts the attention of the British secret service, Louis is thrown into the perilous world of espionage and finds himself sent across Europe with a dangerous mission to fulfil. When he comes face to face with a nemesis whose cunning rivals his own, Louis will need to use every trick in the book - or risk the most terrible consequences, both for the country and for himself.

You can find out more about the novel here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-warlock-effect/jeremy-dyson/andy-nyman/9781529364811

Host or Publisher The Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies