"Nothing Much"

 

I'm now closing in on the (self) publication of my next novel. It's possibly a novella, depending on how old you are, of course. If you're younger than, say 20, I think I can get away with describing it as a novel. If you're older, then pedants will no doubt be chanting "it's a novella" from the kerbside. Basically, it's less than 50000 words for anyone who's counting.

"Nothing Much" is a departure from The Broken Bottle trilogy although, like the last of the three, it is again set in the North East of England. In North Shields, to be precise. The story is framed in the mid-1990s and revolves around neighbours Billy (18) and Esther (16). A gentle tale of teenagers from unconventional family settings falling in love, it is loosely inspired by the Rodgersons and Fannens of mid-19th century North Shields. Without some of the Rodgersons, I'd not be here today.

The image above is of the herring girl sculpture by the fish quay there, but is not the cover of the book. The cover will be based on a photograph taken by the fantastic community venture I Love North Shields, shot yards from where much of the action is set. I say action, but, well, you know how these things go ... Here's a snippet, to give an idea:

Further news on pre-orders, cover reveals, publication dates and prices will follow in due course. As with 'This Is Not The End', there is a soundtrack album in the making as well. That'll make things easier for Mr. Spielberg when he comes to make the movie, won't it?

all text, images and artwork copyright John Hartley 2026, with all rights reserved.