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11/01/2024

COLIN'S DYSTOPIAN NOVEL 'DEATHDAY' NOW AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIOBOOK

Colin's dystopian novel 'Deathday' published in paperback last year is now available as an audiobook narrated by the author. The novel imagines England in 2045 where euthanasia has become compulsory at the age of ninety.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Audible-Deathday/dp/B0CP2NLMX6/ref=tmm_aud_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Here are a few short extracts from the audiobook -



From Chapter 1

From Chapter 4


From Chapter 26
Amazon Sample





10/10/2023

COLIN APPEARING AT ILKLEY LITERATURE FESTIVAL TO DISCUSS 'DEATHDAY' NOVEL


Colin will be appearing at the Ilkley Literature Festival on Sunday 15th October at 5pm at the Ilkley Playhouse to discuss his recently published speculative novel 'Deathday'. The novel, set in 2045 England, imagines a society which has made euthanasia compulsory at the age of ninety. Colin will be sharing a platform with another dystopian writer, Natasha Calder, whose novel 'Whether Violent or Natural' envisages a world where antibiotics have failed completely. The event will be chaired by Yorkshire Post critic, Yvette Huddleston.

https://www.ilkleyliteraturefestival.org.uk/events/49-colin-philpott-natasha-calder-dystopian-decisions

Colin is also chairing a number of other events at the Festival involving authors Tim Marshall, Dan Jones, Tracy Borman and James Naughtie.


19/07/2023
COLIN'S NOVEL RECEIVING FAVOURABLE REVIEWS

Colin's debut novel 'Deathday' is getting good reviews. Among comments posted on a range of review sites - 

'A great read from start to finish'

"The story builds well and the tension mounts"

"An interesting concept and spookily believable"

'Beautifully written with super characterisation"

"A very thought provoking book"

"I found the idea of conflict between generations the most intriguing part of the book"
29/06/2023
COLIN'S DEBUT NOVEL "DEATHDAY" ATTRACTING ATTENTION
Colin's debut novel 'Deathday' which envisages compulsory euthanasia aged 90 in 2045 England, is attracting attention. It's getting favourable reviews from people who've read it - 'brilliant, thought-provoking novel', 'I could not put it down' 'thoughtful, tense and well-constructed' are among the comments on Goodreads.

Colin has already appeared at the York Festival of Ideas and at the Bradford Literature Festival discussing the book. He's appearing in Harrogate Waterstone's on July 8th and at the Ilkley Literature Festival on October 15th.

And there's been plenty of media coverage including several BBC local radio stations, commercial stations including Great Yorkshire Radio and Radio Tyneside, a range of newspapers including the Yorkshire Post and the Telegraph and Argus as well as recommendations on the Cambridge University Alumni Online Bookshop and elsewhere.
31/03/2023
COLIN STARTS MEDIA INTERVIEWS IN RUN-UP TO PUBLICATION OF DEBUT NOVEL

Colin is being interviewed about his novel 'Deathday' in advance of its publication on April 23rd.

He spoke to Andrew Edwards on BBC Radio Leeds -
https://www.fisherkingpublishing.co.uk

And Nick Hancock spoke to Colin for 'Your Harrogate' Radio
https://yourharrogate.co.uk/podcast/your-harrogate-podcast-episode-240/
18/02/2023
COLIN'S DEBUT NOVEL TO BE PUBLISHED IN APRIL
 

Colin's first novel, due to be published by Fisher King in April, is set in a world where everyone's life must end at ninety. 

The setting is England in 2045, where euthanasia is not just legal but compulsory. Severe economic depression in the wake of the Great Pandemic and Brexit, a collapse in the care system and inter-generational conflict had changed attitudes to death and old age.  Ten years earlier, a right-wing Government, supported by the shadowy League of Youth, had won a majority in Parliament for the mandatory termination of life at the age of ninety. A decade later, people who still accept the law plan for Deathday Parties, Evaders try to escape abroad, and Remainders, people already over ninety and who were spared at the time the law came in, live in colonies in rundown seaside resorts. Meanwhile, the young King plots with politicians opposed to the laws which are enforced by the sinister National Age Regulation Authority.

  

Colin said: “I was inspired to write this novel after witnessing the differing end of life experiences of members of my own family and also my experience as a volunteer with a food delivery and befriending charity. I am not advocating compulsory euthanasia, but I do believe society needs to create a higher quality of life in old age and radically rethink our approach to end of life care."

 

Rick Armstrong, Managing Director of Fisher King Publishing said : "We are delighted to be publishing Colin Philpott's debut novel. When I first read the manuscript, it was clear that the basis of the narrative is highly thought provoking, tackling very pressing contemporary issues in an interesting and clever way."

 

'Deathday' is Colin's first work of fiction. Previously, he has written three books about twentieth century history. 'A Place in History' - the stories of places in Britain touched by news events; 'Relics of the Reich' , examining how Germany has dealt with the buildings left by the Nazis; and 'Secret Wartime Britain'  about hidden places in Britain that helped the war effort in the Second World War. Colin worked for the BBC for twenty-five years as a journalist, programme-maker and senior executive. Later he was Director of the National Media Museum in Bradford. He lives in Yorkshire. 


Title: DEATHDAY

Author: Colin Philpott
Published by Fisher King Publishing

ISBN 978-1-914560-54-5

Available worldwide in print and digital versions from April 2023

The author is available for media engagements. 

For more information or to contact the author please email Rachel at rt@fisherkingpublishing.co.uk or colin@colinphilpottmedia.co.uk

13/04/2022
COLIN BECOMES SENIOR INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR AT YORKSHIRE CRICKET FOUNDATION

Colin has been appointed as the Senior Independent Director at the Yorkshire Cricket Foundation. Colin has been a Trustee of the Foundation, the community and charitable arm of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, since 2017. His new role will involve ensuring that the Foundation's governance is professional and exemplary. in addition, he will continue to take a particular interest in the heritage work of the Foundation which maintains the archive of Yorkshire cricket and runs the Museum at Headingley. The Foundation's purpose is to use the power of cricket and sport to improve lives in communities across Yorkshire.

https://yorkshirecricketfoundation.com/news/view/1234/ycf-announces-chair-and-independent-director-to-board



15/02/2022
COLIN TO DELIVER LECTURE TO PRESTIGIOUS YORKSHIRE PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY

Colin is set to deliver a lecture on Second World War secrecy to the prestigious Yorkshire Philosophical Society as part of its double centenary events programme. The lecture will focus on secret and hidden sites in Britain which contributed to the war effort and examine whether they were truly secret.
The lecture is one of more than a dozen talks bookings in Colin's diary for the coming months on aspects of twentieth century history featured in his three published books. More details of the event next Tuesday 22nd February at 730pm are at https://www.ypsyork.org/events/secret-wartime-britain/
20/10/2021
RELICS OF THE REICH NEW EDITION NOW AVAILABLE
Colin's second book, "Relics of the Reich", first published in 2016, has been republished with a new updated introduction. Colin visited sites associated with the Nazi regime across Germany to learn how the difficult architectural legacy from the Third Reich has been handled. The book includes a wide variety of places from those associated with the terror machine of the Nazis, the public buildings and spaces used by Hitler to glorify Nazi ideals, and the private homes of leading Nazis. The stories of what has happened to these places since 1945 is part of the bigger story of how modern Germany has come to terms with the darkest period in its history. You can order the 2021 edition at https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Relics-of-the-Reich-Paperback/p/19207
20/09/2021
COLIN CHAIRING COLD WAR EVENTS AT ILKLEY LITERATURE FESTIVAL 2021
Colin will once again be chairing events and interviewing authors at this year's Ilkley Literature Festival. On Saturday October 2nd, he'll be hosting two events both tackling issues related to Cold War espionage. He'll be interviewing Anne Sebba about her book on Ethel Rosenberg who was sent to the electric chair along with her husband after being found guilt of spying for the Soviet Union. And later that day, he'll be talking to Trevor Barnes and Tim Tate about their books - Trevor's telling the story of the Portland Spy Ring in 1960s Britain and Tim's recalling the complicated life of Michal Goleniewski, who defected to the West and is regarded by some as the most important of all Cold War spies. Both these events are in person in Ilkley but are also being live streamed. 
https://www.ilkleyliteraturefestival.org.uk/events/2-anne-sebba-ethel-rosenberg-live-streamed
https://www.ilkleyliteraturefestival.org.uk/events/3-tim-tate-and-trevor-barnes-cold-war-spies







02/09/2021
COLIN CURATES EXHIBITION ABOUT LIFE DURING LOCKDOWN
Colin curated an exhibition entitled 'Images of Isolation' about life during the pandemic in his home village in North Yorkshire. Over 500 photos taken by villagers as well as 30-40 pieces of writing and several videos were displayed in the Village Hall in Bishop Monkton in August 2021. The exhibition was featured on BBC Look North. The exhibition will be going online as a permanent record of how one community coped during the Covid pandemic.

08/08/2021
RELICS OF THE REICH NEW EDITION PUBLISHED

Colin's second book 'Relics of the Reich' is being published in paperback on September 30th. The book explores what has happened to the many buildings and public spaces left behind from the Nazi period and it explains how Germany has dealt with this difficult architectural legacy. This 2021 edition will contain a new introduction which updates developments since the book's original publication in 2016. The book is available to pre-order from the publisher, Pen and Sword Books.   

https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Relics-of-the-Reich-Paperback/p/19207
12/05/2021
COLIN TO TALK ABOUT NAZIS, CINEMA TRICKS AND SEWERS AT YORK FESTIVAL IDEAS
Colin will be interviewing three authors about widely differing topics for online events at this year's York Festival of Ideas run by the University of York.

On Friday 11 June at 1pm he'll be talking to Daniel Lee whose book 'The SS Officer's Armchair' uncovers the hidden story of a leading Nazi following the surprise discovery of a stash of papers sewn into an armchair cushion. https://yorkfestivalofideas.com/2021/calendar/ss-officer/

The following day, at 7pm on Saturday 12 June, he'll be chatting with Peter Conrad about his book 'The Mysteries of Cinema' . https://yorkfestivalofideas.com/2021/calendar/movies-imagination/

He will also be uncovering the history of sewers as described by author Stephen Halliday in his latest book 'An Underground Guide to Sewers' at 12noon on Sunday June 13. https://yorkfestivalofideas.com/2021/calendar/guide-to-sewers/
29/04/2021
'SECRET WARTIME BRITAIN' RE-RELEASED IN PAPERBACK

Colin's third book, 'Secret Wartime Britain', originally published in 2018, has been re-released in paperback for a second time. The book tells the stories of hidden places in Second World War Britain and asks whether their secrecy was maintained during the conflict. The book is available from the publisher, Pen and Sword Books - https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Secret-Wartime-Britain-Paperback/p/17863
01/04/2021
COLIN ZOOM TALKS LINED UP FOR SPRING AND SUMMER


Colin is making use of Zoom to deliver talks about his books to groups still unable to meet because of Coronavirus restrictions. During the next four months, he already has several bookings for virtual talks including Northallerton U3A, a retired civil servants group based in York, and Todmorden U3A. If you're interested in booking Colin for a talk, see the 'Speaker' page of this website and then use the 'Contact' page to get in touch.
17/03/2021
COLIN INTERVIEWING AT ILKLEY LITERATURE FESTIVAL SPRING SERIES OF DIGITAL EVENTS

Colin will be interviewing author, Matt Gaw, about his book 'Under the Stars' at one of the forthcoming series of digital events being staged by Ilkley Literature Festival. Matt's book is a fascinating and beautifully written account of his journey to different parts of Britain exploring our relationship with natural light and its absence as a result of ever-spreading artificial light. Matt writes with passion about what we are missing because of artificial light and the damage it is causing to the natural world. You can book for this online event on Saturday 27th March at 6.30p.m. at https://www.ilkleyliteraturefestival.org.uk/events/matt-gaw-under-the-stars
29/01/2021
COLIN CURATING EXHIBITION ABOUT LIFE DURING LOCKDOWN IN A YORKSHIRE VILLAGE
Colin is curating an exhibition entitled 'Images of Isolation' about how the village of Bishop Monkton near Harrogate in North Yorkshire is living through the coronavirus pandemic. Working as part of the Local History Group, he is gathering hundreds of images, video recordings and written reflections about the experiences of the people of the village since the beginning of the pandemic. The exhibition will be staged in the Village Hall once restrictions allow and it will also be kept for posterity as a permanent online gallery.
15/01/2021
COLIN BOOKED TO OPEN PRESTIGIOUS ROSSETT TALKS 2021 SERIES BY ZOOM
Colin will be delivering a talk on his book 'Secret Wartime Britain' as the opening event of the 2021 series of the prestigious Rossett Talks in Harrogate. It will take place on the evening of Monday 22nd February at 7pm. Normally, these talks take place at Rossett School in Harrogate but this year they will take place online via Zoom. Colin's talk will comprise an illustrated tour of scores of hidden places from Second World War Britain, explaining the role they played in the war effort and what has happened to them since. Crucially, Colin will reveal just how secret these sites really were and what that tells us about morale and behaviour by Britons during one of the toughest periods in the country's history. You can book for this talk here



05/07/2020
COLIN APPEARS ON MEDIA DISCUSSING BLACK LIVES STATUES AND THE LESSONS FROM GERMANY
Colin was invited by several media outlets in June and July 2020 to speak about the controversy surrounding statues of slave traders like Edward Colston. Colston's statue in Bristol was torn down by Black Lives protestors and thrown into the harbour. Colin offered a perspective on the subject from Germany which has had to deal with the vexed question of what to do with buildings and public spaces left behind from the Nazi era. Colin explained how many Nazi relics including concentration camps as well as ceremonial spaces like the Nuremberg rally Grounds had been preserved but given objective historical interpretation through museums and memorials on site. Colin appeared on BBC Radios Oxford, York, Solent, Bristol and Leeds.
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