Pam Scrayfield launches her new book in four volumes, ‘The North Beyond’
ENNISKILLEN novelist Pam Scrayfield launched her debut book in Enniskillen library on Friday night.
Ms Scrayfield, who many across the county will associate with Fermanagh Concert Band, has just published ‘The North Beyond’, a fantasy fiction novel published in four volumes, and she said she was ‘very pleased’ with how the launch event went, and with the crowd who attended.
“I sold a few books (on the night) and people seemed genuinely interested in my book” said Pam speaking after the launch event.
“Someone bought a copy of a family member and I’ve been told they’ve read the first volume and are almost half way through the second already.”
Pam describes her book as a fantasy novel covering a period of fifty years during the narrative and chronicling the history of three imaginary countries.
“It’s a long book, published in four paperback volumes and it took me four years to write” says the author.
Talking about the size of the book the author said she would much rather have published it in one paperback but was told no agent or publisher would take on this size of a book in one volume.
When asked if it could be divided up Pam said that, yes, it was written in four parts and each one of these could be divided in two – giving a total of eight sections.
The four volumes together amount to around 1400 pages.
As the novel comes in four paperbacks or e-books, they are prices separately but it is the one story, stresses Pam, who said people must start at the beginning (the first book) and read through the books.
“The paperback is priced at £8.99 per volume with the e-book £4 per volume.
“The books aren’t self-contained – it’s one continuous story.
Ms Scrayfield wanted to say thank you everyone attended Friday night’s event and especially to Gerry Burns, who kindly agreed to introduce her to the audience at the event.
Pam said her initial inspiration for the book (and the title ‘the North Beyond’) came from those huge blue motorway signs you see while heading north on the A1, or great North road in England.
“The signs point to ‘the North’ but eventually you reach Scotland and the word disappears – like the ‘North’ is an elusive thing you can’t quite find or a place you can’t reach.
‘The North Beyond’ is available from the shop at Enniskillen museum, the Carlisle bookshop in Omagh and online.
