And on with the next one...

So . . . I'm sure anyone who reads this blog will know that Londonia has been an ongoing project for many years; from the moment I climbed out of a swimming pool with the idea sloping about in my mind, to the novel being published by the marvellous Tartarus Press, to our audiobook version of the novel, finished after a year of hard work, and now launched. The audiobook can be found on Spotify/Findaway voices, and other platforms - Audible soon.

I'm going to put a review here for the audiobook. It's the first one - apparently you can only do stars on Spotify - bit odd . . .

The person reviewing is also a writer and writer workshop aficionado - Hazel Manuel.

Londonia audiobook review. February 2025

Wow, what an experience. These days audiobooks are my medium of choice for novels, and I listen to a lot of them.

I have to say that Londonia is so much more than a reading of the story. It is a fully immersive experience with original music, scene creations and vivid character portrayals.

The talent of Kate A Hardy and musician, Mark Lockett's performances brought so much to what is already a gripping and un-putdownable novel.

Post-apocalyptic London in 2072 is brought to life with refreshingly human characters, compelling in all their individuality, emotional depth and authenticity, who navigate a dangerous yet community spirited world. 

This is no clichéd, futuristic hero story, although we encounter much bravery in the most dire of situations. Here we experience along with 'Hoxton' her friends, animals and enemies, an intelligent, thrilling and heart-warming tale, all without resorting to tired tropes and stereotypes, so often present in dystopian novels.

The author doesn't shy away from the darkness and lawlessness of post-apocalyptic city life, but at the same time shows us how friendship, community and kindness must be at the heart of surviving in such a world.

I loved the fact that Hardy didn't feel the need to give us a predictable 'happy-ever-after' ending. Instead I was left with a deeply satisfying feeling that life in Londonia will continue in all its glorious chaos, and that there is always room for hope.

                                             

       Me reading in our very Londonia kitchen complete with wood stove-drying washing 

Currently we have a couple of possible leads into the film, world so that would be a nice development . . . After all those years of readers saying this would make brilliant screen material, it would be a happy conclusion for the Londonia world - or a continuing world as there are of course other related books.

The next audiobook project has to be decided. We might do a short story while we consider jumping into the vast time commitment of a whole narrated book. When we do jump it'll either be the follow up to Londonia - Smithi, or a time-travel tale called, the Panto Horse End, or possibly, The Hundred and Fifty-Eighth Book, a wry humoured, roller coaster of a story featuring Hamish who a reader described as a cross between Withail and a more loveable version of Bernard from Black books.

I would just like to say again a massive thanks to all the people who supported us on Kickstarter to get the audiobook done, and all the readers of my work over the years who have believed in it!

For more info on my other books, please check my website - I can't put a live link here but it's kateahardy.com

If you read the book or listen to the audiobook version, and enjoyed the Londonia experience, please leave a review/stars on the audiobook platform/ Goodreads/Amazon, etc. Thanks! 

                                                                   Bernard of Black Books

Yr average panto horse

Withnail (on the right, IF you don't know the film . . .

   https://kateahardy.com/

The turning year

Difficult to imagine now but it was exactly a year ago we were slowly packing up our son's home-life to transfer it a few hours Westwards to Bordeaux - guitars, paints, clothes, flat-pack bed, pots, pans, etc.
This year it's a lot easier - a lot less kitchen equipment and a few more guitars.
I'm aware of a slight hovering melancholia but NOTHING like last time when it had felt as if we were winding up our parent lives too. A bit, 'err, what now . . .' Tons of stuff of course, work, writing projects, music, but a palpable sense of 'well, we've done our bit in this human existence-thing' was certainly present as we loaded the car, and hugely present as I had returned with the car, empty.
It's been a long and happy summer with the lad having slotted comfortably back into the family life almost as if he had never gone away. But now it's time for him to reconnect with friends and re-learn the arts of hand-washing socks, stretching food-budgets and living in a tiny space - as it should be.
He'll return however every few weeks or so with a foetid bag of linen and graze solidly stocking up on nourishment, and we shall look forward to that.
I was talking to a newish friend recently about the parent/offspring uni/work separation thing and how traumatic we had found it. She had leaned back against her kitchen dresser and rolled her eyes.
    "Christ, I couldn't wait for them to go! - both of them."
    "Really," I had said, slightly amazed at the fervour in her voice.
    "Y-es! Got my life back!"
I suppose in some ways that might be true - a few less meals to provide, less washing, less nagging about stuff, although these days he's realised that being adult does mean a certain responsibility and sharing of jobs - the emptying of the compost bin, no longer an annoying thing to try and get out of, washing up is just part of life, etc.
What else. Err, stuff does stay cleaner. And . . . Nothing really. He's great to have around. We laugh, walk dogs, cook and discuss life, politics and reenact bits of Tim Vine/Spaced/Black Books.
Yes. I will miss him again but not quite to that same visceral degree.

                       

                                           Happy new term-time, lad of ours.

Family bonding

In our family, as with most others - I'd imagine, there are certain film, TV and dear old Youtube extracts that are recited ad infinitum in a comforting way. Everyone knows them and everyone, presumably, shares the same visual and audio recall.

It might not be the phrase or bit of tune itself that sets off the recounting; it could be something else with the same intonation. This morning for example, Ezra said: 'Hey, I've found this amazing landfill place on the outskirts of Pau, I'd like to look at.' (as you do . . .) The conversation proceeded thus:

Him: 'You know, that one near Perpignan?'

Me: 'Yes?'

Him: 'The one with the weird silver roof?'

Me: 'Yes?'

At this point we both remember that favourite mini-film some clever person in the USA made - the one with the dubbed Alsatian and owner - 'You know that bacon - the maple kind? Dog: 'Uh, the maple kind'?

Well, if you have seen it, you'll know what I mean. It's irresistible to go over in your mind once the brain's dug it out and started playing it. And if a like-minded family member or friend is there and can join in . . . double the pleasure.

Amongst our other regular favourites: Bernard's pickle fetish (below); Give me 'arf and 'arf n' arf' from Champagne Charlie; 'Hi, I'm Barry Scott', from The vile Cillit Bang adverts; Armstrong and Miller's RAF pilots - 'he's got a note and everything' and many other's from that series; Dumb and Dumber's Mocking Bird song, Basil from Fawlty Towers - "Right!" you only have to say that in a certain way and the whole, Basil whacking a poor Mini with a branch all comes back . . .

Aw . . . and silver linings

When I was in London last, walking and planning where things would take place in my latest book, I happened upon the most perfect location for 'Hamish's' book shop: a small, dusty and wonderfully-atmospheric book shop betwixt Bloomsbury and King's Cross, which was perfect in every way. Then I discovered on returning to my hotel room/work space and consulting Google that the shop had already been used for this brilliant comedy. Damn. Still, I'm only borrowing it in my head.

We had somehow missed this series, being well away from Channel Four since the early 2000s.

Now happily making our way through the box set . . .