Ray B. Russell is an English publisher,[1] editor, author,[2] illustrator,[3] songwriter,[4] and film maker.[5]
![](http://up.wiki.x.io/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/48/RBRussellEdinburgh.jpg/220px-RBRussellEdinburgh.jpg)
Biography
editRussell runs the award-winning Tartarus Press with Rosalie Parker, and for many years compiled the Guide to First Edition Prices.[6] As an author he has had four collections of short stories, three novellas and three novels published. His story "Loup-garou" was chosen for Ellen Datlow’s The Best Horror of the Year. "In Hiding" was nominated for the 2010 World Fantasy Award,[7] and "The Beautiful Room" for the 2011 British Fantasy Award.[8] Michael Dirda has described Russell as "...among the leading practitioners of classic supernatural fiction".[9]
His novella, Bloody Baudelaire, has been filmed by 3:1 Cinema with the new title Backgammon and was released 2016.[10]
He contributes artwork to Tartarus Press titles, and a selection of his art was on display at the Link Gallery, Dean Clough, Halifax, 2010/11.
Russell is also a songwriter, having previously composed songs released by The Bollweevils.[11] His first solo CD, Ghosts,[12] was released by Klanggalerie in February 2012. The accompanying video presentation was premiered in Vienna in March 2012,[13] and was subsequently shown at Dean Clough Galleries October 2012.[14] Dean Clough Galleries presented The Romance of Shortwave Radio Numbers Stations as a video installation in 2018.[15]
Russell was the co-creator of C.W. Blubberhouse with Mark Valentine.
Writing
editGuide to First Edition Prices
- Eight editions, Tartarus Press, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007 & 2010.
Short stories
- Putting the Pieces in Place, Ex Occidente Press (Bucharest, Romania), 2009.[16]
- Literary Remains, PS Publishing (Hornsea, East Yorkshire), 2010.[17]
- Leave Your Sleep, PS Publishing (Hornsea, East Yorkshire), 2012.
- Death Makes Strangers of Us All, Swan River Press (Dublin, Ireland), 2018.
Novellas
- Bloody Baudelaire, Ex Occidente Press (Bucharest, Romania), 2009.[18]
- The Dark Return of Time, Swan River Press (Dublin, Ireland), 2014.
- The Stones are Singing, PS Publishing (Hornsea, East Yorkshire), 2016.
Novels
- She Sleeps, PS Publishing (Hornsea, East Yorkshire), 2017.
- Waiting for the End of the World, PS Publishing (Hornsea, East Yorkshire), 2020.
- Heaven's Hill, Zagava (Germany), 2021.
Collected Edition
- Ghosts, Swan River Press (Dublin, Ireland), 2012. (Contains Putting the Pieces in Place and Bloody Baudelaire. Available with Ghosts CD in a limited edition.)
Non-fiction
- Occult Territory: An Arthur Machen Gazetteer, Tartarus Press (Yorkshire), 2019.[19]
- Past Lives of Old Books and Other Essays, Tartarus Press (Yorkshire), 2020.
- Sylvia Townsend Warner: A Bibliography, Tartarus Press (Yorkshire), 2020.
- Robert Aickman: An Attempted Biography, Tartarus Press (Yorkshire), 2022.
- Fifty Forgotten Books, And Other Stories (Sheffield), 2022.
Translation
- Le Grand Meaulnes by Alain-Fournier, Tartarus Press (Horam, Sussex), 1999.[20]
Music
edit- Ghosts, Klanggalerie (Austria), 2012.
- Bloody Baudelaire: A Soundtrack, Klanggalerie (Austria), 2014.[21]
- The Romance of Shortwave Radio Numbers Stations, Persepolis, 2016.[22]
- Copsford, (self released) 2020.[23] Reissued Bladud Flies! 2021[24] Reissued Warm Noise 2022[25]
- Phantom Cities by The Sodality of the Shadows, Persepolis, 2020.[26]
- Heaven's Hill, 7" single, Zagava, 2012.
Film/video
edit- Backgammon, 2016 (co-scriptwriter)[27][circular reference]
- Coverdale: A Year in the Life, 2016 (co-director/producer)[28][29]
- Robert Aickman: Author of Strange Tales, 2015 (co-director/producer)[30]
- Current 93: Live at Halifax Minster, 2014 (co-director/producer)[31]
- Collecting Vinyl Records: A Personal History, 2012 (director/producer)[32]
- A Mild Case of Bibliomania, 2011 (director/producer)[33]
Further reading
edit- "An Interview with R. B. Russell", by John Kenny, Swan River Press Interviews May 2012.
- "An Interview with R. B. Russell", by Jason Rolfe, Bibliomancy Tuesday, 7 February 2012.
- "An Interview with Ray Russell", by Everett Bleiler, Fantasy Commentator, Winter 2001–2002, pps.97-100.
- "Uncollected Characters of the Book World: 5", by Victoria Hyde-Greene, Antiquarian Book Monthly, May 1999, pps8-9.
References
edit- ^ Tartarus Press website
- ^ "Summary Bibliography: R. B. Russell". www.isfdb.org.
- ^ Illustrations by Russell
- ^ "R. B. Russell". Discogs.
- ^ "R. B. Russell". IMDb.
- ^ "Review" by Robert McCrum, Literary Editor, The Observer, 14/11/99
- ^ "Awards | World Fantasy Convention". Archived from the original on 27 October 2012.
- ^ "British Fantasy Awards 2010".
- ^ "Book-related videos you should watch" – via www.washingtonpost.com.
- ^ "Backgammon". 11 March 2016 – via www.imdb.com.
- ^ "The Bollweevils (2) - Talk To Me". Discogs. 1990.
- ^ "R. B. Russell - Ghosts". Discogs. 23 January 2012.
- ^ "Ghosts CD and videos launch".
- ^ "What's On at Dean Clough".
- ^ "Raymond Russell: The Romance of Short Wave Radio Numbers Stations".
- ^ Ellen Datlow, The Best Horror of the Year, Night Shade Books, 2010, p.21.
- ^ Peter Bell, Supernatural Tales 18, Autumn 2010, pp3 82-83.
- ^ Publishers Weekly, 25 August 2009.
- ^ From the books of wandering by Aaron Worth, Times Literary Supplement, 19 December 2019.
- ^ "A Bird Was Learning Its Song," by Adrian Tahourdin, Times Literary Supplement, 21 May 1999.
- ^ "R. B. Russell - Bloody Baudelaire - A Soundtrack". Discogs. 23 May 2014.
- ^ "R. B. Russell - The Romance Of Shortwave Radio Numbers Stations". Discogs. 12 August 2016.
- ^ "Copsford by R.B. Russell". Bandcamp.
- ^ "Copsford by R. B. Russell". Bladud Flies.
- ^ "Copsford by R. B. Russell". Warm Noise.
- ^ "Phantom Cities by The Sodality of the Shadows". Discogs. 2020.
- ^ Wikipedia entry
- ^ "Secret film of a hidden dale draws the crowds". The Northern Echo. 10 February 2016.
- ^ "Coverdale: A Year in the Life". tartaruspress.com. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
- ^ Film maker's webpage for Robert Aickman: Author of Strange Tales
- ^ Film maker's webpage for Current 93: Live at Halifax Minster
- ^ Film maker's webpage for Collecting Vinyl Records: A Personal History
- ^ Film maker's webpage for A Mild Case of Bibliomania