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Phil Rickman
Born(1950-03-06)6 March 1950
Lancashire, England
Died29 October 2024(2024-10-29) (aged 74)
Pen nameThom Madley, Will Kingdom
Occupation
  • Journalist
  • novelist
LanguageEnglish
Period1991–2024
Genre
Notable worksThe Bones of Avalon
Website
philrickman.co.uk

Phil Rickman (6 March 1950 – 29 October 2024), also known under the pen names Thom Madley and Will Kingdom, was a British author of supernatural and mystery novels.[1]

Biography

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Rickman was born on 6 March 1950[2][3] in Lancashire and worked as a journalist for BBC World Service TV and BBC Radio 4. He published his first book, Candlenight, in 1991, and began his Merrily Watkins series in 1998.[4] In 2010, he began the John Dee Papers series, which focused on the Welsh mathematician and astrologer, John Dee.[5]

Rickman also worked on several music albums based upon his books and helped write many of the albums' songs.[6] He lived in Wales for most of his life and resided in Hay-on-Wye with his wife as of 2020.[7]

Rickman researched the folklore, religion, and supernatural themes of his books, saying "If I can't believe it, it doesn't go in".[4] He also voiced his unhappiness over his earlier critics which labeled him a horror writer. He said that he felt that the books did not fit neatly within that genre.[4]

Rickman died on 29 October 2024, at the age of 74.[8]

Bibliography

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Standalone novels

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  • Candlenight (1991)
  • Crybbe (Curfew in the United States) (1993)[9]
  • The Man in the Moss (1994)
  • December (1994)
  • The Chalice (1997)
  • The Cold Calling (1998, as Will Kingdom)
  • Mean Spirit (2001, as Will Kingdom)
  • Night After Night (2014)

John Dee Papers

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  1. The Bones of Avalon (2010)[10][11]
  2. The Heresy of Dr Dee (2012)

Marco series

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  1. Marco's Pendulum (2006, as Thom Madley)
  2. Marco and the Blade of Night (2007, as Thom Madley)

Merrily Watkins series

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  1. The Wine of Angels (1998)
  2. Midwinter of the Spirit (1999)
  3. A Crown of Lights (2001)
  4. The Cure of Souls (2001)
  5. The Lamp of the Wicked (2002)
  6. The Prayer of the Night Shepherd (2004)
  7. The Smile of a Ghost (2005)
  8. The Remains of an Altar (2006)[12]
  9. The Fabric of Sin (2007)
  10. To Dream of the Dead (2008)
  11. The Secrets of Pain (2011)
  12. The Magus of Hay (2013)
  13. Friends of the Dusk (2015)
  14. All of a Winter's Night (2017)[13]
  15. The Fever of the World (2022)[14]

Short stories

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  1. The House of Susan Lulham - was first published in the Oxfam "Oxcrimes" anthology (May 2014).[15][16] In December 2014, an extended version which is "five times as long" was published for Kindle.[17]

Non-fiction

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  • Merrily's Border: The Places in Herefordshire & the Marches Behind the Merrily Watkins Novels (with photographer John Mason) (2009)

Discography

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  • Songs from Lucy's Cottage (2009, by Lol Robinson and Hazey Jane II)[18]
  • A Message from the Morning (2010, by Lol Robinson and Hazey Jane II)
  • Abbey Tapes: the Exorcism (2011, by Philosopher's Stone, based upon the novel December)

Television

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Main article: Midwinter of the Spirit

The second Merrily Watkins book Midwinter of the Spirit[19] was made into a three-part TV drama by ITV. The Cast included Anna Maxwell-Martin as Merrily, Sally Messham as Jane, and David Threlfall as Huw Owen.[20][21] It was released in late 2015.

References

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  1. ^ "Veterans of genre thrill and chill". Chronicle Herald. Retrieved 9 August 2013.
  2. ^ Chattopadhyay, Subhasis (June 2020). "Reading Slant During COVID-19: A Contrarian List" (PDF). PhilPapers. p. 3. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  3. ^ "Phil Rickman, author of the hit Merrily Watkins detective novels about an exorcist vicar". The Telegraph. 8 November 2024. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
  4. ^ a b c "Exorcising crime with Merrily Watkins". CounterCulture. Retrieved 9 August 2013.
  5. ^ Kerridge, Jake (18 December 2012). "A page in the life: Phil Rickman". Telegraph. Retrieved 9 August 2013.
  6. ^ "Rickman creation comes to life on CD". Hereford Times. 25 June 2009. Retrieved 9 August 2013.
  7. ^ "personal". Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  8. ^ Mohammed, Lena-Zaharah (1 November 2024). "Merrily Watkins author and broadcaster Phil Rickman dies aged 74". BBC. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  9. ^ "Review: Curfew". Publishers Weekly. July 1993. Retrieved 9 August 2013.
  10. ^ Lytle, Betty. "Book review: Phil Rickman's "The Bones of Avalon"". News OK. Retrieved 9 August 2013.
  11. ^ May, Philippa (5 April 2010). "Philippa May reviews 'The Bones of Avalon' by Phil Rickman". Hereford Times. Retrieved 9 August 2013.
  12. ^ Yager, Susanna (5 November 2006). "Firmly grounded in reality". Telegraph. Retrieved 9 August 2013.
  13. ^ "Home1 | PHIL RICKMAN".
  14. ^ Rickman, Phil (2 June 2022). The Fever of the World: Merrily Watkins is back, in this chilling and transfixing mystery. Atlantic Books. ISBN 978-1-78649-460-3.
  15. ^ "Other stuff | PHIL RICKMAN".
  16. ^ "OxCrimes | Oxfam GB | Shop". www.oxfam.org.uk. Archived from the original on 16 February 2015.
  17. ^ "The House of Susan Lulham (Merrily Watkins, #12.5)". Goodreads. Retrieved 2 November 2024.
  18. ^ "Crime novels inspire album". Kirkintilloch Herald. Retrieved 9 August 2013.
  19. ^ "A letter from Ledwardine | PHIL RICKMAN".
  20. ^ "Press Releases".
  21. ^ "Midwinter of the Spirit (TV Mini Series 2015) - IMDb". IMDb.
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