Bardskull: a second glimpse
Dr Martin Shaw has released a tantalising second glimpse of his latest book Bardskull, sharing a reading of an 11-minute section of the book as it unfolds.
The wild words just recorded are a taster of this powerful fusion of memoir and myth, scheduled for publication in 2022 by Unbound Books, which has launched a funding project to get it completed and to press.

Bardskull is the record of three journeys made in the year before Martin turned fifty – for each, he walks alone into a forest in the heart of Dartmoor and waits.

Supporters can simply pre-order the book, or sign up for one of a variety of rewards on offer, including getting your name on a dedicated page at the front of the book (personally thanked by Martin), an original page of manuscript, t-shirts, special tickets to a launch party, and even Bardskull cider in an incendiary small batch.

John Mitchinson, founder of Unbound Books, says: “Bardskull can be read as a fable, as a memoir, as autofiction, as an attempt to undomesticate myth. It is all those things, but it doesn’t come from nowhere.

“It takes its place inside a tradition that connects Blake’s The Marriage of Heaven and Hell to D.H. Lawrence’s Apocalypse; Ted Hughes’s Moortown Diary to Geoffrey Hill’s Mercian Hymns; Angela Carter’s The Bloody Chamber to Sharon Olds’ Stag’s Leap and Captain Beefheart’s Trout Mask Replica to Nick Cave’s Sick Bag Songs. It is a magnificent, unclassifiable work of the imagination. ”

Listen to the 11-minute recording Famished Originals here.

There is also a short film and an excerpt from the book here.
Listen to the recording
Pledge here

New limited edition Wolf Milk merchandise

A limited run of brand new embroidered caps and back-by-popular-demand t-shirts are now available to pre-order at Cista Mystica, featuring original Wolf Milk artwork by Martin Shaw.

They are available to buy individually or in Wolf Milk bundles to save on post and packaging.
Pre-order by 5pm on Thursday December 2nd and items will be posted out from the Cista Mystica headquarters on Friday December 3rd, allowing plenty of time for the Christmas post.

The t-shirts come in small, medium and large, and all books in the bundle will be signed by Martin Shaw.

These items are extremely limited so order now to avoid disappointment.
Shop here

Did you know?

That Dr Martin Shaw is an acclaimed artist as well as author and teacher, who has has exhibited in Italy, the UK and the United States. Much of his artwork goes hand in hand with his books.

See the paintings page of the Cista Mystica website for more details on exhibiting or purchasing Martin’s work. Prints of his drawings are also available here.
See paintings here