R.B. Russell

R.B. Russell is an English publisher,^[1] editor, author,^[2] illustrator,^[3] songwriter,^[4] and film maker.^[5]

Biography

Russell 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 three collections of short stories and two novellas 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 will be released 2016.^[10] The Dark Return of Time is also in pre-production as a feature film.^[11]

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.^[12] His first solo CD, Ghosts,^[13] was released by Klanggalerie in February 2012. The accompanying video presentation was premiered in Vienna in March 2012,^[14] and was subsequently shown at Dean Clough Galleries October 2012.^[15]

Russell was the co-creator of C.W. Blubberhouse with Mark Valentine.

Writing

Guide 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.

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), 2016/17. (forthcoming)

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.)

Translation

• Le Grand Meaulnes by Alain-Fournier, Tartarus Press (Horam, Sussex), 2009.^[19]

Music

• Ghosts, Klanggalerie (Austria), 2012.
• Bloody Baudelaire: A Soundtrack, Klanggalerie (Austria), 2014.^[20]

Film/video

• The Dark Return of Time, 2016 (co-scriptwriter/associate producer)
• Backgammon, 2016 (co-scriptwriter)
• Coverdale: A Year in the Life, 2016 (co-director/producer)^[21][22]
• Robert Aickman: Author of Strange Tales, 2015 (co-director/producer)^[23]
• Current 93: Live at Halifax Minster, 2014 (co-director/producer)^[24]
• Collecting Vinyl Records: A Personal History, 2012 (director/producer)^[25]
• A Mild Case of Bibliomania, 2011 (director/producer)^[26]

Further reading

• "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

1. Tartarus Press website
2. isfdb entry
3. Illustrations by Russell
4. Discogs entry
5. imdb entry
6. "Review" by Robert McCrum, Literary Editor, The Observer, 14/11/99
7. World Fantasy Awards 2010
8. British Fantasy Awards 2010
9. Dirda's Reading Room, The Washington Post, May 2012
10. IMDb entry
11. imdb entry
12. Discogs entry for Talk To Me
13. Ghosts page at Discogs
14. Ghosts CD and videos launch
15. What's On at Dean Clough
16. Ellen Datlow, The Best Horror of the Year, Night Shade Books, 2010, p.21.
17. Peter Bell, Supernatural Tales 18, Autumn 2010, pp3 82-83.
18. Publishers Weekly, 25 August 2009.
19. "A Bird Was Learning Its Song," by Adrian Tahourdin, Times Literary Supplement, 21 May 1999.
20. Bloody Baudelaire: A Soundtrack page at Discogs
21. Northern Echo report of premiere
23. Film maker's webpage for Robert Aickman: Author of Strange Tales
24. Film maker's webpage for Current 93: Live at Halifax Minster
25. Film maker's webpage for Collecting Vinyl Records: A Personal History
26. Film maker's webpage for A Mild Case of Bibliomania

External links

• R.B. Russell
• R.B. Russell interviewed (with Rosalie Parker) by Rick Kleffel at the Agony Column Podcast