Alex Barclay Explained

Alex Barclay
Birth Name:Yve Morris
Birth Place:Bayside, Dublin, Ireland
Occupation:Fiction author, journalist
Language:English
Period:Contemporary
Genre:Novel, short story
Subject:Crime fiction

Yve Williams, née Morris,[1] who writes under the name Alex Barclay[2] (born Bayside, Dublin, Ireland in 1974),[3] is an Irish journalist and crime writer.

Life

Early life

Morris was born in Bayside, Dublin, and attended Bayside National School followed by Manor House School, Raheny. She studied journalism with French at Dublin City University, graduating in 1996. Her course included a period of study at Nanterre University in Paris.[4] [1] Morris also trained at the Gaiety School of Acting, appearing on television with Podge and Rodge.[1]

Journalist

Morris started in journalism at the age of 18,[5] and after graduation worked in areas such as construction and fashion and beauty journalism. She worked as features editor[1] and deputy editor of U magazine, at one time Ireland's top-selling magazine for younger women, and also worked as fashion and beauty editor of the RTÉ Guide.[6] [1] She was also employed on the iVenus online publishing project.[1] Morris worked as an advertising[2] and corporate copywriter,[3] and on name generation.[1] [7]

Novelist

Writing approach and the Joe Lucchesi novels

In 2003 key elements of Darkhouse came suddenly to mind,[8] and after discussing a few paragraphs with her husband, Williams left the fashion publishing industry to write the novel. With three chapters written, a prominent London agent, Darley Anderson, expressed interest and Williams took six months of travelling time to finish the novel's first draft,[9] including a period at the Anam Cara Writer's and Artist's Retreat[10] in Eyeries on the Beara Peninsula, and with much of it written in Dunmore East, a seaside resort location similar to one of the main locales of the story. She put a strong emphasis on research, engaging experts from a lighthouse specialist to the Irish State Pathologist, Prof. Marie Cassidy.[2] Her agent conducted an auction secured a substantial two-book rights deal, and international rights sales quickly followed.

As Williams thought at the time that she would continue as a journalist and copywriter, and wanted to keep the two writing careers separate, she devised the pseudonym Alex Barclay, which she felt was "the sort of strong name a thriller writer might have."[2]

Darkhouse was the first of two novels featuring NYPD detective Joe Lucchesi. The book, set in Texas, New York and County Waterford, achieved strong reviews[2] [11] and was sold to more than ten markets,[3] and translated into 18 languages.[12] It was the top-selling paperback in Ireland for a period.[12]

The author continued the practice of writing at least partly in remote locations, including a spell at Anam Cara for each published book.[13]

Her second novel, The Caller, also featuring NYPD's Joe Lucchesi, was released in 2007; it was marketed in some territories as Last Call. The author mentioned in a 2007 interview that her fourth book - after a third book featuring an FBI agent - would return to Lucchesi but this did not transpire. However she restated in a 2014 interview that the Lucchesi character would return.[14] The Caller is Barclay's top-selling book to date in the UK / Ireland market.[15] After its publication, Barclay and her agent also secured a publisher contract for three more books.

Ren Bryce novels

Barclay's first novel about a female agent with a bipolar condition, Ren Bryce,[16] entitled Blood Runs Cold, was published in 2008, and she won the inaugural Crime Fiction Award, sponsored by Ireland AM, at the Irish Book Awards, for this.[17] [18] Bryce works with an imaginary FBI group, the Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force, based in Denver, Colorado. Five more books followed in this series, which has not concluded. The author continued a research-based approach for this series, with visits to the United States, including an invited visit to the FBI regional HQ in Denver.[19]

Youth fiction

In 2013, Barclay released a novel for young adults, Curse of Kings. It was billed as the first of a series of six,[6] the Trials of Oland Born,[20] though no further titles in this series have been scheduled or published as of 2019, and in a 2016 interview, the author referred to the book in the singular.[21]

In July 2019 it was announced that a new book for younger readers was submitted, a diary-form novel, My Heart & Other Breakables: How I lost my mom, found my dad, and made friends with catastrophe, with a hardback publication date of March 2020, this being the first volume in a two-book deal with HarperCollins Children's Books.[22]

Standalone novel

A new book was announced by HarperCollins in 2019, and was launched on 2 August with an interview and reading at a joint event of the Skibbereen Arts Festival and the West Cork Literary Festival, at Liss Ard.[23] A novel, I Confess is promoted as a psychological thriller, on release 22 August in Ireland and the UK.[24]

Events and media

Barclay has been on signing tours, as well as participating in literary and other festivals and events,[25] including the Waterford Writers Weekend,[26] and Electric Picnic.[27] Media appearances included an on-air interview on RTÉ TV's The Panel.[28]

Sales

As of July 2019 UK / Ireland sales per Nielsen BookScan (covering most outlets) of Barclay's crime novels had reached nearly 300,000 copies.[15]

Bibliography

Series (novels)

NYPD Detective Joe Lucchesi

  1. Darkhouse (2005)
  2. The Caller (2007)

FBI Special Agent Ren Bryce

  1. Blood Runs Cold (2008)
  2. Time of Death (2010)
  3. Blood Loss (2012)
  4. Harm's Reach (2014)
  5. Killing Ways (2015)
  6. The Drowning Child (2016)

The Trials of Oland Born

  1. Curse of Kings (2013, series planned, not yet seen)

Standalone novel

  1. I Confess (2019)

Short fiction

  1. Rock Paper Killers - Alexia Mason
  2. Roadkill Heart in the Trouble Is Our Business anthology (New Island Press, ed. Declan Burke)

Personal life

Morris married television director Brian Williams in 2000.[1] The wedding took place at Kilquiggan, Co. Wicklow, and the couple settled in Sandymount on Dublin's coast.[9] [29] [30] [31]

Barclay moved to the Beara Peninsula, West Cork, in 2007,[32] and as of 2019 was still living in the village of Eyeries near Pallas Strand and Coulagh Bay.[33]

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Murphy . Judy May . Five Live . The Irish Independent . 28 October 2000 . 22–24.
  2. News: Harrison . Bernice . The Irish Times . Out of the Dark . 29 May 2019 . 30 July 2005.
  3. News: Staff writer (uncredited) . (Harper Collins interview series) . When crime does pay . 14 May 2019 . The Guardian . 2011.
  4. News: Toner . Niall . Non, je ne regrette rien about my fashion crimes in Paris . The Sunday Times . 8 November 2015.
  5. Web site: KillerFest 15 - Q&A with author Alex Barclay . Killer Reads . 27 June 2019 . I worked as a journalist from the age of eighteen ... twenty-eight when I started my first book - Darkhouse.
  6. News: Leonard . Sue . Children's fantasy is a world apart for Barclay . 14 May 2019 . The Irish Examiner . 2 February 2013.
  7. News: Murphy . Judy May . Five Live . The Irish Independent . 28 October 2000 . 22–24 . "Yve Morris, if you don't know her, you certainly know someone who does".
  8. News: Clayton-Lea . Tony . Cracking it on the dark side (interview) . 30 May 2019 . The Irish Times . 6 August 2010 . ...thriller-writing career ... benefitted from her former role as a journalist ... I .. remember .. in Galway, .. story came to me for Darkhouse. .. coffee shop, .. started handwriting it ....
  9. Novelist had to pinch herself . Books Ireland . September 2005 . 179.
  10. Web site: Anam Cara Writer's and Artists's Retreat . writers.ie . 29 May 2019.
  11. News: Banville . Vincent . It's grim up north . 30 May 2019 . The Irish Times . 9 July 2005 . ...novel that rips along and shows great technique for a debut effort. Take my word for it, we'll hear more of young Barclay..
  12. Web site: Alex Barclay . Darley Anderson Literary Agency . 7 June 2019.
  13. News: A perfect place to write . 29 May 2019 . The Irish Times . 12 November 2011 . Irish crime writer Alex Barclay has spent time at the centre for each....
  14. Web site: Condon . Susan . Beyond Harm's Reach: Susan Condon meets Alex Barclay . writing.ie . 11 June 2019 . 17 November 2014.
  15. News: Mansfield . Katie . Crime writer Barclay signs two-book deal with HarperCollins Children's . 9 August 2019 . The Bookseller . 19 July 2019 . As a crime writer, Barclay has sold a total of 296,900 books for £1.2m. through BookSCan, with her bestseller The Caller (Harper) at 78,682 copies sold.
  16. Web site: Alex Barclay on "Killing Ways" . Writing.ie . 30 May 2019.
  17. News: Double triumph for Barry at awards . 30 May 2019 . The Irish Times . 7 May 2009 . ... inaugural award, in what was described as “an extremely competitive category”, went to Blood Runs Cold by Alex Barclay.
  18. News: Brennan. Marjorie. Writers' workshop proves a novel experience for best-selling author. 22 June 2015. Irish Examiner. 19 March 2014.
  19. News: Fitzpatrick . Richard . Writer Alex Barclay is a one woman crime spree . 30 May 2019 . Irish Examiner . 11 November 2014.
  20. Web site: Curse of Kings (The Trials of Oland Born) launch video . https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211215/OyiRvfjRlsc . 2021-12-15 . live. Youtube . HarperCollins Publishers . 15 May 2019 . The start of a thrilling fantasy series.
  21. Web site: Stephen . Boylan . Interview with Alex Barclay, 2016 . https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211215/vg009GDoptI . 2021-12-15 . live. Youtube . Eason (booksellers) . 15 May 2019 . I wrote a fantasy book for children.
  22. News: Mansfield . Katie . Crime writer Barclay signs two-book deal with HarperCollins Children's . 9 August 2019 . The Bookseller . 19 July 2019 . HarperCollins Children's Books has signed a two-book deal with Irish crime writer Alex Barclay. ... UK and Commonwealth rights.
  23. Web site: Alex Barclay in conversation with Peter Murphy . Skibbereen Arts Festival 2019 . 9 August 2019 . ...will be reading from her forthcoming novel I Confess..
  24. Web site: Alex Barclay's Author Page . Facebook . HarperCollins UK and Ireland . 29 July 2019. 9 August 2019 . ...new standalone psychological thriller....
  25. News: Walsh . Caroline . Writers reading their way around the country . 30 May 2019 . The Irish Times . 23 April 2011 . Irish Writers’ Centre ... Peregrine Readings, ... will travel all over the country in the coming weeks..
  26. News: Waterford writers weekend events }} ]. 30 May 2019 . The Irish Times . 6 March 2014 . Alex Barclay, author of ... will preside over a crime-writing workshop..
  27. News: Literary Tent lineup announced . 30 May 2019 . Electric Picnic 2017 . 31 August 2017 . ...crime writer Alex Barclay talks about the bipolar nature of her fictional heroine, FBI Special Agent Ren Bryce....
  28. Web site: RTE TV . Alex Barclay on RTE's The Panel Part 2 of 2 . https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211215/R6uc9VsOtsA . 2021-12-15 . live. YouTube . 11 June 2019.
  29. News: Harrison . Bernice . Out of the Dark . The Irish Times . 30 May 2019 . 30 July 2005 . " a self-confessed homebird who was rarely apart from husband Brian Williams".
  30. News: Fifteen exhibition opens . Leinster Express . 9 August 2006 . 16 . ... graduated from college 15 years ago, having studied for four years in Advanced Visual Communications / married to Yve / opened by Alex Barclay.
  31. News: Fifteen Exhibition at Dunamaise . Leinster Express . 16 August 2006 . 33 . Brian Williams, who designed the cover of U2's Zooropa album, produced a video....
  32. News: Writer Alex Barclay is a one woman crime spree . 30 May 2019 . Irish Examiner . 11 November 2014.
  33. News: Grenham . Sophie . Writer’s Block With Alex Barclay . 30 May 2019 . TheGloss.ie . 1 September 2016.

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