A former rock-band photographer and Bridlington Old Town resident is branching out into the world of books.
Since the time of Britpop, Sarah, known by her picture bylines as Sarahphotogirl, has been well known in the music world, taking pictures of bands and artists such as Blur, Noel Gallagher, Radiohead and The Darkness. Her work has featured in band biographies, on TV, and in many mainstream magazines and newspapers including the NME and Q.
Her first book, The Sleepless Nights of the Boy with No Eyelids, is a collection of dark and fiendishly funny stories.
Published by Markosia – famous for their high-end manga books – it combines rich narrative with exciting illustrations.
Sarah, who has swapped the tour bus for a typewriter, explained: “In the age of Instagram and TikTok, the written word doesn’t seem to stand a chance, so I wanted to make my book as different as possible to captivate young readers.”
She added, “As a mother myself, I wanted to write something that parents could read to their children and that children would want to read to their parents. It’s not the kind of book you will fall asleep reading. The final story is entitled ‘Children’ and was written with parents in mind. It’s a devilishly hilarious look at the value of parenthood. I’ve always been a writer – once, backstage with Paul Weller, I had to apologise while I diverted from his photoshoot to scribble down the original idea for this very book!’”
Already, there is a video of the title story of the book on social media platforms and students at Edinburgh and Bournemouth Universities are busy making the stories into animated short films as part of their coursework.
Available through independent bookshops, The Sleepless Nights of the Boy with No Eyelids is already starting to take off, all backed up by a social media campaign.
The book is the first in a series of two, each made up of five humorous, gothic tales presented in rhyming verse and Sarah says it can be enjoyed by everyone from even the most reluctant reader to the all-devouring bookworm. It’s multi-layered making it suitable for anyone ages eight and over.
Added Sarah: “This darkly comical, hardback book is beautifully illustrated throughout. If you delve inside, you will find Roy, a boy with no eyelids who is haunted by all kinds of unsavoury nightly visitors; Herbert, who is addicted to sherbet; and Moira who is afflicted by a strange and fast-spreading mould. You will also find a church funeral for a dead rat.”
Writing under the name of Marmalade Atkinson, Sarah said she wanted to make the divide between her photography and her writing, and being a big fan of Paddington Bear, Marmalade was an easy choice. Sarah said the books were always in her, lurking down inside the bottom of her camera bag, hiding behind the lenses and flashguns.
Signed hardback copies of The Sleepless Nights of the Boy with No Eyelidsare available to buy from Mighty Lancer Games on King Street and Old Town Books in Old Town – there will also be some in-store book signings coming soon.
The Sleepless Nights of the Boy with No Eyelids is printed on dyslexia friendly paper and retails at just £9.99. There is a collector’s limited-edition free bookmark with every purchase (while stocks last).
