JK Rowling hit the perfect mix with her Harry Potter creation - a book that appealed to adults as well as children. Now a Nottingham born author could be about to follow in her footsteps.
Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell is the first novel from Susanna Clarke. It's been ten years in the making and is a fantasy / historical novel aimed at grown ups. It tells the tale of a time centuries ago when magic still existed in England. A recluse, Mr Norrell, is persuaded to help the government in the war against Napoleon. He meets a brilliant young magician called Jonathan Strange. For a time they get on well together but then the strain begins to show. Strange becomes more reckless in his use of magic and it threatens to destroy much more than just his partnership with Mr Norrell. | "Closing Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell after 800 pages, my only regret was that it wasn't twice the length." | | Neil Gaiman, author of the Sandman series |
Susanna Clarke was born in Nottingham in 1959, the eldest daughter of a Methodist Minister. She lived throughout Britain and abroad before returning to the UK in 1992. It was around this time she started writing Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell while combining it with a daytime job at book publishers. She also had a series of short stories and novellas published. Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell is due to be published on 30th September 2004 but it's already causing a stir with a number of film companies reportedly jousting for the rights to turn the book into a movie. So prepare to embrace a fantasy world that could be every bit as popular as that of Hogwarts. | 
