Visual Arts Features

London has Dickens, Dublin has Joyce and Swindon has best selling author Jasper Fforde...

It's an unlikely adoption which has resulted from the critically acclaimed author, Jasper Fforde, setting his series of 'Thursday Next' novels in Swindon... yes Swindon.

Low airship over Swindon - Jasper Fforde

But it's a Swindon in a parallel universe.

A surreal, 1985 Swindon where croquet is played at the County Ground, a train system rattles underground, a skyrail runs eye-level with the Brunel centre and home-cloned dodos are the household pet of choice.

A Swindon which, according to Time Out, "is a really exciting place to live".

Wise cracks aside Fforde's surreal version of much-maligned Swindon has well and truly put it on the literary map.

In return the unlikely location setting has been credited for helping to make the books hits all over the world.

Jasper Fforde

Many of Swindon's overlooked charms make an appearance: The Stratton bypass, Oxford Road, Commercial Road and the infamous magic roundabout as well as the County Ground.

And Swindon's streets could soon be returning the favour by bearing some of Fforde's characters' quirky names including Thursday Next and Penzler Pick.

In the mean time Fforde's fourth and (for now) final Thursday Next novel, Something Rotten, is on its way. Something Rotten not only sees stalwart heroine, Thursday Next, heading back to her native Swindon accompanied by a child of two and a pair of dodos but in the unlikely company of Hamlet who, it seems, is on a fact-finding mission in the real world.

With Something Rotten due to hit the book shelves at the beginning of August Fforde will be heading to Thursday Next's stomping ground on Saturday July 31 for a book signing session.

The lunchtime book signing will take place at Borders in The Orbital Shopping Park, Thamesdown Drive, Swindon from 1:00 pm.

For more information call Borders on 01793 702200.