The Black Hand, vol.41

(Hi, hi! If weird crime oddments are not your jam, feel free to scroll straight down for Chapter Two of ALL SHALL MOURN!)

Harvard rethinks human-skin book binding

I mean, it’s a good thing? Harvard scholars have long known that one of the books in its collection – Des Destinees de l’Ame (Destinies of the Soul) by Arsene Houssaye – was bound in human skin. They even made a cute little joke about it in 2014 (“good news for bibliomaniacs and cannibals alike!”), when it was confirmed that the book was a product of ‘athropodermic bibliopegy’, as human-skin binding is known.

But now the university has realised that the issue of the book’s binding is more ethically fraught than they originally considered: The novel’s first owner, Ludovic Bouland, was a French physician who bound the book with skin from a deceased human patient at the hospital where he worked, almost certainly without the patient’s consent. So the university is taking steps to remedy the matter by removing the skin binding and working with authorities to “determine a final respectful disposition of these human remains.”

Human-skin binding was actually very popular (if kind of gross) from the 1500s onward. During the French Revolution there was a rumour that a tannery for human leather had been established outside Paris. Most surviving examples of human-skin bindings have been commissioned, performed, or collected by doctors (which makes sense) and there are a number of examples of books bound in the skin of criminals, or even in the skin of a book’s own author, yikes.

Of course, these items now create a metric ton of ethical problems – mainly centred around issues like human trophy collection, and the repatriation and reburial of human remains. Putting these weighty considerations aside, there’d have to be some kind of problem having such a cursed object on your bookshelf, right? Ew.

ALL SHALL MOURN Chapter Two

I know, I know – this is what you’re really here to find…and I’m honestly really excited to be giving it to you 😊

Chapter Two of All Shall Mourn is right here. It’s much longer than the last chapter, and I suspect, if you’re an Emma and Travis stan, you might like it.

I’ve been a little bowled over by the response to the first chapter release. This newsletter gained more than 100 new followers, and…still seems to be gaining followers every day, which is pretty wild. Welcome to all you new people! I write about what I’m doing and what I’m writing and lots of other macabre stuff that vibes with my writing - as you may have noticed from the ‘human-skin book covers’ thing above - so enjoy! (or, y’know, fair warning 💀)

And hey, everyone who liked and commented and got enthused on social media about All Shall Mourn – thank you so much! This is really the stuff that keeps me going on the days the writing is hard. Plus I just lovelovelove that everyone is still so excited about my messed-up little murder crew – and I’m so very grateful that I get the chance to share the end game of these characters and this story ❤️

So yeah, Chapter Two is alive and kicking. I hope you like it!

Once again, I’d like to remind everyone that this is the last free chapter going out before the book’s release in February 2025.

There will be five more chapters releasing between now and Feb, and they’ll be available each month in Nailbiters, my special-perks newsletter, which you’re welcome to subscribe to any time.

(Nailbiters costs $6AUD/month, which is about the price of a coffee these days, or $35AUD/year. Foundation members who subscribe for any amount above 35 bucks are eligible to receive a free digital copy of All Shall Mourn just before it arrives, early in 2025. And I won’t be mad if you only sign up to read the chapters and then unsubscribe, that is totally fine by me, go sick 😊)

Now go forth! Enjoy Chapter Two, with all my love.

Events and Announcements

Hey, you can preorder the US paperback of Some Shall Break at Barnes & Noble! It’s perfect timing, right before spooky month, and the preorder price is rock bottom (in fact it’s even cheaper than preordering from the ‘Zon right now). Plus B&N Premium Members get an additional 10% off, so this is truly a great time to buy.

As far as events go, I’ve just finished a self-publishing workshop at Sunshine Library, which was a lot of fun – not as comprehensive as my Writers Victoria Self-Pub Bootcamp, but all the information was simmered down into a handy 3-hour chunk. If you’ve always wanted to participate in one of my self-pub workshops but keep missing out, let me encourage you to contact either Brimbank Libraries or Writers Victoria, and tell them you’re eager for them to run these workshops again!

Next week I’m off to Canberra to lead the workshops at UWrite@UC, a free two-day series of writing workshops for high school and uni students from Canberra and the surrounding regions. Want to be involved? Check out availability here at this link.

Book Week 2024, plus 2025 government school visits

Before we stop talking events, I want to say a massive thank you and send lots of love to the students (and teachers) I met during Book Week 2024. This year was my busiest Book Week ever!

And I have to say, I really noticed the difference in the level of engagement from students at public schools: the kids at those schools were so switched on and interested, which delights me, as I teach at a government school and also my kids all went to government high schools. It made me wish that more public schools had any kind of budget for author visits – most of them don’t, they’re just trying really hard to eke out the budget they have for the necessities.

Something I’m considering, once I’ve locked in the locations I’ll be visiting for Book Week next year, is potentially offering additional visits to government schools in those areas at low-cost rates. It’s an option, so let me see what I can swing in 2025.

Tis the Season for the Sneezin’

It’s Spring! Well, it’s officially Spring in Australia – and I am back on my bullshit with hayfever medication. Every year I’m like ‘I’m sure it’ll be fine’ and then September arrives and I look around at all the wattles and hakea that bloom (adorably) in a yellow haze surrounding our house, and…back slowly away to admire them from a safe distance after I’ve taken some fexofenadine.

Autumn friends, I salute you. I love autumn above all other seasons, and there’s nothing I enjoy more than taking my jackets and coats and scarves out again each year. Plus, Halloween is spooky month, which is MY MONTH, heck yes, so we’re nearly there.

But I must admit, it’s been a long long time since we had warm weather over in my part of the world, and hayfever or no, I’m ready for a taste of the sun.

What I’m listening to

I was delighted to hear this fab interview with Anna Bogutskaya, UK author of non-fiction book Feeding the Monster: Why Horror Has a Hold On Us, over on Talking Scared – it’s a really great listen, and both Anna and Neil speak so intelligently and eloquently about the psychology of horror, I loved it.

But thanks to that interview, I also got a recommendation for Anna’s podcast The Final Girls, which is also about horror but focuses entirely on the intersection of feminism and horror, and primarily interviews women and nonbinary guests, so omg yes, cue me up. They’ve done a long series of posts about serial killers, and I’ve already started listening to their episode on Mindhunter – this is so much my shit it’s crazy 🖤

What I’m reading

Still kinda too busy to do much reading, sadly…I’ve been re-reading sections of Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo, which I really love (along with Hell Bent, the sequel) and I’m absolutely hanging out for the third book to arrive sometime (no pressure, Leigh!).

But you should definitely be aware that three great books came out these past few weeks – Amie Kaufman’s The Heart of the World, Kate Armstrong’s Fyrebirds, and Lili Wilkinson’s incredibly gorgeous Bravepaw. So for the fantasy lovers of all ages in your life, you’re covered with these three 😊

And hooray for September! Next time you hear from me, it’ll be October, and you know what that means…ALL THE HALLOWEEN THINGS. I am excite 😍💀

Until then, I hope you have a wonderful month, happy reading, stay warm/cool (depending on where you’re located), and enjoy Chapter Two of All Shall Mourn!

xxEllie