Book Club 01 - Starve Acre by Andrew Michael Hurley (with Ray Newman)

Welcome to the very first episode of the General Witchfinders Book Club – a new spin-off from our regular British horror podcast, run in partnership with Teasel & Skylark, an independent bookshop in Dorchester.

To accompany our real-life, face-to-face book club meet-ups, host Ross Cleaver invites a special guest co-host onto the show every two months to discuss our latest reading choice.

On this inaugural episode, Ross welcomes author Ray Newman. Ray is the author of the novel The Grave Digger’s Boy, as well as three exceptional collections of short stories: Municipal Gothic, Intervals of Darkness, and Thin Places in Hard Concrete. Together, they delve into Andrew Michael Hurley’s acclaimed 2019 novel, Starve Acre.

Starve Acre

‘An impeccable work of folk horror’ – The Irish Times

The worst thing possible has happened. Richard and Juliette Willoughby's son, Ewan, has died suddenly at the age of five. Convinced that the boy still lives on in some form, and desperate to make contact, Juliette seeks the help of the Beacons, a seemingly benevolent group of occultists. Richard, an art historian, tries to blot out the pain of his grief by turning his attention to the field opposite their house, Starve Acre. Patiently he digs in the barren soil looking for the roots of a legendary oak tree, but unearths something which ought to have remained buried.

‘I will confidently predict that no reader will guess where it's heading . . . Hurley's ability to create a world that's like ours in many ways and really not in many others is again on full display’ – The Times

How to Get Involved

We want to build a community around these books, both locally in Dorset and remotely with our podcast listeners and zine readers.

• Join us in Dorchester: Ross leads the in-person discussions at the King’s Arms Hotel. Spaces are limited, so sign up at the Teasel & Skylark shop. Local club members get 10% off the featured books, plus 10% off all other books and gifts in-store (excluding original artwork). These discounts are only available in person at the shop.

• Join us from elsewhere: If you are not local, read along at home and send your thoughts or audio voicemails to generalwitchfinders@gmail.com.

Support Independent Bookshops

If you are close enough to Dorchester, please order your copy through Teasel & Skylark and pop in to collect it. If you cannot get to West Dorset, please find your local indie store via Bookshop.org.

Links & Resources

• Book Club Info: General Witchfinders Book Club
• Our Partner Bookshop: Teasel & Skylark
• Find Indie Shops Nationwide: Bookshop.org
• Support the Show: General Witchfinders Patreon
• Social Media: Instagram | Bluesky

Featured Guest Links (Ray Newman):

• Blog: Precast Reinforced
• Bluesky: Ray Newman on Bluesky
• Books: The Grave Digger’s Boy | Thin Places in Hard Concrete | Intervals of Darkness | Municipal Gothic

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