The Writers of Wales Database

WALKER, ELAINE

Email: j.elaine.walker@googlemail.com

Born in 1960, Elaine has lived in North Wales all her life and has been a writer of fiction, poetry and non-fiction since 1997. She has published widely in hard copy and online, including articles in Women’s Writing, Andalusian Horse, Horse of Kings and TimeTravel Britain (also available here).

As a fiction-writer, she is particularly interested in magical realism, and her novel, The Horses (Cinnamon Press, 2010), which has been a Welsh Books Council Book of the Month, follows magical realist short stories. These include 'Blue', (Serendipity, 2008) and 'The Crying of the Lilies' (Survivor's Tales, Earlyworks Press, 2006).

Her poetry is strongly influenced by her moorland home and her poems have appeared in Roundyhouse OPENdoor, Transparent Words and Caught in the Net. Her work has also been featured in a special issue of Caught in the Net.

A lifelong experience with horses is evident in much of her work. Her first book, Horse (Reaktion Books, 2008), was chosen by the Kalima Project and translated into Arabic in 2010.

She has a doctorate in English Literature and her academic work on the seventeenth century meets her interest in the fantastic and her love of horses in the lives and writing of the first Duke and Duchess of Newcastle. Her study of the Duke of Newcastle's horsemanship manuals, To Amaze the People with Pleasure and Delight is published by the Long Riders' Guild, Press (2010), who will also publish her new edition of his 1667 manual. She has edited a small collection of the poems of Margaret Cavendish for Serendipity.

Elaine tutors for the Open College of the Arts, the Open University and the University of Wales, Bangor and is an Academi Mentor. She also runs community-based live and online classes and gives occasional workshops and residencies.

She is a member of the Society of Authors, the National Association of Writers in Education, Academi and the National List of Advisors to the Arts Council of Great Britain.

When she’s not writing or riding, she is lead singer with the Denbigh-based rock band, 'Two Suns'.

Reviews:
With respect to Horse (Reaktion Books, 2008)

"…This is a wonderful book, and every equine student should own a copy! It provides a clear, concise and comprehensive overview of the human-horse relationship, and is written in an engaging and accessible style…"
Dr. Samantha Hurn, National Equine Student Journal of Equine Studies

"…This book is warm, engaging and personal, which makes it immensely readable. Yet Walker has packed the pages with a concise presentation of equine history and opened the door on topics long overdue for investigation. Whether it be traditional history …or one of her keen cultural observations, Walker can be counted on to educate and entertain effortlessly.. . the appearance of a meticulous scholar like Walker is a boon for equestrian research and her beautifully illustrated book is an addictive read…"
CuChullaine O'Reilly, The Long Riders' Guild

“…we're currently producing two one hour documentaries for ITV primetime about man's unique relationship with horses. Your book has become a go-to volume for us.”
Dominic Aston, Assistant Producer, ITV plc


With respect to The Horses (Cinnamon, 2010)

"...The Horses is an enchanting tale of survival and renewal in a post-apocalyptic world. Walker’s gentle magic realism is a million miles from the relentless pessimism that is more typical of the growing post-apocalypse genre; far from keeping you awake with nightmares, her vision of a potential future with most of humankind wiped off the face of the planet is so positive that you might be forgiven for wishing it upon yourself.

Certainly there is magic, but it is so closely aligned to reality that your belief in it barely falters, and the pages of this compassionate and deeply optimistic tale turn all too quickly and seemingly of their own accord, leaving you with a sense of having lived briefly in a better and more beautiful world..."
Suzy Ceulan Hughes; a review from www.gwales.com, with the permission of the Welsh Books Council


Selected Publications:
Horse (Reaktion Books, 2008; Kalima Press, 2010)
To Amaze the People with Pleasure and Delight: The Horsemanship Manuals of William Cavendish, Duke of Newcastle (Long Riders’ Guild Press, 2010)
The Horses (Cinnamon, 2010)

Contributed to:
Women’s Writing: Margaret Cavendish Special Issue (contributor) (Triangle Press, 1997)
In my World (contributor) (Womenswords, 2002)
Survival Guides (contributor) (EarlyWorks Press, 2007)
In Her Element (contributor) (Honno, 2008)
Women in Science-Fiction and Fantasy (contributor) (Greenwood Press, 2008)
Equus by Charles Hamilton Smith (foreword) (Long Riders’ Guild Press, 2009)



Horse (Reaktion Books, 2008)

From Pegasus to Black Beauty, horses have held a unique place in human society and imagination. With this newest volume in the Animal series, Elaine Walker tackles the long and multifaceted history of a creature valued for both beauty and usefulness.

Galloping from the wild steppes of Mongolia to the American plains, Horse chronicles the rich and complex natural history of the animal, from wild feral horses to the domesticated species that once played a central role in daily life as a means of transportation, an instrument of war, and a source of labour. Elaine Walker charts how the long-standing connection between people and horses is reflected in cultures around the world – and the implications for both human and animal of such close interaction. She also traces the centrality of the horse in art, entertainment and literature, from the rich global traditions of horse-racing and equestrianism to literary classics such as Follyfoot. Ultimately, Walker contends, the continuing role of the horse in the modern world reveals telling changes in human society.

A wholly readable and compelling chronicle, Horse is essential for all horse enthusiasts, and anyone curious about the history of this captivating beast.

To purchase this title from amazon.co.uk, please click on its front cover



The Horses (Cinnamon Press, 2010)

‘The world ended, Jo, and we missed it because we were on holiday.'

Set on a remote Scottish croft after a strange ecological disaster, this is the story of Jo and his family. Stranded while on holiday, they are facing personal as well as global tragedy when the arrival of a mysterious herd of horses heralds the chance for a future they could never have imagined.

This powerful first person narrative uses magical realism to stunning effect; the disruption of the boundaries of the physical and the psychological and a constant sense of defamiliarisation add to a powerful story that is as compelling as it is important. A highly accomplished debut novel.

To purchase this title from gwales.com, please click on its front cover