Michael Quinlyn-Nixon a local artist from Consett has recently published his first book “The Tale of the Vampire Rabbit.” It features an original engaging poem, delightfully complimented by his amazing illustrations.
The story is Michael’s unhistorical account of the origins of the city of Newcastle’s mysterious grotesque “Vampire Rabbit” which is situated on a building in Dean Street.
Michael, who is a qualified graphic designer and illustrator decided to write and illustrate his work at the beginning of the year, inspired by the Vampire Rabbit he walked past nearly every Friday morning for 2 years.
The story begins in 1899 and finishes in the present day, relating the tale of the rabbit’s unquenchable bloodlust and the consequences of it’s villainous actions. Michael has written the book with adults in mind but believes it is suitable for older children with parental guidance.
Michael said, ‘When I am working away at the drawing board, I often watch repeats of ‘Murder, She Wrote’ and hear how the character Jessica Fletcher (known professionally as J.B. Fletcher) is working on a book. Perhaps Angela Lansbury’s character in the programme – a famous author and sleuth – has been the subconscious inspiration and motivation for doing my book. However, the last thing I want to do whilst promoting this book is solve any horrid crimes as I am very peace-loving and, it has to be said, squeamish!’
Michael spent over six months completing the poem and illustrations and tells of his work,
‘I started the book in January and finished it at the end of June, so it’s been quite an intense project and the last few days of continual proof reading was a bit heavy going, but on the whole it’s been a great experience. I am very proud of the area I live in and Newcastle is such a handsome city, so I wanted to include some of the quaint and amazing places the region has to offer, such as the Lit and Phil, St. Nicholas’s Cathedral and the bizarrely named Dog Leap Stairs. I’m hoping the book will be a success and bring some tourism to the region too.’
The Tale of the Vampire Rabbit was published on the 31st October 2020. It is available at Amazon and Waterstones, as well as number of local booksellers.
ISBN 978-1-83975-222-3
