What’s In A Name?
Names are very important to me when starting out on a new story. If the name I’ve chosen for a character or a place is wrong, then the story often stalls until I change it and get it right.
Gavril started out as Tian Andar. That name just didn’t suit him at all. Because all my fantasy stories feel more like alternate histories, I want to give each country an identity of its own – and names to match. So it made sense for Gavril – the son of an Azhkendi ruler and a Smarnan artist – to have an Eastern European name.
And now that I’ve returned to Azhkendir and am writing – for my own pleasure (and I hope that of all those of you who have been kind enough to ask me ‘What happened next?’) – I find myself introducing new characters and searching diligently for new names that will suit them.
So here are a few Azhkendi names (originally from Eastern Europe/Russia) and their meanings:
Larisa Nagarian (daughter of Gavril and Kiukiu) – sea bird, sea gull
Vartik – friend of Vassily, Bogatyr Askold’s younger son
Kion – martyr (Ninusha’s son with Anders)
Krasa – beautiful (Gavril’s roan mare)
Anniversaries
The Write Fantastic
Cover art by Jim Mortimore
Established in May 2005, The Write Fantastic is a daring initiative by professional authors, its twofold mission to introduce fantasy fiction to readers who have yet to experience the genre and also to ensure that existing readers are able to appreciate the full breadth and depth of current fantasy writing.
To commemorate the fifth anniversary of the group, NewCon Press is proud to present an anthology of all new fiction from the current membership of TWF.
Contents:
- Introduction – Stan Nicholls
- Remembrance – Juliet E McKenna
- I Shaved Half Emperor Cyrrhenius – Chaz Brenchley
- Song for a Naming Day – Sarah Ash
- Persephone’s Chamber – Freda Warrington
- Birthday of the Oligarch – Kari Sperring
- The Anniversary – Jessica Rydill
- Smoergaen’s Bane – Ian Whates
- The Rape of the Stalactite – Liz Williams
- Authors’ Biographies and Selected Bibliography
The book will be launched at a special one day convention in Oxford (also featuring Geoff Ryman, Ian Watson, Ben Jeapes and David Moore of Solaris) http://www.thewritefantastic.com/anniversary.html
The book will appear on May 8th 2010
Paperback edition: £6.99
Hardback edition: £15.99
The dust-jacketed hardback edition is strictly limited to just 50 numbered copies. Although not officially a ‘signed’ edition, copies will be signed by the majority if not all the contributing authors.