On Tuesday 22 October 2024, Black Fountain Press hosted a Book Launch for author Percy Lallemang and his new book Nightscapes at the publisher's premises.
Anne-Marie Reuter of Black Fountain Press welcomed the 30+ attendees with a tongue-in-cheek introduction, referencing risks, curses, dark forces, spirits, etc., recounting the challenge of arranging a suitable venue, from initially a church in Peppange, then a café in Luxembourg which was undergoing renovations, a pub on the Rollingergrund which attracts both Luxembourgish and expatriate clientele, to eventually the Black Fountain premises in Bridel.
Percy Lallemang is a graduate of the University of Kent at Canterbury (BA) and the University of Edinburgh (Msc. in Comparative Literature). He worked as a teacher of English, was the chairman of the British Luxembourg Society from 2009-2016 which introduced him to the British Embassy and the expatriate community; he is now in charge of one of Luxembourg's biggest regional museums, the Rural Museum in Peppange. "Maybe my first name predestined me to become an Anglophile which I've been since my first trip to England aged sixteen," he confided. He is a published author and has also written screenplays; however, he admitted that he prefers writing fiction.
He read from the shortest of the three short stories in Nightscapes, "The Infinite", about a character called Jean-Luc, a widower, who is comfortable living by himself in a small apartment and who rarely ventures outside... He revealed that he originally wrote this story in French as a teenager, and recently returned to it and worked on it again.
A discussion followed, with other writers commenting on aspects of the story/reading, including the various references to a chameleon.
The other two stories - including "Spray" and "Man Without a Shadow", the former a murder investigation set in the future and the latter set in Scotland in the 19th century - are more bloody, more violent, and are different too in style.
Chronicle.lu talked with the author who revealed more about the short stories and the writing of Nightscapes.
Chronicle.lu: Please tell us what Nightscapes is about.
Percy Lallemang: Nightscapes is a collection of one unsettling short story and two longer tales. One is set in 1830s Edinburgh and the other in near future London. There are hints of horror and the supernatural- a perfect book for Hallowe'en. Without wanting to give too much away:
- "The Man without a Shadow" - in 1830, a traumatised veteran of the Napoleonic Wars serving in the Edinburgh Constabulary is haunted by a terrifying presence.
- "The Infinite" - an elderly loner who has cut himself off from the outside world, loses himself in his tiny flat.
- "SPRAY" - in 2055, bodies drained of all blood turn up all over London. Two female investigators uncover a satanic conspiracy and find themselves in mortal danger.
Chronicle.lu: What gave you the inspiration to write Nightscapes?
Percy Lallemang: I am addicted to reading, hearing and making up stories, so it is no surprise that I love to read and write genre fiction - especially horror, thriller and fantastic literature - and play around with the expectations they raise. I would call myself an adept of C.G. Jung. Genre fiction is inhabited by archetypes of the collective subconscious and it's fascinating to me how different variations of the same characters (e.g. the ruler or the hero) and stories appear all over the world coming from many different cultures and ethnicities. I love to explore those variations and create my own versions in my writings.
"The Man without a Shadow" came from a nightmare I once had about a figure that didn't cast a shadow. Somehow the story I built around this image lead me to early 19th century Edinburgh. I also love history and historical fiction and the Scottish capital happens to be my favourite city in the world - its gothic atmosphere reflects my own dark mindset, a perfect nightscape for my imagination backed up by a historical setting. I greatly enjoyed incorporating historical research into the plot.
I have no idea precisely where "The Infinite" came from but I wrote a first version in French when I was only seventeen and which I heavily rewrote when I translated it. The result is pure psycho terror, a terrifying and surreal concept about facing my fear of death.
"SPRAY" - I originally set out to write a crime story about a photographer working freelance for the police and wanted it to be a sequel of sorts to my award-winning thriller screenplay trilogy. Although set in a dystopian near future and despite its horrific murders and crime investigation plot, "SPRAY" closes the book on a more positive note, against my own expectations. It reflects my personal fears about the future based on the fucked up world we live in (with a few added sci-fi elements) and what it might turn into. No idea where the love story came from that somehow crept into the narrative while I was writing it. I'd like to believe that people will always find ways to adapt to every situation no matter how bleak it is and make the best of it, just like we all did during the recent pandemic.
I would qualify the three stories in this collection as fantastic literature, which was part of my studies at university. My favourite stories of that genre are those which leave a reasonable doubt about the supernatural elements involved (The Turn of the Screw by Henry James being the most prominent example).
Chronicle.lu: Why did you write it in English?
Percy Lallemang: I write exclusively in English because I studied in the UK and was a teacher of English for over eighteen years. As a former chairman of the British Luxembourg Society, I travelled widely across the UK and Ireland and organised guided study tours for many years. I consider English as my second first language. I read a lot and nine out of ten books I read are in English, the same goes for my wife. Besides, I'm hoping to reach a wider more international readership.
Chronicle.lu: Who would you think would be interested in reading Nightscapes?
Percy Lallemang: There aren't many writers in Luxembourg that write genre fiction and even fewer who write in English and I happen to be one of those few. I guess there are many people out there who might feel a bit starved by the lack of such books written by Luxembourg authors. The success of many writers like Stephen King or Jo Nesbo shows there is a big audience out there with a keen interest in genre fiction. If you enjoy reading a good crime, sci-fi, horror or thriller like I do myself, you are mostly left with no choice but buy one written by authors from abroad. Some readers might think this type of book isn't their cup of tea or that it isn't real literature but they should give it a try and hopefully they'll be surprised. I also hope to reach a younger audience that is often more open-minded.
In any case I congratulate and remain very grateful to Black Fountain Publishing for releasing Nightscapes. They have only produced works of high quality and I feel honoured to be a part of their group of authors with those stories.
