As many of you will be aware I am hosting another Mary Hocking reading week – in an attempt once again to raise the profile of this unjustifiably forgotten writer. I know I have blogged about this before, but this post is by way of a sign up post if you will – let me know if you are hoping to join me in about five weeks’ time, really the more the merrier.
I am aware that Mary Hocking books can be hard to get – so if you are unable to get a Hocking novel to read that week there may still ways you can join in Mary Hocking reading week. Ultimately it would be fabulous if someone decided to re-issue her novel, maybe that does seem like an unrealistic goal, in a crowded publishing market, but I live in hope. If like me, you would like to see Mary Hocking books made available – then you can assist in creating a buzz about her books, – this is something that ultimately might take a long time – but… from little acorns and all that. There are publishing imprints out there who I think would suit Mary Hocking novels (I have to admit to having sent at least one email – to which I received, probably unsurprisingly, no reply) – perhaps between us we can convince them to take a look at books I suspect have been forgotten and even turfed out of our local libraries. This is what social media was made for after all, if you are a Twitter user use the hashtag #rememberMaryHocking – and get talking about her books.
Still, and more importantly of course I do hope some of you will be reading Mary Hocking that week. I would love to know what you will be reading. I have just finished a Mary Hocking novel; March House (1981) – which I will review early next week I should think, and I hope to read a couple of other novels around the week of 1st-7th June. I will possibly be reading A Time of War (1968) and possibly its sequel The Hopeful Traveller (1970).
Two exciting links for you – (ok so maybe it’s just me that thinks they’re exciting). A few weeks ago a friend of mine on Facebook – wrote and had accepted a Wikipedia page for Mary Hocking (thank you Nick!) I do think this will help a little – previously anyone searching for Mary Hocking would come up with very little information – links mainly to Goodreads or Librarything books. Since the Wiki page went live – I have found that the google search results for Mary Hocking seem more useful – maybe that is just my imagination. Something else that I can share with you is a brand new Mary Hocking readers group on Facebook – (I seem to spend more time in the groups on Facebook these days that on proper Facebook) – it’s an open group, still small but we welcome more Hocking enthusiasts.
Please help me #rememberMaryHocking the first week of June. During the week itself and afterwards you can post links to any of your own reviews or blog posts about Mary Hocking in the comments here- I don’t want to miss anything.
heavenali 
Just seen FAMILY CIRCLE go up from £3.49 to £53 overnight on AMAZON.Gulp.
Also TIME OF WAR went up from £3.49 to £36 overnight as well.Double gulp eh?
FAMILY CIRCLE is now down to £11.55 but it was £3.49 yesterday and very briefly appeared at £53.Like the stock exchange.Sorry to be so boring but i thought you may like to know.
I read and enjoyed Family Circle not long ago so I have a copy thankfully. How odd that prices are up and down like that.
Good luck with the reading week, Ali – I shall try to join in if I can!
Thank you. Hope you can.
I just looked up Mary Hocking at my library, and, sure enough, there was nothing! I might have to request one and see what happens… Any recommendations?
The Fairly family trilogy which starts with Good Daughters is still very popular possibly not her best writing but still very good. An Irrelevant Woman, March House (finished last night) A Family Circle and Letters from Constance are very good indeed great examples of her writting as is The Very Dead of Winter.
Thanks!
Which are the three books in the Fairley trilogy (if I have the name correct)?
Good Daughters, Indifferent Heroes and Welcome Strangers.
Thanks
After your last post about Mary Hocking I was curious, so I got An Irrelevant Woman, which was excellent, and a lovely VMC edition of Good Daughters, which I’ve just started, and am enjoying so far. So thank you for the introduction to a ‘new’ author. And I’ll join the Reading Week if I may!
Fantastic, An Irrelevant Woman is excellent. Hope you continue to enjoy Mary Hocking books.
I will join if I can find another of her novels. I loved the one I read last year.
Oh great hope you can find one.
I just did. 🙂 Letters from Constance.
Thanks for the reminder. I’ve just ordered Good Daughters and am looking forward to a new-to-me author.
Oh that is such a lovely book, I do hope you enjoy it.
I’ve been wanting to read Letters from Constance for ages; I’ll have to check the second-hand shops with a new resolve!
Oh yes you will.- some second hand on line sellers often have.Hocking novels available. Good luck.
I’m just finishing a Particular Place – the library’s one and only Hocking – was tempted to find Very Dead of Winter elsewhere, and glad to see it was one of your recommendations.
It’s such a shame that libraries seem to have got rid of Mary Hocking novels. A Particular Place was the first Mary Hocking novel I read.
I looked on my library system’s website, which includes 111 libraries, and nothing! But at least you’ve brought this author to my attention!
Oh no! Well now we know where Abebooks sellers gets all those ex-library copies to sell.
I keep forgetting her The Very Dead of Winter, which is the first Hocking I read long before I ‘heard’ of her. Total escapism; I loved it.
I will be joining in for sure with at least one. Thank you for setting this up Ali. I always enjoy your week of reading Mary Hocking.
Great to have you with us 🙂
Are you going to buy any more Hocking’s soon?
I only ask because there are reasonably priced copies of THE CLIMBING FRAME and DANIEL/JUDGEMENT on Amazon.
Thank you for letting me know.
I’ve got one ready and will look forward to it!
Yay so glad you’re joining in.
I’ll be joining in if I can beg, borrow (hello!) or buy some!
You can borrow any of mine just say which 🙂
I will have a charity shop scour soon, but other than that – surprise me! Let’s have a nice cup of tea that week to celebrate.
Sounds good 🙂
I’m in. Just checked and I have A Particular Place, so that is going to be my read. If I didn’t have so much on my plate, I’d be tempted to reread the Daughters trilogy. I suspect it might be even better the second time.
Excellent, yes I can imagine the daughters trilogy would be great to re-read. I really enjoyed a particular place.
Who owns the rights to publish the novels of Mary Hocking?
Did she have a family or friends?Or an agent?Maybe they should be contacted?
I really don’t know. I got the impression from brief obituary at the time of her death that she didn’t have a family but that could be completely wrong.
I will mention that about 8 years ago i emailed a well known publisher to ask about reprints and was told “Mary has a very tough agent so we will have to see in future” type reply.
Ah I see. I wonder what the situation is now.
http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/british-author-mary-hocking-using-a-typewriter-circa-1970-news-photo/525185993
Great photo thank you
Have you seen this photo of Mary Hocking before?
[…] Hope, ‘Mary Hocking reading week 1st-7th June‘ on her […]
Talking of photos–i am not certain if the 1940s lady at her writing desk IS Mary Hocking or just a random Google image.I refer to the photo used by BOOKSNOB on her review of “Constance”.
Ah ok. I had thought it looked a bit like her but it might not be.
I could be very wrong.I keep looking at the shape of the face and jaw.Bit like C.S.I(!) The 1940s photo appears on GOOGLE IMAGES with many random photos alongside the 3 photos of Mary we know.
[…] way. I also had a slight accident, falling into a charity shop to look for reads for Ali’s Mary Hocking Reading Week and coming out with six books, but at least they don’t all count (see […]
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Funny that most people online say “CONSTANCE” is Mary’s best book.But the safe and obvious reprint would have to be A Particular Place.I think it was the decent book she wrote.
Some of her books are dated and not as appealing to the general reader.
Yes A Particular Place would make for a great reprint. There are others too I don’t necessarily think her books are that old fashioned as to be unpublishable. They are of their time but that is not necessarily a bad thing.
[…] Mary Hockings are for Ali’s Mary Hocking Reading Week, which starts a week on Monday. I haven’t been able to find any in the local charity shops, […]
[…] I discovered Mary Hocking last year, thanks to Heavenali‘s Mary Hocking Week. So, of course, I was keen on joining when I saw she was going to do another week this year. […]
In online shopping I was able to find several Hockings that are new to me and last night I cheated and began my “Mary Hocking Reading Week” with The Meeting Place. Several pages in I felt something just settle within my soul. After reading some rather bizarre books off this year’s Orange/Baileys list, it felt like coming home to get back into a comfortable reading place. Mary Hocking gives me that warm & satisfied feeling of contentment.
Oh that’s lovely 🙂 I really enjoyed The meeting place it is unusual in some respects (you’ll see why soon ) but is very touching and it has stayed with me. I have also started early with A Time of War.
The Meeting Place: near perfection. A bit of suspense, a bit of the supernatural and a lot of comfort. Not really a book of time travel but I would say more like parallel lives of the protagonist. Like Mary Hocking’s other books I have read, I know it will be even better when I reread it.
So glad you enjoyed it. It is a very good novel and one which stayed with me strongly.
[…] if you review any Mary Hocking either this week or in the coming weeks please post the link either here or at the bottom of this post so I don’t miss it. A round up of Mary Hocking week will follow in […]
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I think you want us to collect our reviews here? Here’s mine of “An Irrelevant Woman” https://librofulltime.wordpress.com/2015/06/02/book-reviews-from-a-tiny-corner-in-the-house-of-fiction-and-an-irrelevant-woman/ (scroll down as I review two at a time).
I did yes, thank you.
For this week I have read & loved both The Meeting Place and Family Circle. Then I began Look, Stranger and just have not been able to get my head wrapped round it. I have been somewhat ill all year with some of the symptoms being dizziness, fuzzy & thick headed feeling along with lethargy & others. But I think not feeling clearheaded had a lot to do with not being able to get into Look, Stranger. So after several days of trying, I am going to begin Hocking’s Letters From Constance. It seems to be universally loved so I am hoping it will be easier for me to concentrate on. 🙂
Have loved this week of reading, Ali. Thank you for hosting.
Sorry you’re feeling unwell 😦 Look Stranger is quite unusual though I did like it- it has quite a Murdoch-y feel to it in places. I have a feeling you will love Letters from Constance. I am taking a Hocking break but shall return to her again in a few weeks. Get well soon.
[…] review is part of Heavenali’s Mary Hocking Week. She read and reviewed this Letters From Constance last year. Here’s […]