Carolyn Jess-Cooke

I first met my demon the morning that Mum said Dad had gone. 'My name is Alex. I'm ten years old. I like onions on toast and I can balance on the back legs of my chair for fourteen minutes. I can also see demons. My best friend is one. He likes Mozart, table tennis and bread and butter pudding. My mum is sick. Ruen says he can help her. Only Ruen wants me to do something really bad. He wants me to kill someone.'

The Boy Who Could See Demons

When Margot dies, she is sent back to earth as a guardian angel-- to herself! As she observes-- and interferes in-- the events she's already lived, she tries to alter the course of her own life-- and prevent her own death.

The Guardian Angel's Journal

Mi amigo el demonio

Alex Broccoli tem 10 anos de idade, gosta de escrever piadas em seu diário e uma de suas diversões é se equilibrar sobre as duas pernas traseiras de uma cadeira. A família de Alex se resume ao cão Woof e à sua mãe, que depois de ter sido abandonada pelo parceiro, tornou-se melancólica e depressiva. Quando seu pai vai embora de vez, o único amigo de Alex passa a ser Ruen, um demônio de 9 mil anos de idade. No livro O menino que via demônios, Carolyn Jess-Cooke, autora do bem-sucedido O diário do anjo da guarda, une a trajetória de Alex à da psiquiatra infantil Anya Molokova, para investigar a fronteira entre a realidade e a fantasia em que se encontram crianças atormentadas por lares instáveis e pelas marcas duradouras da violência na Irlanda do Norte. Sem esquecer, é claro, a abordagem espiritual e o toque sobrenatural presente em sua obra. Numa Belfast que ainda tenta se livrar do impacto causado pelos conflitos políticos das décadas finais do século XX, Anya se entrega à missão de descobrir como diminuir o sofrimento de jovens com distúrbios psicológicos graves. Quando a mãe de Alex tenta se suicidar pela 2a vez, Anya é escalada para acompanhar os passos do menino. A psiquiatra vê em Alex os mesmos traços de esquizofrenia infantil de sua filha, Poppy, que se suicidara aos 12 anos de idade. Anya acredita que a maioria das crianças irlandesas que sofre algum tipo de psicopatologia são vítimas do desequilíbrio psicológico de seus pais, que cresceram sob a forte carga negativa da violência social que o país vivenciou nas décadas de 70 e 80. No caso de Alex, é a frágil relação de seus pais e os problemas da mãe Anya vê no garoto algo diferente e se deparará com seus próprios limites ao tentar convencê-lo de que o seu amigo demônio não existe. Enquanto busca explicar as atitudes do menino a partir de seus conhecimentos em psiquiatria, Anya se aproximará cada vez mais da temida dúvida: Será que Alex realmente consegue ver demônios?

O menino que via demônios

We Have To Leave The Earth, Carolyn Jess-Cooke's third book of poems, deftly interweaves the personal and the political. Climate change is confronted in a portrait of the Arctic with its 'wolf winters'. The House of Rest, is a history in 9 poems of Josephine Butler, (1828-1906) a pioneering feminist activist. There are also tender poems about family.

We Have to Leave the Earth

"Jess-Cooke conjures (and there is a sense of enchantment or spellcasting present in the sensual figurative language utilised) precise, evocative imagery to discuss wide-ranging subjects, such as disability, feminism, the environment and motherhood, and creates a sense of travelling through experiences and environments" – Ruth Stacey"The blend of heavenly and prosaic is glorious and terrifying." – Judy Darley"Poems that are strong, yet empathic; steely, but compassionate. It's an extremely powerful admixture and I urge you to read it." Buzz Magazine. A brutal and pressing collection, We Have To Leave The Earth tackles gruesome yet important topics throughout her collection. The first collection playfully examines the Viking culture, with a strong temporal focus on ice in the arctic landscape. Jess-Cooke dedicates her next section to the erased voice of early feminist pioneer Josephine Butler, creating a rich history through a first person narrative. The theme of motherhood echoes from this section into the final beautiful collection as Jess-Cooke describes her own tale of motherhood and the perceptions of her autistic daughter.

We Have To Leave The Earth

The title poem of this new collection of poems by Carolyn Jess-Cooke: 'Boom!' enacts the moment when the new baby arrives in the family 'like a hand grenade'. 'Becoming a mother changed me in every single way,' says the author, 'my first child - born in October 2006 - just about knocked me sideways. There were many reasons for this, but here's the biggest one: I could not believe how public and political the (hugely personal) experience of motherhood was.' A noted academic, author of a book about film and Shakespeare, and a best-selling popular novelist 'The Guardian Angel's Journal' and 'The Boy Who Could See Demons', Jess-Cooke found, as many parents do, that the juggling act required to raise young children and continue a professional and creative life, is both exhausting and fulfilling. The poems chronicle the rapturous moments, such as 'Wakening' where the baby is observed: 'the seedling eyes stirred by sunlight'. There are also the tragi-comic 'Nights' full of 'small elbows in the face' and 'assailed by colds and colic'. Jess-Cooke doesn't flinch from the darker fears and depressions that can afflict parents. There are also pieces of pointed satirical intent and socio-political comment such as 'Poem made from bits of Newspaper Headlines ' and 'The Only Dad in Playgroup'. Viewing motherhood from a multiplicity of artful angles, the author says, 'Coupled with all this was the love I had for my children. It completely and utterly blew me away, how much I could love another human being.'

Boom!

Since the birth of Shakespearean cinema in 1899, there have been around 500 film adaptations in which the Bard has been taken to outer space, downtown Mumbai and feudal Japan. This book explores an astonishing array of Shakespearean films from early cinema to the present day.

Such Things as Dreams are Made of

Shakespeare on Film

A study of sequel production within recent Hollywood and beyond in terms of its industrial, cultural and global implications.

Film Sequels

Constantine Verevis

The first collection of essays devoted to the phenomenon of the film sequel.

Critical Approaches to the Film Sequel

Second Takes

Bestselling author Carolyn Jess-Cooke has written a brilliant novel of suspense that delves into the recesses of the human mind and soul—perfect for fans of Gillian Flynn and Lisa Unger. The Boy Who Could See Demons follows a child psychologist who comes up against a career-defining case—one that threatens to unravel her own painful past and jeopardizes the life of a boy who can see the impossible. Dr. Anya Molokova, a child psychiatrist, is called in to work at MacNeice House, an adolescent mental health treatment center. There she is told to observe and assess Alex Connolly, a keenly intelligent, sensitive ten-year-old coping with his mother’s latest suicide attempt. Alex is in need of serious counseling: He has been harming himself and others, often during blackouts. At the root of his destructive behavior, Alex claims, is his imaginary “friend” Ruen, a cunning demon who urges Alex to bend to his often violent will. But Anya has seen this kind of behavior before—with her own daughter, Poppy, who suffered from early-onset schizophrenia. Determined to help Alex out of his darkness, Anya begins to treat the child. But soon strange and alarming coincidences compel Anya to wonder: Is Alex’s condition a cruel trick of the mind? Or is Ruen not so make-believe after all? The reality, it turns out, is more terrifying than anything she has ever encountered. A rich and deeply moving page-turner, The Boy Who Could See Demons sets out to challenge the imagination and capture the way life takes unexpected turns. In the best storytelling tradition, it leaves the reader changed. Praise for The Boy Who Could See Demons “A well written, engaging read filled with compassion for those suffering the whims of an untamed mental illness . . . A poignant read, The Boy Who Could See Demons is a suspenseful novel that probes the issues surrounding the devastating effects of mental illness. The author delves into the psychological issues of schizophrenia and mental disorders with such dexterity it leaves the reader stirred and affected, questioning throughout the story what is real and what is not. . . . As the conclusion draws near, the story takes unexpected turns, making it even more dramatic and compelling.”—New York Journal of Books “Impressive . . . Jess-Cooke is every bit as skillful in her vivid portrayals of unworldly beings . . . as in illustrating the dreadful toll taken by mental illness.”—Booklist “A searing novel of suspense.”—Publishers Weekly “A psychologically complex thriller, told with compassion in a marvelously suspenseful narrative that keeps you engaged from the first page to the last . . . This book has it all: a dark and dangerous setting, characters full of depth, rich emotions, and a clever plot. You’ll fall in love with Alex—and his demons.”—Chevy Stevens, author of Still Missing “Top-notch psychological suspense . . . Beware what you think you know. It might be only the demons talking.”—Lisa Gardner, author of Touch & Go “Brilliant! Rich with fully formed characters, this heart-gripping novel will keep you riveted from first page to last.”—Jeffery Deaver, author of XO “Utterly captivating, this is a book I adored and savored from the first to the very last magical page.”—Tess Gerritsen, author of Ice Cold

A Novel

Upon the cliffs of the remote Scottish island Lon Haven stands a lighthouse. A lighthouse that has weathered more than storms. Mysterious and terrible events have happened on this island, starting with a witch hunt. Now, centuries later, islanders are vanishing without explanation. Coincidence - or curse? Liv Stay flees to the island with her three daughters, in search of a home. She doesn't believe in witches, or hauntings, or dark omens. But within months, her daughter Luna will be the only one of them left. More than two decades years later, Luna is drawn back to the place where her family vanished. As the last sister left, it's up to her to find out the truth...

The Lighthouse Witches

A much-needed exploration of motherhood as both political space and a complex personal experience, this book's skewering literary portraits of contemporary motherhood contend with the tender and torturous issues raised when a woman dares to do both. Contributors include Carol Ann Duffy, Sharon Olds and Hollie McNish.

A Creative Anthology

Writing Motherhood

Alex, dix ans, adore les toasts aux oignons et se balancer sur les pieds de sa chaise. Il a pour meilleur ami Ruen, un démon âgé de 9 000 ans, grand amateur de Mozart, de ping-pong et de pain perdu. Lorsque, après une nouvelle tentative de suicide de sa mère, Alex commence à se montrer violent, il est suivi par le Dr Anya Molokova, une psychiatre. Mère d'une petite fille schizophrène, Anya connaît bien ce genre de comportement et essaie de convaincre le garçon que Ruen n'existe que dans son imagination. Pourtant, face à d'étranges coïncidences, elle est prise de doutes : Alex est-il réellement victime d'hallucinations ? Aussi intelligent que captivant, Le garçon qui voyait des démons entretient le suspense de la première à la dernière page en posant la question de la frontière entre réalité et imaginaire. Traduit de l'anglais par Laurence Kiefé

roman

Le garçon qui voyait des démons

Shortlisted for the London Festival Fringe Prize for the Best First Collection of Poetry 2010. This debut collection from Seren, Inroads, showcases a startling new talent. Carolyn Jess-Cooke has a sophisticated poetic intelligence as well as a great sense of fun. The opening piece, 'Accent' where 'stowaway inflections and locally-produced slang/have passports of their own' is a praise poem for the versatility and joy of language, "The way sound chases itself in tunnels and halls, the way senses fold memory...”. This verbal fluency and dexterity are employed to offer us poems that are multi-faceted and often paradoxical. 'Aeneas Finds Dido on YouTube' is part satire, part tender re-enactment of the myth, featuring the most up-to-date media platforms. After this playful start, a difficult childhood is evoked through metaphor in poems like 'Music Lesson','One Thousand Painful Pieces' and 'Bitten', all the more heartbreaking for being indirect. Other high points are 'Newborn' with the apt description of a babe in arms being a 'zoo of verbs/mewling, snuffling, pecking...'. This sweet realism again gives way to metaphor, in the strangely evocative 'Dorothy's Homecoming' in a brilliant take on the classic film 'Wizard of Oz', the power of maternal love has turned into a 'twister'. Readers will enjoy discovering this striking and versatile new voice.

Inroads

Sabine Schulte

Anya Molokov ist Kinderpsychologin. Keine leichte Aufgabe für eine Frau, die ihre eigene Tochter unter mysteriösen Umständen verloren hat. Ihr Trauma erwacht zu neuem Leben, als Anya dem hochbegabten Alex begegnet. Denn der Zehnjährige sieht Dinge, die sonst niemand sehen kann. Und er weiss Geheimnisse von ihr, die sie niemandem je anvertraute. Je enger das Band zwischen den beiden wird, desto entschlossener ist Anya, Alex seinen Dämonen zu entreissen - egal um welchen Preis...(Quelle: Buchdeckel verso).

Roman : Carolyn Jess-Cooke

Die Psychologin

It was like something out of a fairytale: the grieving widower; the motherless daughters; a beautiful house in the woods. And a nanny come to save the day. So what if Lexi isn't telling the truth about who she is? Escaping to the remote snows of Norway is going to be her lifeline. And all she wants is to be a part of their lives. But soon, isolated in that cold, creaking house in the middle of ancient, whispering woods, Lexi's fairytale starts to turn into a nightmare. With darkness creeping in from the outside, her fears are deepening. Lexi knows she needs to protect the children in her care. But protect them from what?

The Nesting

Elvira Veenings

Een vrouw die op haar 40e is overleden, keert terug op aarde als haar eigen beschermengel en herbeleeft zo niet alleen haar eigen leven, maar grijpt zonodig ook in.

Carolyn Jess-Cooke

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