William Parker
About the Author
William Parker was born in Newport, Wales and spent his early childhood in the Middle East. He attended schools in Gloucestershire and Wales before studying drama at the Guildford School of Acting. William spent 20 years acting, including a season at The Royal National Theatre, two national tours of Peter Pan, a production of Hair at Her Majesty’s Theatre, Haymarket in the West End, in addition to three seasons in repertory theatre and many supporting roles in TV and film. He is now happily settled into a part time job—off stage—with Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Group, which gives him time to pursue his interest in writing. He has a nine-year old son and lives in London.
Reviews
"...bubbly, haunting and oddly affecting." — Will Self
“This was a joy to read, it really was. Parker writes with such beautiful subtlety. He gets into a child's mind, seeing things he does not understand fully and yet tries to make sense of, trying desperately to protect the people he loves... There were bits of it that were just so true, so honest — the clock he keeps touching in his bag under the bed; the anxiety about whether he has enough hands to carry his boater. ... Discovering The House Martin was like unwrapping a particularly lovely present that you didn't expect to be given.” — Elizabeth Day, Feature writer, The Observer
"Parker's characters are great, and in the younger Ben he creates a unique and believable voice...the boarding school life is vividly depicted and the metaphor of the house martin, struggling to cope on its own after being thrown from its nest in a storm, nicely
rounds off this unusual debut novel." — Attitude Magazine
"Denial is a fine refuge when the truth is unwanted. 'The House Martin' tells the story of Ben and the difficulties of his life which are so simply ignored for so long. Unable to easily accept the undesirable, Ben keeps his life devoid of problems, using his own ignorance as a weapon. But you can't run away forever, and courage is going to come for him whether he wants it to or not. 'The House Martin' is a riveting read with a powerful message, highly recommended." — Midwest Book Review
"I bought The House Martin out of a mixture of curiosity and loyalty to a friend. Within the first twenty pages I found myself transported back to the nineteen sixties and viewing life through the eyes of a sensitive anxious child sent away to prep school.
William Parker has managed to capture the voice of a confused little boy, who nevertheless has that curious depth of wisdom so often found in children. As the child grows older and eventually matures, there is a continuity in the voice that leaves the reader in no doubt that this is one and the same person. I raced through the book, not wanting it to end. His next book will be a hard act to follow, but I am already looking forward to reading it."—David Robert Brewerton
William Parker was born in Newport, Wales and spent his early childhood in the Middle East. He attended schools in Gloucestershire and Wales before studying drama at the Guildford School of Acting. William spent 20 years acting, including a season at The Royal National Theatre, two national tours of Peter Pan, a production of Hair at Her Majesty’s Theatre, Haymarket in the West End, in addition to three seasons in repertory theatre and many supporting roles in TV and film. He is now happily settled into a part time job—off stage—with Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Group, which gives him time to pursue his interest in writing. He has a nine-year old son and lives in London.
Reviews
"...bubbly, haunting and oddly affecting." — Will Self
“This was a joy to read, it really was. Parker writes with such beautiful subtlety. He gets into a child's mind, seeing things he does not understand fully and yet tries to make sense of, trying desperately to protect the people he loves... There were bits of it that were just so true, so honest — the clock he keeps touching in his bag under the bed; the anxiety about whether he has enough hands to carry his boater. ... Discovering The House Martin was like unwrapping a particularly lovely present that you didn't expect to be given.” — Elizabeth Day, Feature writer, The Observer
"Parker's characters are great, and in the younger Ben he creates a unique and believable voice...the boarding school life is vividly depicted and the metaphor of the house martin, struggling to cope on its own after being thrown from its nest in a storm, nicely
rounds off this unusual debut novel." — Attitude Magazine
"Denial is a fine refuge when the truth is unwanted. 'The House Martin' tells the story of Ben and the difficulties of his life which are so simply ignored for so long. Unable to easily accept the undesirable, Ben keeps his life devoid of problems, using his own ignorance as a weapon. But you can't run away forever, and courage is going to come for him whether he wants it to or not. 'The House Martin' is a riveting read with a powerful message, highly recommended." — Midwest Book Review
"I bought The House Martin out of a mixture of curiosity and loyalty to a friend. Within the first twenty pages I found myself transported back to the nineteen sixties and viewing life through the eyes of a sensitive anxious child sent away to prep school.
William Parker has managed to capture the voice of a confused little boy, who nevertheless has that curious depth of wisdom so often found in children. As the child grows older and eventually matures, there is a continuity in the voice that leaves the reader in no doubt that this is one and the same person. I raced through the book, not wanting it to end. His next book will be a hard act to follow, but I am already looking forward to reading it."—David Robert Brewerton