''Hollow Earth'' is the

debut novel A debut novel is the first novel a novelist publishes. Debut novels are often the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to pu ...

from sibling writing pair

John Barrowman John Scot Barrowman MBE (born 11 March 1967) is a Scottish-American actor, author, presenter, singer and comic book writer. He is known for his roles as Captain Jack Harkness in ''Doctor Who'' (2005–2010; 2020–2021) and its spin-off ''Torc ...

and

Carole Barrowman Carole Emily Barrowman (born 20 April 1959) is a Scottish-American writer and academic. Biography She is Professor of English and Director of Creative Studies in Writing at Alverno College, Milwaukee, and a reviewer and crime fiction columnis ...

which was published in the United Kingdom on 2 February 2012 by

Buster Books Michael O'Mara Books is a small, family-run, privately owned publishing house in the United Kingdom. Established in London in 1985, by an American expatriate, Michael O'Mara, a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and his British wife, Lesley, ...

Plot

The novel is about twins Matt and Emily ("Em") Calder who share an ability that allows them to make artwork come to life, due to their powerful imaginations. Their ability is sought after by antagonists who wish to use it in order to breach Hollow Earth—a realm in which all demons and monsters are trapped.

Inspirations

Part of the novel is set on the fictitious island of Auchinmurn, which is inspired by the islands of

Great Cumbrae Great Cumbrae () is the larger of the two islands known as The Cumbraes in the lower Firth of Clyde in western Scotland. The island is sometimes called Millport, Cumbrae, Millport, after its main town. Home to the Cathedral of The Isles and the ...

and

Little Cumbrae Little Cumbrae () is an island in the Firth of Clyde, in North Ayrshire, Scotland. It lies south of Great Cumbrae, its larger neighbour. The underlying geology is igneous with limited outcrops of sedimentary rock. Little Cumbrae House is of 20th ...

off the coast of

Largs Largs () is a town on the Firth of Clyde in North Ayrshire, Scotland, about from Glasgow. The original name means "the slopes" (''An Leargaidh'') in Scottish Gaelic. A popular seaside resort with a pier, the town markets itself on its histor ...

. The name Auchinmurn is a tribute to Carole and John's maternal grandmother Murn Butler. Other locations which feature in the novel include Glasgow's Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum and the "Pencil" Monument near

. Since Art and artwork is an important theme in the novel, many of the paintings mentioned are based on or inspired by real-life works of art from artists such as

Georges Seurat Georges Pierre Seurat ( , ; ; 2 December 1859 – 29 March 1891) was a French post-Impressionist artist. He devised the painting techniques known as chromoluminarism and pointillism and used conté crayon for drawings on paper with a rough ...

William Blake William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827) was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his life, Blake has become a seminal figure in the history of the Romantic poetry, poetry and visual art of the Roma ...

Vincent van Gogh Vincent Willem van Gogh (; 30 March 185329 July 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who is among the most famous and influential figures in the history of Western art. In just over a decade, he created approximately 2,100 artworks ...

Henry Fuseli Henry Fuseli ( ; ; 7 February 1741 – 17 April 1825) was a Swiss painter, draughtsman, and writer on art who spent much of his life in Britain. Many of his successful works depict supernatural experiences, such as '' The Nightmare''. He pr ...

and

Salvador Dalí Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech, Marquess of Dalí of Púbol (11 May 190423 January 1989), known as Salvador Dalí ( ; ; ), was a Spanish Surrealism, surrealist artist renowned for his technical skill, precise draftsmanship, ...

. The name of the female protagonist 'Emily' was chosen for being the middle name of author Carole Barrowman and also the Christian name of the Barrowmans' paternal Grandmother, Emily Barrowman. The name of male protagonist, 'Matt', was chosen because it is John Barrowman's favourite male Christian name.

Reception

The book has been described by Sarah Swain of '' The Herald'' as a Scottish-style version of

Harry Potter ''Harry Potter'' is a series of seven Fantasy literature, fantasy novels written by British author J. K. Rowling. The novels chronicle the lives of a young Magician (fantasy), wizard, Harry Potter (character), Harry Potter, and his friends ...

. Charles Kelly, writing for local news site S1Millport.com describes the book as a "brilliant read" which he devoured in one sitting, and expresses hope that the release of the book will increase tourism potential for the island.

References

External links

Official Hollow Earth websiteCarole Barrowman's official website

John Barrowman's official websiteThe official Buster Books website
{{JohnBarrowman 2012 fantasy novels British children's novels British young adult novels British fantasy novels Novels set in North Ayrshire Young adult fantasy novels 2012 British novels Novels set in Glasgow 2012 children's books 2012 debut novels