A young Duncan Jones with his father, David Bowie. Image screenshot courtesy of the official David Bowie Instagram.
Fans of David Bowie and those who like a good read should be happy with the news that Bowie’s son, director and filmmaker Duncan Jones (Moon, World of Warcraft), is launching a book club in the musician’s honour. The club will feature picks from Bowie’s favourite pieces of literature, taken from the singer’s list of top 100 books, which was published online back in 2013.
The online book club will each month pick a book from the list and Jones will open up a discussion on Twitter about it on a chosen date. Anyone is welcome to join (“More the merrier” said Jones) you just need to get a copy of the book and read it by a certain deadline.
David Bowie enjoying a joke with the film crew while filming 'The Man Who Fell To Earth'. © Geoff MacCormack
“My dad was a beast of a reader. One of his true loves was Peter Ackroyd’s sojourns into the history of Britain & its cities.” Jones tweeted. “I’ve been feeling a building sense of duty to go on the same literary marathon in tribute to dad. Time allowing.”
This was then followed shortly after by another tweet confirming the first book in the series, which is one by the aforementioned British author and is set in London in the 17th century. “Alright gang! Anyone who wants to join along, we are reading Peter Ackroyd’s ‘Hawksmoor,’ as an amuse cerveau before we get into the heavy stuff. You have until Feb 1.”
Terry Pastor designed and hand coloured the album artwork for David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. This print is based on the original photograph shot in London in 1972. © Terry Pastor
Akroyd’s 1985 Whitbread Award-winning novel followers architect and debaser Nicholas Dyer, who is loosely based on the famous 17th century architect Nicholas Hawksmoor. Dyer's satanic and murderous life—which is narrated in the 17th century language and diary style of Samuel Pepys—is juxtaposed with a modern day criminal investigation led by a detective named, Nicholas Hawksmoor.
The detective is looking for a serial killer who is leaving dead bodies at the site of the churches built by Dyer, and his obsession with tracking the killer leads the detective to begin to become mentally unhinged. It’s a macabre and post-modern read involving human sacrifice and occult rituals, and an interesting novel to kick off a book club with.
In the style of the novel, Jones tweeted, “Just want to thank all my followers (satanists & snake talkers,) who are part of the “book club,” (shadow government.) Don’t forget that the deadline for finishing Hawksmoor, (overthrowing the festering cabal that rules the world,) is Feb 1, (Feb 29,) 2018, (1693.).”
Duncan Jones 'reading intensely' the first book, 'Hawksmoor', in the David Bowie Book Club. Image credit: Twitter / @ManMadeMoon
It looks like Jones might video himself reading some extracts from the various chosen books too. As he also tweeted about the legalities of recording himself reading a segment of a book and posting it online. Author of American Gods, Neil Gaiman, replied to him, stating that it was fine (in America) and that “A paragraph or two from a book-length work would count as fair use, in the US.”
Other works on Bowie’s top 100 list that might also make the book club include novels like George Orwell's 1984, Jack Kerouac's On the Road, Anthony Burgess' A Clockwork Orange, John Kennedy Toole's A Confederacy of Dunces along with music bios and music history like The Life and Times of Little Richard by Charles White, The Sound Of The City: The Rise Of Rock And Roll by Charlie Gillete, Sweet Soul Music: Rhythm And Blues And The Southern Dream Of Freedom by Peter Guralnick and many more. You can check out the full list here.
If you want to join in you have until 1st February 2018 to read Hawksmoor, and then make sure you keep up with Twitter hashtag #BowieBookClub.
Bowie chose this image from 'The Man Who Fell To Earth' (1975) for publicity posters in the late seventies. © Geoff MacCormack
Rockarchive is delighted to be able to offer many iconic David Bowie images as limited edition photographic prints which you can buy here.
David Bowie was a leading figure in popular music for over five decades & regarded by critics & musicians as a true innovator.
This print is based on a photograph from the Hunky Dory photo session shot in 1971.
In 1990 David Bowie poses at a photocall for his 'Sound & Vision' Tour at the Rainbow Theatre not Heddon Street as the K.West sign suggests
David Bowie wearing a black scarf on a photo shoot by Mick Rock in New York in 2002
Aladdin Sane is the one image that has defined David Bowie and is nicknamed the 'Mona Lisa of Pop' - Shot by Duffy in his London studio.
The Aladdin Sane image was digitally remastered to a black and white negative format by Chris Duffy in 2012
Taken from the Scary Monsters album cover shoot by Duffy in 1980, 'the most beautiful clown in the circus' - David Bowie
Alternative shot taken from the Aladdin Sane 'photo shoot in 1973, known as 'Eyes Open' - this image was rediscovered in the archive in 2011
David Bowie wearing a two piece quilted suit designed by Freddie Burretti for the 1972 Ziggy Stardust tour.
Terry Pastor shot & hand coloured the photo for the album artwork on David Bowie's iconic album.
Terry Pastor photographed & hand coloured the album artwork for Bowie's Spiders from Mars album.
Terry Pastor's photograph of David Bowie from the 'Hunky Dory' album cover photo session.
Photographer Terry Pastor's 'pink' variation of Bowie from the Hunky Dory album cover photo session.
Photographer Terry Pastor shot & hand coloured the photo artwork for Bowie's Hunky Dory album.
This hand coloured print is based on a photograph by Terry Pastor from the Hunky Dory photo session.
in 1997 prior to his first ever gig in Mexico City David Bowie explores the local cultural sites including the 'Pyramids of Teotihuacan'
David Bowie in front of a Diego Rivera mural whilst visiting the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City in October 1997
Taken at Freida Kahlo’s Museum known as the ‘Blue House’, in Mexico City a few days before David Bowie's first ever concert in Mexico, 1997
David Bowie onstage at his first and only ever concert in Mexico in July 1997
This was a really special performance in October 1973 as it was Bowie's first since announcing his retirement a couple of months before.
David Bowie at his flat in Beckenham in 1969. This photograph was used as the cover to 'Lover To The Dawn', a 10-song acoustic demo tape.
David Bowie on the video shoot for 'Loving the Alien' at Meantime Studios, London in March 1985.
David Bowie at press conference for his single 'Lets Dance' at the Savoy Hotel in London. It was the fifteenth studio album by Bowie.
The Thin White Duke onstage during his Isolar-1976 Tour in Copenhagen in 1976
Iconic Mick Rock photograph of David Bowie during the 'Saxophone' Session in London 1973
David Bowie and Mick Ronson eating lunch on a train to Aberdeen in 1973 heading to the first gig of David Bowie's final Ziggy Stardust Tour
David Bowie captured by Mick Rock whilst applying make-up in Scotland in 1973
David Bowie looking into a mirror at Haddon Hall, Beckenham in March 1972 during an interview for Club International magazine.
David Bowie, Lou Reed & Iggy Pop during a press conference at the Dorchester Hotel, London in July 1972
David Bowie photographed by Mick Rock at Haddon Hall Beckenham in March 1972,
Contact sheet of David Bowie images taken during an interview in London, 1972. One of the images was used on the cover of Melody Maker
Newcastle City Hall, 1973, Ian Dickson eludes security to take this photograph of David Bowie performing as the legendary Ziggy Stardust
David Bowie performing at Newcastle City Hall, UK on the Ziggy Stardust Tour in June 1973
David Bowie performing to an audience of twenty at the Beckenham Arts Lab, UK at the start of his career in 1969
Performing as part of The Hype, David Bowie onstage at the Roundhouse in July 1970
Although originally taken in black and white, this image has the feel of an early 1940s movie star, hence the sepia finish I settled upon.
We drank cheap Riesling and beer (Peeva) with a bunch of soldiers we'd met the night before. They were friendly and inquisitive.
David Bowie in Ziggy makeup in 1973. This shot was taken at the Hammersmith Odeon before the last show of the tour.
I took advantage of the free time and the sublime New Mexico light and picked up my Nikon. This image of David is one of my favourites.
David Bowie photographed whilst filming the 1976 sci-fi film The Man Who Fell To Earth.
David Bowie photographed looking out over the May Day Parade on Red Square, Moscow, 1973
David Bowie and photographer Geoff MacCormack backstage on the set of The Man Who Fell to earth.
He's playing up to my camera to keep himself amused in-between takes. It's as if he is saying: "And you are?"
David Bowie listening to a playback of 'Station to Station’ at Cherokee Studio, Los Angeles.
David chose this image from The Man Who Fell To Earth (1975) for publicity posters in the late seventies.
This was the site of the detonation of the first atomic bomb in 1945, an eerie and desolate place.
David Bowie performing live at Wembley Arena, London on the A Reality Tour in November 2003
David Bowie at home, smoking in bed in his apartment on Foxgrove Road, Beckenham in July 1969, the morning after the first moon landing.
David Bowie photographed with a mask at Frida Kahlo's house and museum in Mexico City in October 1997
David Bowie performing onstage at the Falkoner Centre, Copenhagen, Denmark in April 1976 on his Isolar-1976 Tour.
Limited edition print of Morgan Howell's original painting of the cover of David Bowie's 'Rebel Rebel' vinyl single
During the years 1973-1976 writer/producer Geoff MacCormack toured with David Bowie on the Aladdin Sane and Ziggy Stardust tour.
Photographer Terry Pastor is probably best known for his iconic album artwork for David Bowie's Hunky Dory and Ziggy Stardust.
We are all still reeling from the tragic loss of David Bowie. Here is a wonderful tribute from one of our photographers, Mark Mawston.
David Bowie was recently honoured with three new blue plaques that went up in went up in Maidstone, Hull, and Trident Studios in Soho.
