Madness is becoming for Bristol writer
Added: (Wed Jun 05 2024)
Pressbox (Press Release) -
A former Internet Poet of the Year has ditched his couplets and pentameter to produce a stunning new biographical novel.
Paul Pegasus scooped $10,000 back in 2004 for his winning entry in the worldwide online poetry competition.
The 65-year-old has since released two five-star-rated anthologies of poetry, 64 Poems and Asylum, to critical acclaim.
But he has now returned to the novel to tell the gripping story of the colourful Mars as he reflects on a life that eventually led to admission to a mental hospital.
Paul’s debut novel in 2020, Bittersweet Friday, showcased his natural ability for storytelling and characterisation.
And his latest offering, Imagination, takes readers on an even deeper journey as he explores the blurry lines between reality and imagination.
Paul, whose favourite authors include James Joyce and DH Lawrence, explained: “Imagination is a biography of Mars - and his imagination - from the moment he sets his suitcase down in Bristol in 1978.
“The book follows Mars all the way to his last admission in 1999 to the now closed Old Manor mental hospital, in Salisbury.
“From his love with a film animator and his experience of the party life with Clifton trendies to his suggestions to a famous politician in Wiltshire, we follow Mars and his imagination.”
Imagination documents Mars as he descends towards madness through a cocktail of poetry, politics and hallucinative drugs.
Paul’s authoritative prose and narrative provide a deep insight into how madness can creep up on the unlikeliest of victims.
And his fascination with mental health institutions, which has been previously explored in his poetry, also comes to the fore in Imagination.
Paul added: “Mars eventually gets sectioned for six months in the hospital.
“Imagination records his relationship with an interesting permanent patient there, mere months before the village style hospital was demolished forever, and a new, smaller, more permanent institution built.
“All in all, it is an account of a life spent in the imagination, interspersed with the survival narrative of life on the hospital ward.”
Away from writing, talented instrumentalist Paul takes pride in mixing his own music.
For more details, visit Amazon and search for Paul Pegasus, where the paperback and Kindle formats of Imagination are both available.
Notes to the editor
PublishNation was formed in London in 2011 to provide high quality services to writers at affordable prices.
Since its launch, the company has assisted in the publication of around 2,000 books in a variety of genres for clients throughout the world.
For more details on PublishNation, visit their website at www.publishnation.co.uk