Will this book be the "next Harry Potter"?

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Will this book be the 'next Harry Potter' ?

By Nigel Reynolds, Arts Correspondent
16/06/2007


The Daily Telegraph today publishes the first extracts from Tunnels, expected to be the next sensation after Harry Potter, the first-time work of two British authors now set to become multi-millionaires. Yesterday, Barry Cunningham, their publisher and the man who first signed up JK Rowling a decade ago, was in New York considering film offers from three Hollywood studios for Tunnels - even though it is not due to be published until July 2.


"Tunnels" is written by British authors Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams


"I have never had so many film people trying to get hold of me," he said.

The authors, Roderick Gordon, 46, and Brian Williams, 48, have been guarded about Tunnels but the extracts reveal that the book follows Will, a 10-year-old archaeologist, and his friend Chester. The fantasy adventure involves merciless villains, a tunnel to find a lost world and a journey to the centre of the earth.

Advance orders put Tunnels third in the Amazon sales chart - behind two Harry Potter titles. Mr Cunningham has bought two sequels - one of which is written.

Astonishingly, Gordon and Williams self-published 2,500 copies of the book - under another title, The Highfield Mole - two years ago because they thought they would have no success with mainstream publishers. Yesterday, a hardback copy was being offered on Amazon for £1,500. With deals struck for other countries, the authors have so far earned advances of £500,000.

Gordon, who has two young children, was made redundant as an investment banker in 2001. Williams, who studied art at the Slade in London, has worked as an artist, in films and as an actor.

The pair, friends since meeting as students, were fascinated by archaeology and wrote Tunnels in the garden of Gordon's home in Islington, north London, in the hot summer of 2004.

Williams said: "The basis for the story struck us as if someone had belted us on the head with a shovel.

"The idea of a secret world underneath our feet hit us in an instant and after that, Rod and I never looked back. We couldn't write fast enough."

Extracts from Tunnels

16/06/2007

Opening paragraph

Schlaak! The pickaxe hit the wall of earth and, sparking on an unseen shard of flint, sank deep into the clay, coming to a sudden halt with a dull thud. 'This could be it, Will!'
Dr Burrows crawled forwards in the cramped tunnel.

Sweating and breathing heavily in the confined space, he began feverishly clawing at the dirt, his breath clouding in the damp air. Under the combined glare of their helmet lamps each greedy handful revealed more of the old wooden planking beneath, exposing its tar-coated grain and splintery surface.

'Pass me the crowbar.'

Chester's first dig

Will's whole appearance was rather odd; he was wearing his 'digging kit' which consisted of an oversized cardigan with leather elbow pads, and a pair of dirt-encrusted old cords. The only things Will kept really clean were his beloved shovel and the exposed metal toecaps of his work boots.

'What happened to you then?' Will asked, as Chester finally reached him.

This was a milestone in Will's life, the first time he'd ever allowed somebody from school - or anywhere else, for that matter - to see one of his projects. He wasn't sure yet whether he'd done the right thing; he still didn't know Chester that well.

'Sorry, got a puncture,' Chester puffed apologetically.

The strange man-in-a-hat

Dr Burrows was flabbergasted. It was a man-in-a-hat. Of late, he had begun to notice, amongst the general population of Highfield, a type of person that seemed - well, different, but without sticking out too much. What surprised him most was that when he raised the subject nobody else seemed to have registered the rather peculiarly slope-faced men wearing flat caps, black coats and very thick dark glasses at all.

Trouble rears its head

'Help, help!' Chester cried hopelessly as he resumed his efforts to extricate himself from the policeman's grip. But Will hardly noticed any of this. His attention had been seized by a tall, thin individual standing beside a lamppost... His whole being emanated evil and his dark eyes never left Will's.

'I think we're in real trouble here, Chester,' he said, unable to tear his gaze from the sinister man, whose thin lips were twisted into a sardonic smile.


telegraph.co.uk