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CAROLE BULEWSKI

Author

Writer of little fairies and crazy imps, of the utterly mundane coloured with utter weirdness. Explorer of the deranged mind and of alternative realities. Musician with Firefay. Medical writer. Painter too, from time to time.

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BIO

From the Languedoc to the Big Smoke

Born and raised in the south of France, Carole Bulewski moved to the UK at the end of the second Millennium, eventually settling down in London after a few years in the South West of England, a place that has inspired her many a supernatural story since – writing first in her native French, but now almost exclusively in the English language.


Although writing has always been Carole’s preferred means of expressing herself, having written her first fairy tale at the tender age of seven, music in one form or another plays an important part in her life, and consequently in her writing. For not only do musicians make great characters in supernatural and horror stories, but they also have the ability to conjure up a parallel universe where different rules apply.


In her writing, Carole explores how the supernatural can creep into the most mundane of situations. The Music of the Cosmos, her first novel in the English language, takes the reader on a journey through the extraordinary era that were the late Sixties, from Kent to Swinging London, the Paris of May 1968 and southern France, from the perspective of a musician whose use of chemical substances might have altered his perception of reality. The Music of the Cosmos was published in February 2018.

Since then, Carole has been working on a trilogy, the Queen's Park trilogy, the first instalment of which, The Piper and The Fairy, is being released on 5th November 2020. The two following novels, Water of Life and The Little God of Queen's Park, will be released in 2021. 


Other projects in the pipeline will also involve music and altered perception of reality, whether set in the present time or in a dystopian future.


Although novels are her preferred format, Carole has previously published a children’s book she also illustrated, as well as an illustrated short story in chapbook form and several short stories in different publications.


Carole is also a member of urban baroque group Firefay, who have so far released two albums, and will be releasing their next album in February 2021.


In 2020 Carole signed with Dream's Edge Publishing.

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PUBLISHED WORK

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WATER OF LIFE

March 2021

Musician Sampson Maxwell has demons to fight. Alcoholism, drug abuse, depression and anxiety have all conspired to give him such low self-esteem that he has retreated into a world of his own making.Fighting a ghost from his past is pushing him to his limits.While on tour in Scotland with his new band, he realises things are worse than he had imagined. Trying to escape the horrors, he finds himself on a remote island off the coast of Glasgow, in the Chai Community. A community whose aim is to help lost souls like him rebuild themselves. Though Sampson starts suspecting there might be more to them than just another crack-pot New Age community. Carole Bulewski’s third novel, ‘Water of Life’, explores the darkness within and without, inspired by Lovecraft and gothic novels, pagan folklore and urban despair.

THE PIPER AND THE FAIRY

November 2020

There are only two important people in Iris Low’s life – Tom, a musician and Matilda, her childhood friend and a practicing Wiccan. When Tom disappears, Iris turns to a therapist to help her discover what has happened to him in the hope the therapist may unlock parts of her memory she is not ready to confront. What is it about Tom’s disappearance that Iris has buried deep in her mind, and will therapy help to dig up the memories, or will Iris have to turn to magic to find out? Even if you don’t believe in magic, you will be spellbound by the intricacies of the plot, of mysticism and Wiccan practices interwoven within a backdrop of a sometimes stark and despairing reality. Will we find out what happened to Tom, the Piper, a sixties influenced musician who helps to reignite Iris’s creativity. Will we discover the secret, hidden in the mind of the Fairy in the trees? The Piper and the Fairy explores obsession, childhood friendships, and alternative realities in a magically woven story that will keep you guessing until the final scene. Carole Bulewski is truly a magician with a pen! This book was published previously.

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VISIONS OF THE PIPER AND THE FAIRY

November 2020

This book is a companion to the novel The Piper and the Fairy, and a way of showing the inspiration behind it. It touches upon the themes I care about as a writer, Wicca, fairies, magic, and mental health. Most of the artwork in this book is my own, with a little help from two artist friends, Alban Low and Caroline Brown. The book mixes excerpts from the novel with original artwork inspired by the story, with a few nods to other projects I’ve been involved in.

THE MUSIC OF THE COSMOS

February 2018 - Reedition June 2021

We must discover the Music of the Cosmos. 

With these words, visionary, depraved and intensely artistic Gaius piques the curiosity of Sam and his friends, young lads from Kent who have come to Swinging Sixties London in search of musical success. 

To further their quest for the otherworldly Music of the Cosmos, the boys leave London for Paris, and experiment with the help of psychotropic drugs designed by a mysterious patron whom only Gaius has ever met. While travelling through rural France to escape the madness of the May 1968 revolution, events take a turn for the tragic – and the supernatural.

The Music of the Cosmos, Carole Bulewski’s debut novel is a supernatural delight. Well written, thought-provoking imagery, that will paint glorious psychedelic images in your mind.

The Music of the Cosmos will play on in your head long after you’ve finished it.

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OVER THE SKIN

November 2015

A short story about the power of the unspoken word.
“Language is only one form of communication, and sometimes music can be a much more powerful tool than words.”

BILLY & THE MAGIC CELLO

February 2008

A children's book illustrated by the author on a little boy's journey of musical and personal discovery.

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L'ETOILE ROUGE (AQRAB)

(French Edition)

Londres, Mai 2006. Depuis son lit d’hôpital et abruti de drogues antipsychotiques, David se souvient de ses vies passées et de Marwan, son frère le djinn et ennemi juré à travers les âges. Babylone, l’Arabie païenne, l’Andalousie des Maures, Jérusalem sous la domination ottomane, et Beyrouth juste avant la guerre des Six Jours. Dans cette vie – qui, il l’espère, sera la dernière – il a quitté Tel-Aviv pour Londres dans son désir de retrouver Marwan, et de briser la malédiction qui pèse sur eux et les fait sans cesse reprendre forme humaine avant que de se combattre jusqu’à la mort. Fou mystique ou djinn chassé du Paradis pour y avoir été trop proche de son frère Marwan ? Tombé sur terre au travers de l’étoile rouge, Qalb al-‘aqrab, vraiment? David essaye de s’en persuader encore mais il n’est plus certain. C’est au travers de ses conversations avec son psychiatre et de ses différents écrits de fiction qu’il tente de trouver une réponse à ses interrogations. Jusqu’au jour où le Docteur Awad apparaît dans sa vie…

LE LANGAGE DE DIEU

(French Edition)

Un groupe d'amis se découvre un désir de création. Création musicale pour Paul et Alex, littéraire pour Lilly, et théâtrale pour Jon et Emma. C'est ce point commun qui les décide à tenter ensemble une nouvelle expérience. Dix ans ont passé, Paul, Alex, Jon et Emma se retrouvent de temps à autre, ils ne parlent jamais de ce qui s'est produit alors. Le retour de Mariko dans leur vie va leur permettre de comprendre les événements qui ont mené Lilly, la femme de Paul, à la folie.

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LES ENFANTS DU CHAOS

(French Edition)

An 20 après le Déluge. Une communauté oligarchique et autarcique, régie par un savant omnipotent, va voir la quiétude de son existence mise en péril par l’avidité scientifique d’une fillette surprenante. Chasse aux sorcières, meurtres et chamanisme, que tente-t-on de taire a tout prix sur “l’ile aux chats” ? Que s’est-il passe lors du Déluge ? Quels mystères cette enfant sera-t-elle amenée à percer ? Et si finalement telle était la destinée de l’Humanité ?

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FIREFAY

My own music of the Cosmos

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TALES OF MONSTER AND FAIRIES

NEW ALBUM OUT

Pro-dubbed cassette with unique packaging including die cut outer sleeve, die cut j-card and a collectable cigarette card.

Includes unlimited streaming of WF 15 - Tales of Monsters and Fairies via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

THE TRAVELS OF JANUS

NEW ALBUM OUT

Follow-up to 'Anointed Queen' 2014 (Golden Pavilion/Stone Tape). An eclectic group of musicians came together live and in studio to produce ten original songs written by Adam Bulewski and Alison O'Donnell.

Listen
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GET THE SINGLE

On vinyl

La Dame aux Chats and Closure Tango on vinyl

BANDCAMP

The King Must Die

Our first album can be heard here. Cover artwork by the one and only Alban Low.

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YOUTUBE CHANNEL

Live and studio video stuff

Some video and live tracks

FACEBOOK

Read about us

Some live footage.

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SEA SONG

Robert Wyatt cover

A cover of Robert Wyatt's Sea  Song from The Music of the Cosmos book launch

NEW STUFF

Videos of recent tracks

Do we have a new image? Was this the image that was right from the start? Check out La Dame aux Chats, our latest video.

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PLAYS

A new venture of mine

Writing plays was one of the first thing I did as a kid. I loved writing little sketches and play them. Then I became a teenager and things went downhill.

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CAMILLE - NATIONAL TREASURE

The spirit of French sculptress Camille Claudel has been awakened by an influx of interest in her work that started in the 1980s. A lot has been written about her since - she even has her own museum. Now, she feels, is the time to tell her story from her own point of view, from the purely human perspective. Growing up surrounded by strange landscapes that would later feed into her artistic work. The members of her family, who either hated or adored her. Her younger brother, the playwright Paul Claudel, who put her on a pedestal before turning into her most ruthless enemy. And above all Rodin, the great sculptor Rodin. Teacher, lover and constant source of inspiration. The man who ultimately destroyed her. Camille tells all, including the truly awful - the last forty years of her life, spent in an asylum. Carole Bulewski is a French-born, London-based horror novelist, scientist and musician. 'Camille' is her first play.

Following the Brighton Fringe, the show went on for three nights at the Bread & Roses Theatre in London, with original music from Fraser Parry. 

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ESPAÑA 3639 – A LOVE LETTER

The history of the Spanish Civil War is made of the battles won and lost. It is also remembered as the prologue to the Second World War. But to Spanish people, it’s also about the history of ordinary people, and how the civil war tore their lives apart. This is the story of Nieves, an ordinary girl from the mountains of Aragon, who finds herself in the heart of the action, in Barcelona, working as a nurse for the Republican Army. Barcelona falls last to the armies of Franco, and then begins La Retirada, the long march towards the French border. There, a new life, that of an exile, will begin. Sixty years later, Nieves feels the need to entrust the story of her life to her granddaughter. Written by Carole Bulewski, original score by Fraser Parry, mixed by Adam Bulewski and directed by Jack Judd.

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SPARTACUS'S DAUGHTER

Podcast

A personal take on the life of Polish Marxist, philosopher, economist, anti-war activist and revolutionary socialist Rosa Luxemburg. Although it will reflect on the events of her life in light of the historical context and political climate, this show doesn't pretend to be an academic work on the life of Rosa Luxemburg. Telling stories of her life and times, with excerpts from her letters to her friends, lovers and fellow social-democrats is the real aim of this podcast. Over a century after her assassination, her words are still relevant.

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TALES OF CONFINEMENT

Podcast

Around the time when Covid-19 first hit the headlines, Alban Low started drawing on his Tube journeys. In turn, these unusual drawings inspired Carole Bulewski to write flash fiction stories. This podcast, Tales of Confinement, mirrors the weird thoughts that have been going through their minds during these unprecedented times. Dark and tongue-in-cheek. Disturbing and amusing. Music by Fraser Parry.

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SHORT STORIES

Some stuff I published

I also write short stories, sometimes in French but mostly in English. Here are some of the ones that have been published in recent years.

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AN AUDITION

Poets and Dreamers review

HIDDEN LETTERS

Limitless - anthology

THE LITTLE GIRL BY THE FENCE

Video storytelling

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ARTWORK

Sometimes I draw or paint

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VIDEOS

Some short films I've made through the years

CLOSURE TANGO

Firefay music video

From the upcoming album, a first rough draft. Vocals/piano: Carole Bulewski; synths: Mimi Kobayashi; cello: Fraser Parry. Recorded at Grove Studios by Adam Bulewski.

THE SUITE

Short silent film

A classical musician is getting ready before a concert, but things do not go as planned.

THE MUSIC OF THE COSMOS

Full-length book trailer

A horror novel by Carole Bulewski, at KGHH Publishing
Original music composed by Fraser Parry

WATER OF LIFE TRAILER

Trailer for the book

Music by Firefay

PODCAST - SPARTACUS'S DAUGHTER

Trailer for the podcast

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THE PIPER AND THE FAIRY

Trailer for the book

Music by Fraser Parry

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ITINERARY OF AN EU MIGRANT WORKER

A bittersweet Anglo-French musical comedy

in a new show, Itinerary of an EU Migrant Worker – A Bittersweet Anglo-French Musical Comedy, the experiences of Marianne, a French-born, London-based writer, are laid bare. No holds barred, but sugar-coated in French Chanson.

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