TALKS BEYOND TIME AND PLACE – EPISODE 18: TOBY VIRGO
Toby Virgo is the author of ‘Carter, the Cabman’, which tells the story of a night in the life of a hansom cab driver working in London in the autumn of terror of 1888. Toby is also the founder of The Real Sherlock Holmes Walking Tour of Edinburgh, but now lives in North Yorkshire with his wife and son.
About ‘Carter the Cabman’:
‘London, 1888. As yet another freshly-ripped body of another ‘fallen’ woman is found on the streets of Whitechapel, the East End is a powder keg ready to explode as vigilantes roam and the hot summer nights blur into one. Against a backdrop of wild excitement and fear, hansom cab driver Jeremiah Carter and his faithful grey mare Belle ply their nightly trade, protected only by a copy of the Book of Revelations and three generations of horseman’s nous.
No man is above suspicion and Carter looks to the Lord above to guide him through the fog – but for the waifs and strays of the greatest city on Earth, will the clatter of his wheels be the bringer of salvation or can only Death itself deliver them from all evil?’
Purchase the novel here!
YouTube
Spotify
Timestamps
0:00 Introduction
1:48 Please tell us about yourself and how you came to be a writer11:06 Please tell us about your Real Sherlock Holmes Walking Tour in Edinburgh.
19:05 Have you been interested in the Whitechapel Murders before writing ‘Carter the Cabman’?
22:07 What is ‘Carter the Cabman’ about?
24:20 Have you had any influences as a writer or when creating the story?
29:29 Last December, you also published a Christmas short story about Carter, set on Christmas Day of 1888: ‘All Saints Days’. What was the story’s background?
35:46 Toby to Phil: Have you formed an opinion about the ‘canonical five’, the victims by Jack the Ripper? Do you think there were others before and after?
38:36 Toby to Phil: Do you believe Martha Tabram was a victim of Jack the Ripper? Do you think the Ripper just stopped after the murder of Mary Kelly?
47:00 What is your theory, Toby?
50:00 Toby to Phil: How is your German book on the ‘autumn of terror’ going? Have you learned anything new from your readers’ reactions?
56:26 You did a bit of a publicity stunt when releasing the book, didn’t you?
1:02:22 The work is brilliantly illustrated by Italian comic book artist Daniele Serra, a two-time winner of the British Fantasy Awards for Best Artist. His work has been included in books by Stephen King, Ramsey Campbell, Clive Barker and most importantly, you. What was working with him like and how did you get to know him?
1:08:37 What is your next project and where can people find you and purchase your work?
LINKS
‘Carter the Cabman’ on Facebook
Toby’s short story ‘All Saints Days’
Link to my German ‘Jack the Ripper’ book:
I appreciate all the support I get from my subscribers through sharing, comments and likes. If you’d like to further support me, you can through PayPal.
TALKS BEYOND TIME AND PLACE
“Talks beyond time and place” is a series of online conversations by author Philipp Röttgers of “London beyond time and place“. Philipp and his guests chat about how London influences their lives. In every episode, they cover certain topics, depending on the individual guest. Among his guests are scholars, historians, tour guides and more and the atmosphere feels like a conversation in a pub.
