Philip Osbourne- Edward Loth- The interview

THE INTERVIEW Philip Osbourne

Philip Osbourne

Philip Osbourne is one of the leading writers of Pop Culture at an international level. He began writing comic books when he was still in college.

Among his early works is “Jenna” (with Jim Fern, Joe Rubinstein and Iron Maidens’ Paul Di Anno) and widely acclaimed “Touch”, illustrated by David Mack and Wellinghton Dias, and “Hollywood Noir” was illustrated by famous American artist Dick Giordano, editor with the DC Comics.

Osbourne wrote articles for movie magazines such as Empire, and worked with horror guru Brian Yuzna.

After he became father, Philip Osbourne decided to shift into youth stories, launching a series of funny, riveting, and ever-surprising books for kids. His works (https://philiposbourne.website ) have been published internationally in United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Austria, Czech Republic, Australia and New Zealand to list a few.

“Diary of a Nerd” is the latest book for kids, currently published in Italy, France, Brazil, Poland, Russia, Greece, Romania, Portugal, Serbia, Albania, China, etc...Among his most successful books are “The Super Adventures of Elen”, “Bomber”, and “Young Poe,” soon to be a TV Series.

The passion for Pop writing led Osbourne to challenge himself with a new literary work designed for a broader audience. Philip Osbourne devised a Young Adult fantasy story which contains all the elements to attract Science Fiction lovers, as well as those who are passionate for legends and traditions. It is a story where past and future meet in a surreal, compelling, and realistic present.

“Edward Loth – Najima: The Fantastic City” tells the adventures of a seemingly normal kid who will soon discover to be a demi-god, bound to save the ill-fate of a fantastic city, Najima (a word which means “star”

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in arabic,) hidden among the desert sands of Saudi Arabia. Edward Loth, a demi-god bestowed with magic powers originated from Arabian and Celtic cults and myths, lives together with other characters in a contemporary, chaotic society ruled by profit and money.

The various characters involved in the plot embody the archaic conflict between good and evil. Through the several adventures that revolve around Edward Loth’s story, they will meet with those human feelings clouded by the daily arrogance: friendship, love, loyalty, honor, desire, struggle, but also dedication and ingenuity toward the conquering of an illusion that will turn into a life goal for everyone involved.

Another important element is the conquer-discovery of the power and secret of life kept inside the fantastic city. Najima contains within its walls the past with its traditions and rites, and the future with its super-technological yet ecological urban system.

Najima is a modern Atlantis, in which the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table comes back to life.

Najima, the fantastic city, thus stands as the Western counterpart of Auroville, the Utopian Indian city in whi-

Philip Osbourne

ch money, politics and religions don’t exist. Auroville is a UNESCO World Heritage site, is based upon its own community work and is energetically self-sufficient. (ref: https://www. tpi.it/2018/05/22/auroville-citta-senza-soldi-utopia/) The hero of the story is Edward Loth, a Celtic semi-god of the present time, who represents a Lancelot 2.0 and carries the very symbol of the city, a medallion that links Loth with his own origins, his family and history, and his magic powers. These are just some of the elements that unfold in the war set in New York City between two rival gangs.

(link to the Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ezmGXl_JTQ)

The Book Cu ‘Chulainn is well known in New York City as Eric Malone, a seventeen-year-old kid who is in the spotlight for being the best player in his football team. Nobody knows that Eric is in fact a demigod belonging to the hidden court of Conchobar in Ulster, Ireland. ‘Chulainn’s career is short, however, for he will soon be killed by his enemies using their magic powers. His murder will look like one of the many nameless killin-

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gs happening in the city, but in reality Eric was killed by Queen Medhbh of the Connacht.

The queen lives in New York City as Sissy Gladwell, daughter of a billionaire and a celebrity in the upscale and rich circles of the city. She sent an army to seize the crown of Cualilnge. Cu ‘Chulainn/Eric Malone will confront the army alone, falling after a fierce battle.

This is the background that allows Edward Loth, a young student who just arrived in New York City, to be recruited by Camelot, the new Master of the Knights Templars.

Edward Loth will join the brotherho-

THE INTERVIEW Philip Osbourne

od of the initiated warriors, a new “King Arthur’s Round Table”, and will be assigned to replace Eric.

Edward will embrace the codes of purity of his group of “freedom fighters”, but such ethical codes will be strongly challenged when he falls in love with Courtney, Camelot’s girl friend. Edward Loth will discover to possess magic powers that allows him to erase the whole word, threatening the supernatural powers, and to keep protecting King Conchobar’s court. Will Edward be able to preserve his purity as the Brotherhood codes demand, or will he surrender to his love for Courtney?

From here starts the true quest of Edward Loth that will bring him to discovering his true origins, and a meaning for his life. It is not just the classic journey of the hero, between unknown lands and unexplored feelings, but also one of those fantastic journeys about which each of us has dreamed about, at least once in a life.

It is a path leading to the finding of an ideal city, where past traditions and values are kept into a world that takes the form of a not so far away future.

Interview with Philip Osbourne From Europe to America, from America to Saudia Arabia across Russia (outpost/border land between the West and the East of the world, as well as between north and south.)

It is a path covering three continents, several important cities (New York City, Rome, Vatica City, San Galgano, Moscow, Jeddah, Rijadh) and unites different cultures, traditions and customs.

It is a journey in which love and friendship are the bridge connecting the main characters in the story who each must defeat his own enemy.

It is a story where diverse cultures and dialogue complete each other in a fantastic city, Najima...as if to point at a new beginning for the civilization. It is an adventure of inner, individual, as well as collective growth, a quest to a more authentic and conscious life style.

Let’s talk about all this with the author, Philip Osbourne.

The idea of this book originates as “one of those ideas capable of entertaining, exciting, and that works on both print and the screen. In short, it is one of those ideas that usually are

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not mine.

I have been thinking about a name and an image of a legendary character, and also of a story set in several nations, affected by diverse cultures, featuring kids, youngsters and adults, men, women and elders as protagonists. I felt like I needed to put on the same menu thousands of different dishes that usually do not go together. Why? Because I spent my childhood traveling, meeting with scores of different people; because now I spend most of my time with people of different ages and nationalities. Then I jot down a plot line about someone standing as a new Lancelot, I call him ‘Loth’ and I start pouring all these ideas into it.”

Philip Osbourne

What were the other elements you wanted to convey?

P.O. I am strongly influenced by pop culture on T.V.; I wanted to put a bit of Gossip Girl and the new Dynasty into a novel that instead was supposed to recall the atmospheres of the adventure stories of the 1980s like Indiana Jones. I wanted to tell, using a modern style, hate and love as it lingers upon the youth. So I shuffled the cards many times.

The structure is “on the road” even though I wanted to make the main characters look like they were always home. But home to them always signifies being ‘in the wrong place at the wrong time.’ In the novel, everybody is looking for something that lies just few inches away from what they thought. And each of them needs a piece kept by some one else. I liked the idea of the “missing piece” and I have mixed it with what I believe is a new aesthetics, perhaps extremely simple at times but very suitable for Television, like the rich people’s “Upside Play” game.

Every chapter is seen through one of the characters’ eyes of love and hate.

This is also very TV-like. However I lean toward a mixed narrative rather than a classic, not aware of the new way to use art.

From King Arthur and Lancelot to the new version of a modern hero fighting using supernatural powers.

Who is Edward Loth?

P.O. He is someone who is trying to understand a bit more about himself and his family. Edward is a kid who questions everything and is not afraid of the answers he finds.

He is not a simple guy, challenging even his roots and aptitudes. For these reasons his quest is a journey toward something distant, and at the same time close to his family. His is a journey of understanding.

guys are only there to remind us that, deep inside, we should all work our conscience in a better way. In general I like more contradictory and evilbound characters.

Legends and Folk lore that mix together in the plot are various. How many are there and why did you choose them?

Heroes and Foes. What are the characters you prefer?

P.O. I have been playing with classic culture for a while, attempting to dissect it and make it comprehensible to all, even those who have no patience to understand all its nuances. I make “covers” of beautiful songs, and try to make them fit for a good Saturday night dance.

I don’t like writers who take themselves too seriously. I prefer to break the structure and then rebuild it with my little tools, rather than watch something that doesn’t belong to our times anymore. From this standpoint I decided to play with Celtic mythology because it tells about brave deeds as well as epic betrayals. I found it compelling to think of Genevieve making love to a modern Lancelot while on the train, without knowing each other. I like to give those classic cultures lovers some good reasons to hate me.

P.O. As a writer I just love the evil ones, and I find Sissy sexy, charming, viscious and cunning. She is a bad yet provocative character. Foes make stories interesting, whereas the good

The Moon and the Sun, light and darkness. The adventure unfolds along these two different aspects or complementary natural elements. What do they represent?

The hero of this story embodies more “souls” at once. Edward Loth is a shy and hesitating kid, but also brave, generous and determined when it comes to make choices...What are the values you want to relate through this character?

P.O. Edward Loth is a demigod, like all of us at nineteen we realize we can get sick, but never really believe it will happen to us. When we are nineteen we are all close to ideals, but we are also more dynamics and ready to repudiate them.

Edward reflects the thousands of contradictions of a smart kid, in a world where everybody always has something to hide.

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THE INTERVIEW Philip Osbourne

P.O. They mark emotional conditions, and tell about the physical and psychological developments of the characters. In my narrative plot, in some instances, it becomes hard to understand when the dark is real…

This happens to Klaus who lives hidden, totally unknown to the world, just a few blocks away from Manhattan. He lives in complete darkness just steps away from the shimmering lights of New York City.

The idea of the roots coming out of the plot seems to point at a progressively broadening sense of belonging: to a family, a social group, a culture, a community. It stands as a sort of natural religion that later will identify with the social development of each individual, but which, in the end, seems to indicate a return to the principles of a hidden social conviviality that we can only fancy being into a fantastic city.

The city represents a springboard.

Past and future meet at Najima.

What does this city represent?

P.O. To me Najima is a “free-forall.” When I was a kid I liked to play hide and seek. I wanted to touch that wall so bad and free those who had been already caught. Here is Najima

to me, in the novel. It is a corner of paradise conquered, not given. When I’ve heard about this real city which is being built in Rijad I let my fantasy run wild. I have been told that in this city different nationalities will live together through a system that cares for all their needs...This led me to try making this fantastic city mine.

Does the ending of the novel call for a possible sequel?

P.O. Of course, since the thing I like the most is to meet the characters again, and move them onto a different plane in order to understand more about them.

I love the stories that have a true finale, but not that conclusive...They need to move on. A story is credible when the reader feels that there is a lot more, or else he would notice its staging gimmicks. The trick I perform is in showing them I know very little...and what I have told is nothing but what I received. Who knows if, later on, more information would come up to turn everything upside down.

Edward Loth and the Fantastic City, you have imagined both as a theatrical plot. What movies inspired you?

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P.O. Not one in particular, but I had Gattaca’s frames in my head, as well as more trivial works such as Gossip Girl. While writing I was also possessed by sequences of “The Fisher King.” I shred different worlds, then put them back together...for it’s in the assembling them that I feel creative.

Why would someone read Edward Loth?

P.O. Because good wine is at the bottom of the calice. However, in order to taste it we need to go down and search...Besides, a travel is always something worth trying, and mine is one where everything and anything can happen. Except remembering to be normal people. We all are a bit of demigods, after all.