{{Short description|Welsh novelist}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} '''Neil Spring''' {{citation needed span|date=April 2023|text=(born 8 June 1981)}} is a Welsh novelist of supernatural horror, known for his bestselling books,<ref name="Perry">{{cite web|last1=Perry|first1=Alex|title=The Next Big Thing|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/alex-perry/the-next-big-thing-interv_b_4171563.html|website=Huffington Post|date=29 October 2013 |accessdate=20 April 2015}}</ref> ''The Ghost Hunters'' (2013) and ''The Lost Village'' (2017).
== Education == Spring holds a BA in [[Philosophy, politics and economics|Philosophy, Politics and Economics]] (PPE) from [[Somerville College]], [[Oxford University]], where he wrote a thesis on the significance of paranormal events.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.quercusbooks.co.uk/author/Neil_Spring|title=Neil Spring|website=Quercus|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160308081229/https://www.quercusbooks.co.uk/author/Neil_Spring|archivedate=8 March 2016|url-status=dead|accessdate=20 April 2015}}</ref>
==Works==
=== ''The Ghost Hunters'' === Spring's debut work was published by [[Quercus]] in 2013. The novel is based on the life of the controversial British ghost hunter [[Harry Price]], a psychic investigator from the inter-war years, who made [[Borley Rectory]] in Essex briefly famous as "the [[Most Haunted|most haunted]] house in England". Spring says the book took three years to research and write.<ref name="Perry" />
''The Ghost Hunters'' received positive reviews from critics. ''[[The Sunday Times|The Sunday Times Culture Magazine]]'' described it as "serpentine and surprising in its plotting." ''[[Metro (British newspaper)|The Metro]]'' described the novel as "a substantial fictional sweetmeat with a kernel of truth."<ref name="Metro">{{cite web|url=http://metro.co.uk/2013/10/31/fearie-tales-ghosthunters-and-marina-the-best-in-spooky-fiction-4167608/|title = Fearie Tales, Ghosthunters and Marina: The best in spooky fiction| website=Metro| date=31 October 2013 }}</ref> [[ITV1]] commissioned a 2-hour film based on the book, ''Harry Price: Ghost Hunter'', from Bentley Productions. Written by Jack Lothian, it was first broadcast on 27 December 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.itv.com/presscentre/press-releases/itv-commissions-harry-price-ghost-hunter|title=ITV commissions Harry Price: Ghost Hunter|last1=Janice|first1=Troup|date=13 July 2015|website=ITV Press Centre|accessdate=11 November 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.itv.com/presscentre/ep1week53/harry-price-ghost-hunter|title=Harry Price: Ghost Hunter|last1=Blanket|first1=Jo|date=27 November 2015|website=ITV Press Centre|accessdate=11 November 2017}}</ref>
=== ''The Watchers'' === Quercus published Spring's second novel in September 2015. Based on true events, the novel is a "spooky, historical thriller" set during the [[Cold War]] in a remote coastal village whose residents live in the shadow of an ancient secret.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thebookseller.com/news/quercus-buys-second-neil-spring|title=Quercus buys second from Neil Spring|last=Shaffi|first=Sarah|date=23 October 2014|website=The Bookseller|accessdate=11 November 2017}}</ref>
Described as ‘explosive’ by the ''Daily Express'',<ref name="Express">{{Cite web|url=https://www.express.co.uk/news/weird/760829/Welsh-Triangle-UFO-Broad-Haven-MoD-secret-probe-The-Watchers-40th-anniversary|title=What REALLY happened? MoD's 'secret investigation' into mass UFO sightings|last=Austin|first=Jon|date=2017-01-30|website=Express.co.uk|language=en|access-date=2019-10-15}}</ref> ''The Watchers'' concerns UFO sightings during the Cold War and television rights were optioned after an eight-way auction.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thebookseller.com/news/tv-deal-neil-springs-watchers-after-eight-way-auction-316934|title=TV deal for Neil Spring's The Watchers after eight-way auction {{!}} The Bookseller|website=www.thebookseller.com|access-date=2019-10-15}}</ref> Spring was inspired to write the novel after uncovering a declassified MoD document which suggests top-ranking officials carried out a covert inquiry into the 1977 UFO sightings in Wales.<ref name="Express"/>
To mark the 40th anniversary of the sighting, Spring returned to the scene of the events in February 2017 along with one of the original witnesses.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/mystery-ufo-spotted-welsh-schoolchildren-9796524|title=Mystery of UFO spotted by kids and weird events that followed sparking MoD probe|last=Spring|first=Neil|date=2017-02-11|website=mirror|access-date=2019-10-15}}</ref> Spring's interview about his inspiration for the novel was broadcast on BBC1's ''The One Show'' in 2017.<ref>{{Citation|last=TV|first=One Tribe|title=The Broad Haven Triangle {{!}} BBC The One Show 2017|date=2017-04-25|url=https://vimeo.com/214639349/086e6db156|access-date=2019-10-15}}</ref>
In 2019, Spring announced that the television and film rights to the book had reverted to him.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://twitter.com/NeilSpring/status/1131587738183045120|title=My novel #thewatchers was #optioned for #TV/Film after an 8-way #biddingwar with @WMEBooks. Rights have now reverted to me & already there's interest in bringing this mystery of the Broad Haven Triangle to the screen. All queries to @CBTheatreFilmTV #drama #pitchwars #bookstofilmpic.twitter.com/LjWI0lfRyM|last=Spring|first=Neil|date=2019-05-23|website=@NeilSpring|language=en|access-date=2019-10-15}}</ref>
=== ''The Lost Village'' === Spring's third novel is set in the abandoned Wiltshire village of [[Imber]] and again features Harry Price. It was published by Quercus in October 2017.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7siOvgAACAAJ|title=The Lost Village: The Ghost Hunters (2)|author=Neil Spring|date=19 October 2017|publisher=Quercus|isbn=978-1-78429-861-6}}</ref>
''The Lost Village'' received positive reviews. ''The Lady'' described the book as "chilling… an intelligent ghost story." ''The Sunday Express S Magazine'' described it as "Spooky and tense with a truly horrifying denouement."<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Lost Village|last=|first=|date=|id={{ASIN|1784298611|country=uk}} }}</ref>
After reading ''The Lost Village'', screenwriter and novelist [[Stephen Volk]] described Spring as "…Agatha Christie meets James Herbert."<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.quercusbooks.co.uk/titles/neil-spring/the-lost-village/9781784298623/|title=The Lost Village|date=2019-01-22|isbn=978-1-78429-862-3 |language=en-US}}</ref>
=== ''The Burning House'' === Quercus published Spring’s fourth novel, in 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1786488868?pf_rd_p=330fbd82-d4fe-42e5-9c16-d4b886747c64&pf_rd_r=KRCNK0CMSYHRAPYSDPY0|title=The Burning House|last=|first=|date=|website=Amazon UK|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=}}</ref> Set on the wooded shores of [[Loch Ness]], the novel is inspired by life of the ceremonial magician and occultist, [[Aleister Crowley]].
According to the ''Lancashire Evening Post'', the novel is "Brimming with suspense and ghostly apparitions…a scorching thriller… moves at a cracking pace and has a stunning twist."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lep.co.uk/lifestyle/books/the-burning-house-by-neil-spring-book-review-with-a-stunning-twist-in-the-tail-and-an-undercurrent-of-menace-running-right-through-its-middle-the-burning-house-is-gripping-all-round-entertainment-1-9684089|title=The Burning House by Neil Spring - book review: With a stunning twist in the tail and an undercurrent of menace running right through its middle, The Burning House is gripping, all-round entertainment|website=www.lep.co.uk|date=April 2019 |language=en|access-date=2019-10-15}}</ref>
=== ''The Haunted Shore'' === In October 2020, Quercus published Spring's fifth novel, a stand-alone chiller provisionally entitled ''The Haunted Shore''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/Haunted-Shore-Neil-Spring-ebook/dp/B07KFJY2HT|title=The Haunted Shore eBook: Neil Spring: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store|website=www.amazon.co.uk|access-date=2019-10-15}}</ref> The novel is described as "A terrifying tale of secrets long buried, lies and obsession."<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.quercusbooks.co.uk/titles/neil-spring/the-haunted-shore/9781787470088/|title=The Haunted Shore|date=2019-04-03|isbn=978-1-78747-008-8 |language=en-US}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Spring, Neil}} [[Category:21st-century Welsh novelists]] [[Category:Welsh horror writers]] [[Category:1981 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Alumni of Somerville College, Oxford]]