Today I’m sharing a brand new Narzat adventure and a special piece about the inspiration behind Pertinax the chef.

“The legendary Captain Carver and his wicked pirate crew commanded by the GLOM BADGER have arrived in the Jumble Jungle Wood on board their pirate ship THE SHIFTING SHADOW in search of monstrous beasts to capture and use to tyrannise all the animals in the wood. They have already captured the Ravenoserous, the Chargemeleon and are heading for FIRE ISLAND beyond the DEEP DARK DEPTHS with the daringly wicked plan to steal the eggs of the GORGONCONDA, a two head snake whose eyes can turn you to stone. The GLOOM BADGER is in daily charge of a dastardly crew of rodent pirates and above him is the legendary CAPTAIN CARVER. But they haven’t reckoned with THE NARZAT, THE LOOKY LIZARD AND THE CHATTY CHIRPER!”

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Pertinax the gorilla— a real character

Years ago, a friend told me he was taking his daughter to Paignton Zoo to see ‘her favourite gorilla’. This of course led to two important questions:

1. Who doesn’t need a favourite gorilla in their life? 

2. And why was this one her favourite?

The answer to the second question became obvious when I first saw Pertinax. This majestic silverback had a calm and somewhat cheeky manner about him. In spite of being a huge and powerful animal, there was a gentleness and kindness about him and, when watching him stroll round his enclosure, I realised that I had found my favourite gorilla too.

In the Narzat, Pertinax appears as a grumpy but kindly chef at the Jumble Jungle Wood café (an idea partly inspired by watching him demolish his fruit at feeding time). He soon became one of my favourite characters to write—there’s something both sweet and fun about a creature who can’t stand other animals, but cares for them deeply.

Sadly, the real-life Pertinax passed away last year—he was the oldest gorilla in the UK at the time. What really struck me was the huge number of people who talked about their fond memories of watching Pertinax, and the joy he brought to so many. This was especially true of the amazing staff community at Paignton Zoo itself—the entire team care so deeply for the animals in their care, and Pertinax was no exception.

At the time, I was redrafting the Narzat and the Shifting Shadow. Pertinax had a small role in the book at the time, but it only felt right to weave him into the story that bit more. Clearly, he had inspired a lot of people and he deserved to go on a bit of an adventure of his own. Within a few weeks, Pertinax had more of a starring role in the story. One where we get to see even more of his character, and he continues to put even more of a smile on the faces of characters and readers alike. In short, I hope I managed to give a fitting tribute to my favourite gorilla.

As an aside, I recommend anyone still looking for their favourite gorilla heads down to Paignton Zoo… it’s an incredible place, and I’m sure you’ll find plenty more of your favourite animals there too.

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I wonder if any of you have a favourite gorilla? Or maybe it’s another creature who’s stolen your heart? Either way, I’m sure you’ll love reading about Pertinax’s creations in the Jumble Jungle Wood Café and thoroughly enjoy another madcap adventure!

*Many thanks to Everything with Words for inviting me to be a part of this blog tour*