The Purple-Bellied Parrot is the uplifting and brilliantly funny novel from imaginary author William Fagus. Follow one bird’s brave bid for freedom on an incredible journey that will see him traverse entire oceans and continents to arrive at that distant land he can finally call home.

‍

Request your review copy of The Purple-Bellied Parrot here.

‍

Discover ... The power of the ‘HhhuuuUUTTT!’

‍

So far, life has been rather unkind to the Purple-Bellied Parrot. He has spent his years moved from cage-to-cage (some small, others smaller), only to find himself lumped in with the pink-faced man who smells funny and shouts a lot...

‍

Each evening, the pink-faced man poured red water out of a green bottle into a clear glass and toddled up close, so close that the Purple-Bellied Parrot saw the tiny red veins in his nose and the tiny hairs sprouting at the end of the nose and the gristly hairs growing out of the nostrils. It looked like he had a spider living up there.

‍

…The pink-faced man’s dank flat in the city boasts the only four walls the Purple-Bellied Parrot has the privilege of ogling nowadays. These are dull times, and besides being goaded by the local birds which perch smugly on the fat-fingered tree he watches out of the window, there really isn’t much else to occupy his thoughts. He longs to – what’s that thing they’re doing? – the flapping thing? – that’s it – FLY! ‘HhhuuuUUTTT!’

Resigned to his miserable existence, the Purple-Bellied Parrot takes solace in the only place he can find it – his dreams…

‍

Later he dreamed kaleidoscopic dreams. He was flying. He flew higher and higher until he rose above every other living thing and he could look down on the world and everything in it. He saw, not the damp city streets he had glimpsed through the window, but, lit by dazzling sunlight, an undulating emerald forest.

‍

…But one day, a unique opportunity arises for the Purple-Bellied Parrot, and now such dreams of another, freer life might just become reality.

‍

It’s time for him to gain the upper-claw over his dim-witted jailer and fly the nest once and for all.

‍

What follows is a profound, heart-warming tale of courage, friendship and self-discovery from an unlikely hero searching for his place to belong.

‍

Expansive and wholly original, The Purple-Bellied Parrot is a rip-roaring, globe-trotting adventure story unlike any other.

‍

Amazon review for The Purple-Bellied Parrot

‍

"This is a beautiful, moving and funny book, ostensibly for kids, but rather like a good panto, possesses layers likely to tickle adults more. The story rolls along with seeming simplicity, immersing the reader not only in the world of birds and their foibles but in the Purple-Bellied Parrot’s feelings and hazards. Yet this tale has so much depth. It doesn’t condescend, nor does it shy away from danger so keep a hankie handy, you may need it. Wonderfully-written by someone who clearly has a deep understanding and love of birds, the Purple-Bellied Parrot is that rare type of book that can (and should) be read out loud. Dialect, ludicrous footnotes or even the diverse material on the author’s website (including Dr Fagus’s blog, ghost-written by his cleaner) offer rich material for shared laughter and education. If there’s no place in your heart for the Spuggies and their colourful trumping competitions or Sarn’t Lofty Troggers and his fitness regime, I can only pity you!

‍

Ultimately, this is a story about the countless acts of love and encouragement from friends and strangers that pave the way to success. In this cynical world, that’s a treasure worth embracing."

‍

About the book

‍

Age group: 10-100+
‍

Pages: 358
‍

Price: £7.99 (Paperback), £3.00 (eBook)
‍

ISBN: 9781791993603
‍

Copies of The Purple-Bellied Parrot are available for purchase on Amazon.

‍

About the author(s)

William Fagus (The Imaginary):

William Fagus is the….

‘Dr William Fagus!’

…Yes, er, Dr William Fagus (PHD) is the elusive author…

‍

‘CREATIVE MASTERMIND!!’

‍

…behind the The Purple-Bellied Parrot. An esteemed ornithologist, his idea for the book began when he took a shine to the alliterative name of the Brazilian bird species and from here, he saw his chance to tap into the adventure-book market.

‍

He writes because he thinks it’s fun and, because of… er…

‍

‘Escapism. When I write it’s like going on a first date. Worries, mundanities, the passage of time, appetites, even physical aches and pains, vanish. My whole self is consumed by the page before me and what I am trying to construct. I write because I want the reader to view something, be it commonplace or singular, from an aspect hitherto neglected and apprehend something new. It could be a tree or the international wild bird trade or friendship or traffic or, god forbid, a sunset. I want the reader to come away thinking, yes, I never looked at it that way. I write because I want to earn a living from writing.’

‍

Nicely put.

‍

A true academic, Dr Fagus has little time for socialising, and besides talking on occasion with his cleaning lady Mrs Lush and parrot Fausto, he leads a reclusive but happy life in far-off, undisclosed location.

‍

For more information about the author (and for exclusive content from Mrs Lush’s blog), visit his website: http://www.williamfagus.com/fagus_biog.html

‍

William Fagus (The Real):

‍

William Fagus is the pseudonym (or should we say alter-ego) of Robert B—.

‍

Born into a working-class family in Stoke-on-Trent, Robert left school at sixteen with three GCSE’s to his name. Up until his mid-forties, he worked a number of manual-labour jobs in construction, carpentry and window-cleaning.

‍

That was until he took the plunge and enrolled at University where he discovered an untapped talent for academic writing. One first-class bachelors, a Master’s-level distinction, a PHD in architectural history and an impressive (but rather dull) graduate job later, Robert decided it was high-time to seek out a career in writing fiction.

‍

In his spare time, he likes walking in wild places, visiting historic buildings (‘not posh ones’), ornithology and traditional carpentry skills. He also plays blues guitar in (what he hopes to be) the manner of BB King.

‍

For an interview with the author, imaginary or otherwise, please contact him at: williamfagus@gmail.com

‍

ENDS