by David Barker
In Pax & The Missing Head, most of the adventure takes place inside Scholastic Parliament. The Palace of Westminster is one of my favourite buildings in the world (from an aesthetic point of view) and when I came up with the vision for London cut off from the rest of the country, I just knew this building had to be central to the story. I wondered what use it might be put to if there were no more politicians involved in the day-to-day running of the country. As I dug out ancient floor plans, I realised it reminded me of Hogwarts and that’s when I had the eureka moment of using it as a school. Scholastic Parliament was born.
But what sort of school? I wanted a place that would be recognisable to fans of Harry Potter but that would feel utterly different. Droids and code instead of wands and magic. A school cup, but one where coming last had awful consequences. This is a city, after all, ruled by a mayor whose motto is ‘New London is no place for losers!’ And befitting the concentrated life of the city’s citizens (kicked out aged 60), pupils only get three years in secondary school to prepare for the adult world.
I also wanted something of the building’s old purpose to shine through. So the pupils are split into parties, not houses. The inter-party competition is called The Parliamentary Polls. And those ancient plans of the courts within the building helped me name three of the four parties: Chancellors, Judges and Peers. The fourth was based on the Royal court, but since the King has been exiled from New London, it gave rise to the Loyals party.
It was fun making use of the debating chambers for assembly halls and allowing Miss Adams to use the old Speaker’s throne as her chair. The towers and roofline come in handy for numerous scenes in Pax & The Forgotten Pincher, as does the building’s proximity to the River Thames. It’s such a great location, so full of potential I can’t imagine the stories ever happening anywhere else now.
Pax and the Forgotten Pincher by David Barker is available now in paperback, hardback, and eBook. The book is available from all good bookshops, and online from Bookshop.org, Amazon, and Waterstones.
Pax and the Forgotten Pincher is the sequel to Pax and the Missing Head, and the second book in the London Falling series.
About Pax and the Forgotten Pincher
Pax has made it through the trials of his first year at Scholastic Parliament, but any hopes of a quieter second year are quickly dashed when he makes a shocking discovery in the school’s basement. A new student joins the school, acting suspiciously and muscling in on Pax’s friendship with Samuel. At least being reigning champions in the Parliamentary Polls allows Pax and his friends to explore the city at weekends. But drone raids and cyber-attacks disrupt life in New London while a paranoid mayor cracks down hard on terrorism.
Unwittingly, Pax helps an innocent man get captured. Driven by guilt, he seeks out the Underground resistance movement and is given a mission to steal some codes from the mayor. In the process, Pax uncovers the shocking truth about a new factory that threatens the lives of millions of people. He is torn between stopping this latest sinister plot and focusing on schoolwork to keep alive his dream of becoming an engineer. To achieve both, he’ll need help. But who can he trust in a city full of falsehoods? What sacrifices will he need to make? Find out in the latest instalment in the London Falling series.
About David Barker
David Barker is the author of the London Falling series. He has been writing stories for over ten years, after many years working as an economist. He is a graduate of the Faber Academy, a member of the Society of Authors, and SCBWI.
David lives in Berkshire with his wife and daughter. When he’s not writing or reading stories, he loves to play tennis and golf, watch films or play board games.
