10 of 50

A decade. That’s how long our little community, The Dark is Rising Worldwide Readathon, has been in existence. For many of us, our experience with Will Stanton and the Old Ones goes back farther than that. For Susan Cooper, it has been 50 years since The Dark is Rising was published 

For me, I first discovered The Dark is Rising in my small junior high school library. Always an imaginative child, I was instantly captured by Will’s story and continued to read in short order the rest of the series, getting whisked away into the battle of the Light and the Dark with the Drew children, Merriman, Bran and the others. Then in my early 20s, I recalled the series and purchased the exact set I had read in my earlier years. I was taken back and rediscovered the magic over again. Almost another decade passed and I heard about Susan Cooper being honored with the World Fantasy Lifetime Achievement award and realized that it coincided with The Dark is Rising’s 40th anniversary.

Light, Dark. Fear, Hope. These are universal and timeless subjects. They are ever relevant and are a part of each of us. Our days are filled and often centered around these themes and they are eternally connected. For it is rare for one to face the Dark and not feel Fear. Conversely, even the smallest ray of Light gives cause to Hope. These are personal reactions and yet also global. They affect everyone regardless of gender, social status, location, or circumstance. The wealthiest in the world still have fears. The most unfortunate, desolate or war-ravaged can still feel hope.

Fortunately, in spite of the darkness of Midwinter, we have the hope of longer days and the light of the Christmas season to help us through. We also have the support of this amazing community of readers and the eternal story that Susan has gifted us with. 

On that note, I want to say thank you to each and every one of you who have clicked “Join” or “Follow” over the last ten years and told friends about our community whether by word of mouth or social media. What started as a group of 100 has steadily grown beyond my wildest dreams. Over the last few weeks, our Facebook group has grown to over 1100 members and our Twitter account has passed over 1200 followers!

And, so, I would like to wish you a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a Happy New Year! Or, if none of those suit your beliefs, a simple “Thank You” and Happy Reading! May the sentiments in the The Dark is Rising and the warmth of being part of such a special worldwide community give you whatever you need this season. You have all made this journey for me a wonderful, special endeavor.

Take care, stay safe, and blessings to all of you.

Danny

Founder, The Dark is Rising Worldwide Readathon

Welcome to the 2021 TDIR Readathon

It’s that time of year again.

No matter what part of the world you hail from, you’ve undoubtedly been affected by the COVID pandemic somehow over the past two years. Be it work, health, time, loved ones, we’ve all lost something during this period. 

Let us take something back. Let us be lifted by a narrative where good triumphs over evil and where hope is restored to humanity even if it is mere story. Let our spirits find comfort in a fantasy that has its roots in our current reality and let it be a nostalgic balm for our tired souls. 

Whether you prefer the thrilling quest for the grail hidden Over Sea, Under Stone, the chilling atmosphere that permeates The Dark is Rising, the emotional journey of Greenwitch, the brooding suspense of The Grey King, or the wondrous conclusion in Silver on the Tree, each of the five books is a unique thread deftly knitted together to form a vast and rich tapestry that tells a tale of the Light and the Dark. 

As we read together, my wish is that you will find something in the words that will bring you a drop of joy, a thrill of hope, a spark of light. 

Let the 2021 TDIR Readathon begin.

Welcome to the 2020 Readathon!

Welcome to the 2020 iteration of The Dark is Rising Sequence Worldwide Readathon!

Whether this is your first time joining us or first time reading this classic series or whether you’re one of our original patrons from 2013 or you’ve been reading The Dark is Rising around Christmas for 30 years - thank you for joining us! 

Grab your portal be they battered or brand new, dog-eared or bookmarked, hard cover, paperback, digital or audio. Open your copies of The Dark is Rising Sequence as we begin our 6th read-a-thon today, this 6th day of December, to join the Old Ones and their quest for the Light. 

The wonderful thing about stories is that they never are in the past. Words cannot be diseased. Pages can burn and be torn but the messages and tales they tell live forever in the memories of those who have read them. Every time we peruse the phrases and paragraphs we can be transported back to that world again and again if the author has written well enough for us to suspend our belief yet one more time. And Susan Cooper has done just that - written an adventure that provides us in equal measure the joviality of the Christmas spirit and the atmospheric melancholy of a riotous cloud of rooks, the shifting wariness of a sea breeze and the rising tension of a mountain-top storm. If she had not done her job as a storyteller so wonderfully, there would be no basis for this Readathon.

So, thanks again for reading with us and I hope the story will warm your heart with nostalgia and inspire you with the purpose of the quest.

Be in the Light and read on!