A perfect Sunday with... Gary Panton
Children's horror, Midnight Giants and Sunday roasts with muddy boots
Every week, a top writer, artist, actor or creator reveals how they’d fill their perfect Sunday, sharing their favourite comfort reads, movies, food… anything that would make their weekend great.
Today, it's the turn of Gary Panton, writer of The Notwitches.
Gary's perfect Sunday… brunch
When I lived in London, there was a little independent café in Dulwich that I absolutely loved called Norris + Knight. They did the best eggs benedict ever, the kind that comes with paper-thin serrano ham and just the right amount of hollandaise sauce. Sadly, it’s been a few years since I was able to pop in there for brunch on a Sunday, and I’ve no idea if eggs benedict is even still on the menu, but that’s definitely what I’d choose for brunch on my perfect Sunday.
Gary's perfect Sunday… read
I always feel Sundays lend themselves well to a spooky read, particularly in winter. I love a ghost story, and anything by Shirley Jackson or Susan Hill always goes down well. Stephen King is another favourite of mine, especially It and The Shining.
But for my perfect Sunday read I’m going to choose a little-known book called The Wicked One by Mollie Hunter. It’s a book about an invisible monster that terrorises a family living in the remote Scottish Highlands. It terrified me as a kid, and I still go back to it every few years. It’s a perfect example of a children’s horror story, and I wish there were more books like it. Mollie Hunter wrote a lot of wonderful, atmospheric stories during her life, often inspired by Scottish folklore, but The Wicked One has always been my favourite.
Gary's perfect Sunday… comic
I love Luke Pearson’s Hilda graphic novels, so I’d be very happy to sit down and read any of those. My favourite one is probably the second book in the series, Hilda and the Midnight Giant. I think a lot of people are probably now more familiar with the animated Netflix series that the comics led to, and the show is definitely worth a watch, but for me, the true magic still lies with those early comic books. The artwork is really beautiful, and the stories are just perfect. I just wish they’d been published a couple of decades earlier so I could have had the pleasure of experiencing them as a child!
Gary's perfect Sunday… movie
For the last year or so, my wife and I have been attempting to work our way through every animated Disney movie in chronological order, from Snow White onwards. It’s become our thing that we do to relax at the end of a Sunday afternoon, and we do it almost every week.
We haven’t finished yet, but we just ticked off Moana so the end is now in sight!
When you watch them in order, you really get to see how the animation style has developed over time and how the storytelling and use of humour have changed as the years have gone on. I’ll be completely honest and say that there have been a few films in there that were a bit of a struggle to sit through, but the best ones are still up there with some of the greatest films ever made.
It’s difficult to choose a stand-out favourite for my Perfect Sunday, but I’d probably have to go for Aladdin. I think that one truly represents Disney at the absolute peak of its creative powers. It’s basically perfect.
Gary's perfect Sunday... TV binge
It’s so hard to choose just one. Gravity Falls would be very high on my list. As would Stranger Things. And I’m loving Severance at the moment. But I think I’m going to go for Lost.
We recently finished binge-watching the entire series on Netflix, and it was the first time I’d re-watched the whole thing since it was originally broadcast. I was a little nervous about whether I’d enjoy it the second time around, but I think I appreciated it even more this time. There are just so many different story threads, so many different characters, so many twists and turns, so many completely original ideas. It really is an incredible feat of writing, and I’m not sure we’ll ever see anything quite like it again.
Gary's perfect Sunday… podcast
I dip in and out of a lot of podcasts, but one that I always return to is Jim Harold’s Campfire. He’s been running the podcast for over 20 years now so there’s a huge amount of content there. It’s the one I’ll often stick on in the background when I’m cooking, or listen to on a long train journey.
In each episode, members of the public call in to tell him ghost stories from their own personal lives. Obviously, some of the stories are better than others, but the best ones really stick with you. I wouldn’t call myself a big believer in ghosts and the paranormal, but that doesn’t stop me from having a bit of an obsession with the subject. I don’t even especially care if the stories are true or not–I just want them to be good!
The bat monkey
Gary's perfect Sunday… album
Raintown by Deacon Blue is my favourite album by my favourite band, and it also just happens to be the perfect listen for when you’re stuck indoors on a rainy day (which is often the case when you live in Scotland).
It’s such a thoughtful album, full of nostalgia, hope and warmth. I was only six years old when it was released, so like much of my favourite music, it’s a little before my time, but as an adult, I’ve seen the band perform live on many occasions. They’re still just as wonderful today.
Gary's perfect Sunday… treat
This would have to be a Sunday roast in a cosy pub with my wife, ideally at the end of a long walk in the countryside. For it to be truly perfect, we should both be wearing muddy boots, there should be a fireplace with a lit fire, and there must be a dog somewhere in the room. That last part is non-negotiable.
Oh, and the food should come accompanied with a jug of extra gravy, without us having to ask for it.
Gravy makes everything better.
The Notwitches is out now from Chicken House.
While lots of children have one or two problems, Melanda Notwitch has three: her horrible aunts. They really are the absolute WORST!
Luckily, Melanda meets Mitch, a young witch who knows of a magic spell that might just make everything better.
All they have to do is find one special ingredient. How hard can it be?
“A triumph of nonsense.”–Lucy Bannerman, The Times
“A hilarious adventure story and quite possibly the next Harry Potter.”–Ariane Sherine, author and comedy writer
“I haven’t laughed so much at a children’s book in a long time!”–Fiona, The Edinburgh Bookshop
“Oh. My. Goodness. I’ve just galloped through this fantastic book!”–Tell Tales Bookshop, Cheshi
Gary Panton is a writer, editor and doodler whose work has appeared in loads of different books, magazines and websites. His middle-grade fiction debut, The Notwitches, is the first in a hilarious new series of children's books. He has also written books for hit kids' brands including Bluey, Hey Duggee and The Beano.
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