Independent and high-street bookshops across Dorset are hosting a series of launch events for Black Box, an award-winning science fiction novel by Dorset-based writer, Dr Kevan Manwaring, this November.
The county-wide bookshop tour kicks off at Waterstones Bridport on Friday 6 November before heading to Westbourne Bookshop on Monday 9 November. All are welcome to attend both events, which form part of a wider series of author talks and readings taking place across the Southwest throughout November.
Kevan, Programme Leader for MA Creative Writing (Online) and Senior Lecturer for BA (Hons) Creative Writing at Arts University Bournemouth (AUB), drew upon extensive interdisciplinary research during the writing process to ensure the novel's futuristic world felt authentically grounded.
Set on Europa, the frozen ice-moon of Jupiter, Black Box follows the crew of the Ultima Thule, a state-of-the-art Galileo class submersible commanded by Captain Lake. Tasked with exploring lightless subterranean oceans beneath the ice to find the solar system’s most precious resource, the international team of scientists discovers far more than they bargained for.
Speaking about his research journey, Kevan comments: “To build a grounded scientific framework for the story, I wanted to dive deep into the real-world science behind the fiction.
“I spoke about Artificial Intelligence with Jeremy Levesley, Professor of Mathematics at the University of Leicester, and explored space exploration with Professor Jonathan Nichols of the National Space Centre including his work on the European Space Agency's JUICE Mission.”
“Visiting the Eden Project in Cornwall helped shape the feel of artificial biomes, while drafting early chapters in a remote croft in Wester Ross in the Scottish Highlands gave me the isolation and focus needed to bring Europa's lightless subterranean world to life.”
Black Box is the winner of the national Gollancz/Literature Works 'One Giant Write' science fiction manuscript competition and has already been adapted into a full audio drama production by Alternative Stories & Fake Realities (available on Spotify).
Bridport: Friday 6 November, 18.30 at Waterstones, Bridport
Westbourne: Monday 9 November, 18.00 at Westbourne Bookshop
Publication date: 9 November 2026
