Mr Bosch and His Owls by Cath Barton #ReadIndies @AtomicBohemian

‘This book is sure to leave you peering more closely at owls and art around you.’ – DeAnn Bell, author of Yule Moon (DLG Publishing)

Book blurb

‘Mr Bosch and His Owls’ invites readers into a sphere where the mundane meets the surreal, offering a captivating fusion of magic realism and pastoral charm. Inspired by the enigmatic paintings of Hieronymus Bosch and other artists, this collection transports readers to a world where the ordinary is dramatically interrupted by the extraordinary. From the tranquil countryside to the bustling city streets, each Kafkaesque adventure unfolds against picturesque landscapes. At the heart of these stories are the owls: mysterious creatures whose presence signals moments of profound change and unsettling encounters for the characters. As the tales interweave, seemingly unrelated individuals find themselves drawn into journeys interconnected by artisan descriptions, uncanny situations, and self-discovery.

My thoughts

In her bio Cath Barton says that she is often inspired by pictures taking photographs each day. In this collection of short stories the author has taken inspiration from the paintings of Hieronymus Bosch.

I often use pictures to inspire my writing and I take a photograph every day, which you can see here.
Cath Barton

I knew very little of Bosch’s painting so I found myself going down the rabbit hole that is the World Wide Web and you can check out some of my finds below, from simply finding where some of his paintings are housed, biography to essays by fans and other information.

This is a book of short stories which introduce us to Bosch in a number of ways yet chose to entitle the book as Mr Bosch and his owls. 🦉 Today we would likely see an owl as a wise creature in Bosch’s day there are other interpretations including that of sin, darkness, evil and the devil. The owl is found in about 45% of Bosch’s works and is considered a signature. So the owl is, I think, a good way to embark on a project to consider these works and to create from them as Cath Barton has.

The stories

Jacobus, 1515 this short introduces us immediately to the owl when ‘the Master’ (Bosch) gives a task to Jacobus, one of his apprentices, saying “… the owls. They are our guardians.” I like the use of guardian thinking of an owl as representing sin or evil may have meant something to the 16th century observer but for me and perhaps most modern day observers guardian clarifies albeit subtly that the owl a warning and an opportunity to acknowledge what happens if we ignore it.

The Valiant Maid has us joining a couple on a trip to celebrate their first wedding anniversary. They have been cycling and have stopped for refreshments and shade. When they have finished the husband, Hugh, leads his wife, Sally, to a small museum to see a painting “A masterpiece” by Hieronymus Bosch, The Wilgefortis – ‘valiant maid’ – triptych. Hugh points out an owl embroidered on the stocking of a man at the foot of the cross upon which Wilgefortis has been put by her father. They meet a man, Laurens, while at the museum, with whom Hugh strikes up a friendship. Sally has some thoughts on Hugh, his friends, the trip and the painting.

Inspiration The Liberata Trptych

Journey South travellers congregate at ‘The Garden’ the narrator has been joining them after his work in search of pleasure. “It is time to head south” he is told. “Will you join us?” It has turned cold and they seek the heat of the south. All the men happy to leave. They had horses. In the garden was one solitary egg, there had been others, remaining and the narrator is given its charge. The journey commences and it takes several days. Staying in a monastery one night listening to tales of pilgrim journeys to Compostella and recounting stories of the north including that of Ookpik – an owl story. A boy from the monastery joins them and the narrator entrusts him to look after the egg. Seeing the village of their final destination makes the narrator consider how the women were in the north are in the south and what that means for the men.

Inspiration The Garden of Earthly Delights (see further reading below).

These are the first three stories and each of the others have been as skilfully written bringing humour, an interesting perspective and connection to Bosch’s works, fabulous storytelling which also speaks to what people have in common regardless of their background, of finding your own niche.

With Mr Bosch and His Owls Cath Barton has brought a fabulous selection of short stories to the reader.

Beyond this she has enlightened me, directly and indirectly, on Bosch, his paintings and owls. I don’t think you could ask for more.

🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉

Book: Purchased | Previously read: The Geography of the Heart | In the Sweep of the Bay | The Plankton Collector |Purchased TBR: Between The Virgin and The Sea

This came with my copy of Mr Bosch and His Owls isn’t it delightful?

Further reading

Apollo Magazine article – So Who The Hell Was Hieronymus Bosch? by Tim Smith-Laing (2016)

ARTNews article – Hieronymus Bosch: A Mysterious Master’s Early Life and Major Works by Claire Selvin (2020)

The Montreal Review (March 2025) article – HIERONYMUS BOSCH NORTH AND SOUTH OF THE ALPS By Bernard Aikema and Fernando Checa Cremades.

Jheronimus Bosch Art center – closed during January and February | ‘The body of work produced by Hieronymus Bosch can be found in museums and collections across the world. But the only place to find high-quality reproductions of all of his works is the Jheronimus Bosch Art Center in the city where the late-Mediaeval painter lived and worked his whole life.’ (TripAdvisor)

Prado Museum – Hieronymus Bosch – you will find a biography of Bosch, pictures of a number of Bosch’s paintings and a timeline.

Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam – The Owl’s Nest by Hieronymus Bosch, 1505 — 1515

JheronimusBosch .org – explore Bosch’s paintings and drawings

BOSCH PROJECT – An interactive site regarding Bosch’s work and figures – former site May 2013

BRCP – What is the project?

The Garden of Earthly Delights – two considerations

The owls are present and may be interpreted

Check out YouTube for more on Bosch’s work.

🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉

Owls

EsotericBosch – BoschOwls

Daily Art Magazine – Hieronymus Bosch’s Creepy Owls by Zuzanna Stanska

Academia.edu – The Owls in Hieronymus Bosch’s Paintings: An Approach to the Painter’s Workshop -Supervisor: Dr. M.E.W. Boers-Goosens by Julio W . L . Fernandes (Julian Lof)

Owl Research Institute (ORI) | The Owls Trust (formerly the North Wales Bird Trust)

RSPB – Owls | Birdlife – International – Owls | Birdlife Europe and Central Asia – Sweden – Snowy Owls

Reading Independent Publishers Month

Reading Independent Publishers Month is hosted by Karen at KaggsysBookishRamblings this is its sixth year.

My third and last contribution to the wonderful 2026 #ReadIndies event hosted by Kaggsysbookishramblings

Atomic Bohemian – Independent Publishers

Atomic Bohemian is an independent publishing house, founded and run by Briony Collins. It is dedicated to platforming authentic voices from diverse backgrounds, and focuses on thee core values: authenticity, accessibility, and kindness.

Briony Collins is an award-winning writer based in Wales. Her career began when she won the 2016 Exeter Novel Prize, gaining many notable publications since.

She is the Owner of the publishing house Atomic Bohemian and is on the Sub-Committee for Poetry Wales.

Her book publications include Blame it on Me; All That Glisters; The Birds, The Rabbits, The Trees; Whisper Network; cactus land; and I Know Where the Pelicans Go. Her debut novel, Ambergris, is available now from Barnard Publishing. Her next poetry book, Wyoming, is forthcoming with Black Bough Poetry in 2026.

Briony has a PhD in Creative Writing, and lectures in Humanities, English Literature, and English Language. She is also a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Information

Published: Atomic Bohemian | 29 March 2024 | 76 pages

Acknowledgement: The stories in Mr Bosch and His Owls were developed with help from the Literature Wales Mentoring Scheme, funded by The National Lottery through the Arts Council of Wales.

Buy: Atomic Bohemian | Your local library | Your local bookshop

Author

Cath Barton’s novella The Plankton Collector was the winner of the New Welsh Writing AmeriCymru Prize for the Novella in 2017 and published by New Welsh Review in 2018. It is due to be republished by Parthian in the autumn of 2024.

Cath has had three further novellas published:

In the Sweep of the Bay (Louise Walters Books, 2020)
Between the Virgin and the Sea (Leamington Books, 2023)
The Geography of the Heart (Arroyo Seco Press, 2023)

Born and brought up in the middle of England, Cath has lived in Abergavenny since 2005. When not writing she loves to walk in the hills with friends. Always up for a challenge and fresh adventure, in October 2024 she plans to walk part of the Camino de Santiago, through Northern Portugal.

Website | Author Page (Amazon) | Bluesky | Hive | Books (Bookshop.org)

Writing

Stories (2017 -) | Novellas (see above) | ‘Coping with Anxiety’ by Cath Barton and listen to – A Suitable Feast (The Lonley Crowd – Issue 14)