“I am dedicating long hours, every day, to The Winds of Winter, and I am constantly progressing,” said the writer.
In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, countless fans of the Westeros world were comforted to learn that George RR Martin was not only in good health, but would also take advantage of the quarantine to focus all of his attention on The Winds of Winter. Now, the acclaimed author has anticipated his followers that that sixth installment of the literary saga Game of Thrones could see the light in 2021.
This week, through his personal blog, the 71-year-old writer regretted not being able to attend the 78th World Science Fiction Convention (also known as CoNZealand), which was to take place in Wellington, New Zealand, between 29 July and August 2, 2020. Now, in the context of the health crisis, this will be an entirely virtual event.
On the other hand, Martin stressed the good side of not having to move to another country, thus interrupting the writing of his next book. He said that, hopefully, next year he could visit the New Zealand capital, with great news for his readers.
“I was heartbroken when CoNZealand was forced to go virtual due to the pandemic and I had to cancel my plans for a long trip to Wellington,” he wrote. But there is surely a silver lining to that fog. The last thing I need right now is a long break that could cost me all the momentum I’ve built up. I can always visit Wellington next year when I hope that both COVID-19 and The Winds of Winter are finished.”
Yes, the culmination of the new Game of Thrones book in 2021 is a possibility, in the words of the “American Tolkien.” However, he emphasized that the manuscript is still a long way from being completed.
“Forced isolation has helped me write,” says Martin on his blog. “I am dedicating long hours, every day, to The Winds of Winter, and I am constantly progressing. I finished a new chapter yesterday, another three days ago, another the week before. But no, this does not mean that the book will be finished tomorrow or published next week. It is going to be a huge book, and I still have a long way to go.
Regarding the multi-award-winning HBO television series, a month ago it was a year since the premiere of its final chapter. Come here to listen to one of the last PREMIERE Cinema podcasts, where comments about that controversial conclusion were the main dish.
