The Witcher’s Joey Batey reveals how his new novel embraces his Northern identity and being “forgotten” by those in power

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Most people instantly associate the song “Toss a Coin to Your Witcher” with Joey Batey, the actor who sang it in the popular Netflix series that made him famous. The 36-year-old gained widespread recognition thanks to the show and its memorable tune.

It’s Not A Cult is a captivating folk horror novel set in the North East of England. It follows a band – Callum, Melusine, and Al – who play local pubs, sharing tales and their unique sound inspired by the ‘Solkats,’ the fictional gods of everyday life.

The band enjoys making music, even if their lyrics don’t make much sense. Everything changes when a fight at a local pub is noticed by a popular social media influencer, and their small, dedicated fanbase quickly turns into a much larger, and more demanding, group of followers.

Callum believes the Solkats simply want to make their mark on the world. However, as their popularity and concerts become increasingly chaotic, they begin to realize the playful trouble they sing about might actually be happening – and someone might have to pay the price.

The project is quite costly and challenging, likely because it was delayed for a significant period with Batey.

Batey said he first encountered the people who inspired his novel around the age of 19. He had a general idea for the story, but kept putting it off. Instead, he spent his 20s and 30s writing other books to gain experience. A couple of years ago, he finally felt ready to tackle the story he’d been thinking about for so long. He also realized that, with the rise of social media, the story felt particularly timely and relevant.

I had everything I needed to start, but I hadn’t actually begun the work. Once I did start writing, the process went very quickly.

Batey chuckles when asked if he’s happy he didn’t publish the book earlier, explaining that if he’d written it in his teens or early twenties, it might have seemed far-fetched. He believes the book now addresses themes that feel very real and relevant today, whereas those same themes might have felt strange to readers 15 or 20 years ago.

The story takes place in Northumberland, a region in northeastern England known for its stunning, yet rugged and unpredictable landscapes – an ideal home for the mysterious Solkats.

Batey shared that he wanted to revisit the North East because it embodies a certain kind of captivating mystery. He described it as playfully mischievous, yet subtly unsettling and otherworldly. He sees this duality reflected in the story’s creatures, the Solkats, who evoke both happiness and a sense of danger – a feeling that mirrors his own complex connection to the region.

Lots of books are becoming TV shows right now, and the unique story of ‘It’s Not a Cult’ definitely stands out. However, the author is modest about the possibility of a TV adaptation, though he does have a few ideas about what it would take to make it work.

Batey says he didn’t aim for the book to be epic, but it was always structured as if seen through a camera. Almost every scene is written as if it’s being filmed, though he insists he wasn’t trying to get it made into a movie!

He says he’d be thrilled if the project came to fruition, but he’d also want significant creative input. Importantly, he wants to make sure the story authentically represents the North East of England, with involvement from people who truly understand what it’s like to live and grow up there – and who recognize that the region has often been overlooked by those in power.

People in the North East, and the North as a whole, have a strong sense of community because they often feel overlooked by those in charge. I’d like to include as many people from the North as possible in this project.

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2025-12-03 20:04