For me 2007 promises to be one
of the best yet in all departments. This
month I am looking forward to the paperback launch of my novel Family Ties on May 17th
at Waterstones in Durham City.
This novel is a life journey and an eccentric mystery all in one. As much of
the novel is set in Durham City and the beautiful Norman Cathedral is on the
cover, I hope many people will open its pages to explore that city through
my eyes. If you are within reaching distance on the 17th May, do come!
The story is
set in 1991 but a key element is a journal written in 1954 by a thirteen
year old girl. Researching this aspect of the novel got me interested and I
will be giving a workshop on journaling at Bishop Auckland Town Hall on 12th June. Many people, some
who have never written before, are embarking on journals, so I hope to meet
them.
I have just
finished collecting and editing twenty two of my short stories, published
and unpublished. (One Jetsam
will be published in the Sunday Express magazine on 20th May) I
know short stories are not so fashionable these days with publishers.
However, looking at these afresh I see each one as a small universe in
itself to be read at one sitting. Juliet Burton, my agent, has these to
offer now, so I have my fingers crossed. I will post two of these:
International Relations and Prison Life
here on the website if you would
like to a taster.
My present
challenge is that I am embarking on a a new writer-residency at a women’s prison in
Durham. I was excited to be asked to do this and look forward to learning a
lot and perhaps being able to help some new writers find their voices.
As well as
this I have my London novel The
Lavender House out in hardback in September (about
which more later….) and am in the first stages of a novel based in factory
in 1965 (more of that later…).
Talk again
very soon….
