“The Temporary Gentleman”

I said I'd read something by Sebastian Barry after "Days Without End" - and I'm glad I did. Whilst I'm not sure "The Temporary Gentleman" completely lives up to the hyperbole on the front and back covers (but do books ever?!), it is a tight, really well-written story, filled with tragedy, emotion, pathos. There's a … Continue reading “The Temporary Gentleman” →

How was it for you?

I'm not sure what I expected from the reading and book launch yesterday. Of course, there was always the naive and simplistic hope, skulking in a dark corner somewhere, that at the end of the reading there would be a prolonged standing ovation, followed by a huge queue to buy my book and to secure … Continue reading How was it for you? →

Book Launch tomorrow!

Just over 24-hours to my reading tomorrow as part of the Ripon Poetry Festival... Who'd have thought it?!

“I have the words already…”

"I have the words already. What I am seeking is the perfect order of words in the sentence." - James Joyce

“Waiting for Godot” – still..!

Sometimes it's great to re-read something you haven't opened in quite a while. In the case of "Waiting for Godot", its probably over thirty years since I read it cover-to-cover, as it were. Not surprisingly, it's still as unique now as it was then - and maybe with all those years having seen so much … Continue reading “Waiting for Godot” – still..! →

“The Power”

Perhaps I should avoid books that use the word 'thriller' on the front or back cover. It isn't that "The Power" is inadequate in any way; indeed it has all the required attributes - pace, tension, the gradual build to the climax. You can easily imagine it as being transferred to the screen in a … Continue reading “The Power” →

“Telling the time” – 100-word challenge

Horse races marked the passage of time; one of the few things he and his father shared as he grew up. At Doncaster, the Lincoln heralded the start of Spring, the St. Ledger the end of Summer. What was it about Doncaster and the seasons? He had been there once, disquieted by the cavernous betting … Continue reading “Telling the time” – 100-word challenge →

What’s it all for..?

At our writing group this week we had a panel-led session on “Publishing - Then and Now”. Even though I’ve been fortunate enough to have seen both sides of this particular coin first-hand, it struck me how irrelevant the ‘Then’ part of the conversation feels now. Like many things, it seems a world away; a … Continue reading What’s it all for..? →

“The Underground Railroad”

Over the last few years I have used the Pulitzer Prize as one of my guides for the fiction I read. Like the Booker, it is often won by exceptional novels and both prizes have, over the years, introduced me to some good books and great writers. Having said that, "The Underground Railroad", by Colson … Continue reading “The Underground Railroad” →