...one I've started, that is. It feels a bit like a failure; as if I wasn't up to the task somehow. Clearly doing so doesn't make it a 'bad book'; after all, "Do Not Say We Have Nothing" by Madeleine Thien is clearly not a bad book. Presumably you don't get shortlisted for the Booker … Continue reading I hate not reading a book…
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My first Amazon review – 5 stars!!
I have just had my first Amazon review for "Losing Moby Dick": This is a very easy, entertaining and thought provoking read. It explores some interesting and original concepts around what exactly 'might be discovered' deep within the heart of an old fashioned bookshop and within oneself. A great holiday read. I'll be purchasing another … Continue reading My first Amazon review – 5 stars!!
“Mothering Sunday”
One of the things I like about Graham Swift is the way he handles time. Less so in "Mothering Sunday" perhaps, but he has the knack of being able to make you look at events as if through a kaleidoscope, the past / tale / story fragmented, the narrative refracting. Time is - as the … Continue reading “Mothering Sunday”
“Night Train to Lisbon”
A few weeks ago I started watching the Jeremy Irons led film of "Night Train to Lisbon". After about twenty or thirty minutes, I decided to stop, that I simply had the read the book before I finished watching the film. It seemed important somehow. I have just finished reading the book. It's quite a … Continue reading “Night Train to Lisbon”
My Writing Diary
So it's now the 9th July and I suddenly realise that I haven't been keeping my writing diary up-to-date... Why? Largely because I have been so absorbed in getting "Human Archaeology" and "Secrets & Wisdom" ready for the printers... The latest is: "Human Archaeology" - the proof copy is due to be delivered to me tomorrow. … Continue reading My Writing Diary
Local bookshop #2..and more books to come!
There is now a second bookshop in Ripon selling my books! 'Treasure & Relish' on High Skellgate are now stocking "Riding the Escalators", "Writing to Gisella", and "Collected Poems"; initially low volumes, but let's see what happens. This is in addition to 'The Little Ripon Bookshop' which is stocking "Losing Moby Dick". I'm hopeful of … Continue reading Local bookshop #2..and more books to come!
When editing’s over…
... you have to start again! I have just finished the first edit of a new book, tentatively titled "Human Archaeology". At 270 pages and 69,000 words, it is a collection of short stories and new poetry (the prose probably about 70% by volume). Now I need to undertake one final read through, then get … Continue reading When editing’s over…
“Waiting”
Recently, we were given a series of 'challenges' or constraints within which to write a short piece of less than 600 words. I combined a number of these into a single piece: No use of the word "the"; No use of the letter "o" (I also made that an exclusion of any words with apostrophes … Continue reading “Waiting”
“Granta – 139”
A little while ago I took out a subscription for "Granta". It's a great way to be encouraged every quarter to read something you might otherwise not. In #139, the theme was "Best of Young American Novelists (3)" - a series they produce about every 10 years or so. There's also a "Best of" for … Continue reading “Granta – 139”
The Fortune Teller
She couldn’t remember what they were called until her daughter told her: ‘Chatterboxes’ or ‘Fortune Tellers’. And then, flushed with the pride of being able to create something sophisticated, showed her mother how to make one. Alone now, she tried it out, inserting fingers into the appropriate spaces, then opening, and closing the petals as … Continue reading The Fortune Teller
Ian Gouge - Writer 