News

The summer has finally arrived - and with a vengeance. My, it's been hot over the past few days! We seem to have gone from one extreme to another. I hope you've found somewhere cool and shady to enjoy your reading this week. 

It was lovely to sit under the garden umbrella with a good book yesterday afternoon but I'm feeling the pressure with the number of titles I need to look at for forthcoming book group discussions, festival interviews and my reviews and author profiles for magazine articles. I have to admit that my TBR piles are looking a little daunting, but I need to get them under control ahead of the announcement of the longlist for the Booker Prize 2024 in a few days' time. There will be thirteen more books I'll want to read!

But we'll be sharing the load in exploring these titles as, once again, we'll be running a Booker Book Group over the summer. For this special meeting we'll delve into the judges' selection to see which we think should make the shortlist, and to predict our winner. It's always a great discussion and a lovely focus for our summer reading.

If you'd like to join in and haven't already put your name down for this special Booker Book Group, please reply to this email by Friday 26 July and I'll send you the details. The longlist is announced on Tuesday 30 July. We'll be allocating titles shortly after and the meeting to discuss our reading will take place on Monday 2 September.

Thank you for reading.

I'm glad I'm not writing this message during or after the big game this evening. There are such hopes and expectations for England after what's been a rather bumpy ride getting to this point.  

It will be interesting to see how we, as a nation, respond to the result. We're used to losing, so we should be able to deal with that(!). But how might we behave if we win? 

There's already been news of offices, businesses and retail outlets, even schools, allowing people to arrive late or even to take the day off tomorrow to recover from what might be a late night, and all that that will entail. And there have been (rather premature?) calls for a Bank Holiday should the team be victorious.

Hopefully there will be some dignity and respect if we do perform well tonight. It would be a welcome trend to continue after the speeches in Parliament this week. The Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition spoke very magnanimously of each other. This behaviour, of 'disagreeing agreeably' feels long overdue.

It's also been rather lovely listening to the post-match interviews at Wimbledon. Such eloquent and intelligent comments by the competitors about their own performances and those of their opposition. 

We met a formidable athlete in Woodbridge this week as Iwan Thomas spoke fluently and candidly about his life and career, introducing us to his brilliant autobiography 'Brutal'. 

He gave us a remarkable insight into the psychology of an elite athlete obsessed with their performance on the track, determined above all else to be the best, the first. It's easy to see how it can be difficult to be gracious in defeat when you live and breathe your sport. But Iwan is certainly eager to share the lessons he's learnt looking back on his career presenting a warm, generous, entertaining perspective both in his time with us and in his book. 

So for now I'll leave you with the match in Germany and wonder what we'll be saying about the outcome and the performance next week?! 

Thank you for reading.

Well, we've got a new government!  

And there certainly seems a welcome spirit of hope and optimism among us all in having this change. 

The nation's mood wasn't hurt by England finally winning on penalties last night either!

Change isn't always seen as positive, though, and can often be difficult to handle.

When times are tough, it's good to have something to take us out of ourselves. Watching sport - or theatre or music - with others can be an intense, communal and companionable activity. 

In our event at The Riverside tomorrow evening we'll be joining together to meet former elite athlete Iwan Thomas as he presents his autobiography 'Brutal', telling us about his life in sport, the adoration, support and success, and how he coped when it all came to an end.

I hope you'll be coming along for what promised to be an inspiring and stimulating conversation, with a fabulous book to take home with you afterwards.

There's still time to get your ticket if you're thinking of coming along - you can book online here: www.theriverside.co.uk.

Thank you for reading.
 

My weekend has been spent at the Felixstowe Book Festival where I've had the pleasure and privilege of interviewing the barrister Michael Mansfield, AI guru Nigel Toon, novelist (and psychotherapist) Emily Howes and theatre director Dominic Dromgoole.

It's always fascinating meeting authors but this time I've been treated to people who have successful careers in addition to their writing.  

And it's been as inspiring as always but with a call to action throughout.

With our world seeming a very challenging place at the moment and its problems too big for 'the little people' to influence, it's been good to be reminded once again that we can, and should, make a difference.

Complaining about our politicians isn't good enough - we must vote! And if it's still not good enough, we should act - look at how Alan Bates is bringing the Post Office to book and there are citizens' assemblies working in Wales. Be indignant not indifferent, says Michael Mansfield.

Worrying about the encroaching tread of technology is pointless. Instead we should get better informed and be more selective in our choices, then press decisionmakers to be involved on our behalf. There are exciting opportunities ahead with AI if we manage it correctly, says Nigel Toon. 

Even watching the theatre, film, television or any of the arts - our response as an audience matters and ultimately has more sway than that of any small group of select or elite viewers, says Dominic Dromgoole. So let's support local theatre and artistic endeavours.

But in all of these presentations, there has been such a pleasure  in meeting in person. The connection between audience and speaker, and the sense of the shared experience with uninterrupted and focused attention is always very special.

So, in eight days' time we'll be hearing from champion athlete Iwan Thomas about the challenges he's faced and overcome in his career, and the lessons he has to share. If you heard him speak on BBC Radio Suffolk on Friday you'll know we have a treat in store! Come and meet him in person at The Riverside Woodbridge!

Thank you for reading.
 

Have you been tuning in to the various debates and interviews by candidates for the upcoming election? 

I was full of good intentions at the outset but I've never enjoyed the shouting, belittling and haranguing of heated debates and these continue to be commonplace on our tv screens or in radio programmes today.   

I did attend the local hustings, though, and was very encouraged that the audience members and four candidates all spoke in turn with respect and courtesy. There was no talking over each other and when incorrect information or accusations were made, individuals waited until it was their turn to respond before setting the matter straight. It was so refreshing, and it didn't undermine any one person's position. We were all listening and heeding the points that were being made. It illustrated how we don't need histrionics to appreciate the seriousness of a situation or position. 

This was the case, too, during the Post Office inquiry earlier this month when the barrister Mr Beer interrogated the decisions and motivation of Paula Vennells as she dealt with the Horizon IT scandal. He never once raised his voice, nor did he make emotive or personal observations about her actions, and yet his questioning had huge impact and was revealing for its quiet, truth-telling. 

My reading this week has included the book by Alistair Campbell urging us to all to get involved in politics (scroll down for details). In it he mentions that part of the reason his podcast 'The Rest is Politics' has gained such a vast, appreciative audience is because of the way he and Rory Stewart have debated their conflicting political views.   

'We try to "disagree agreeably",' he says. 'This approach seems to strike a chord with a lot of people. But it is anathema to the polarising populist who needs divisiveness, who feeds off anger and hate, who wants disagreements to be disagreeable.'

Let's hope we continue to hear more respectful debate in the future. 

Of course at book group that's always the case!

Do let me know if you're coming along to our discussion in Woodbridge tomorrow for 'Close to Home' by Michael Magee.

Or perhaps I'll see you in Framlingham on Wednesday, or at Felixstowe Book Festival at the weekend! 

Thank you for reading.