News

With the hot weather we're enjoying at the moment I'm glad that I don't live or work in a city. But being in a market town or village, we can sometimes feel overlooked in the grand scheme of things. Life here is just as vibrant as anywhere else, though, as I found two writers commented this week.

In a broad-ranging and entertaining conversation with the Reverend Richard Coles at the Riverside Cinema in Woodbridge on Wednesday we heard about the inspiration for his new series of murder mystery novels.

"I think the first lesson I had as a vicar," he said, "was to explode the very persistent myth that only things of national interest happen in big cities. They don't, they happen in Woodbridge and in Finedon [his former parish in Northamptonshire] and in Champton St Mary [the fictional parish of Canon Daniel Clements] and all sorts of places because human beings are human beings and when you put them all together human dramas play out." 

Village life in all its richness is presented in his latest novel, 'A Death in the Parish' and we very much enjoyed hearing all Richard had to say about how the books have come together and his plans for future stories too.

Barbara Kingsolver, picking up her second Women's Prize, spoke about rural life as the inspiration for her novel 'Demon Copperfield'. In an article for the Guardian, she said: “I understand why rural people are so mad they want to blow up the system.

'“That contempt of urban culture for half the country...The news, the movies, TV, it's all manufactured in cities about city people. We're nothing. We don't see ourselves at all. And if we do show up, it's as a joke, the hillbillies. We are the last demographic that progressive people still mock with impunity." 

It's village life in the 17th century that we turn to in a few days' time, though, when novelist Margaret Meyer will be joining us to present her new book 'The Witching Tide'.

Margaret was inspired by the notorious witch trials that took place in coastal Suffolk and has written a stunning and acclaimed novel based on these real events. You can read more in my article for Suffolk magazine here.

She'll be visiting two days before the official release of the book, so come along and be the first to hear all about it! Scroll down for details and get your ticket online here.

Finally, it's our book group meeting tomorrow when we will be discussing 'The Slaves of Solitude' by Patrick Hamilton (details below). Please reply to this email to let me know if you can be there.

Thank you for reading.

My week ahead is looking rather daunting! In addition to a usual working week with articles to write, research to carry out and people to interview, there's the event with the Reverend Richard Coles on Wednesday and also the Felixstowe Book Festival where I will be on stage speaking to four fascinating and quite different writers.

The dates have been in my diary for some time, of course - these things are organised well ahead - so I've been able to do plenty of preparation but there's always more that can be done, and the key now is making sure I allow time between the sessions to pause, regroup and process ready for the next commitment. 

Planning ahead is something that no longer seems to be a regular or natural activity, though. Many entertainment venues have reported that people are booking tickets much later than ever they used to, hoping to turn up on the night rather than reserving their place at the start of a season or when the act is announced. 

It's very tempting to feel that we're acting spontaneously, keeping our options open! But we risk missing out and it may mean that events like this might not go ahead in the future. If event organisers are unable to confirm an audience in good time, cannot get everything in place for the right numbers attending, or ultimately don't fill their venues then they may find they cannot continue with the exciting programme of activities we've become used to. Let's hope that won't be the case and we all get back into the habit of planning ahead!

That being said, it's exciting to see tickets for Richard Coles being snapped up. There are still places available at the moment so why not ring the Riverside and reserve your place now! 

Thank you for reading.

We've all got a book in us, they say. And even when you've had a hugely successful career in another field, it seems there's nothing like writing, and publishing, your own story.

And not just your life story. This week it was announced that the 90-year-old movie star Michael Caine will be releasing a thriller later in the year.

In a newspaper interview, Caine said that he reads books "like wildfire" particularly enjoying Tom Clancy and Lee Child novels. "I don't do literature. I just do fun," he told the Guardian journalist. "I'm an adventure man."

And as he talked about the process of writing, in his bedroom during lockdown, the years fell away, says the journalist. He was lively, enthusiastic, self-deprecating. "I'm having the best time," Caine said.

We'll have to wait and see what the book, called 'Deadly Game', is like but I'm sure many people will be curious enough to want to read it. Familiarity is one of the things we seek in picking up books, turning to trusted writers and subjects we know. 

Many people follow series of novels because they want to return to that world, those characters, feeling they're amongst friends. Others have favourite writers and make a note in their diaries to buy the next book as soon as it is published, looking forward to the date as much as they might a holiday. Others may not be avid readers but will pick up a book written by someone they feel they know, their favourite 'celebrity'. 

In the next few weeks I'll be speaking to a number of writers about a variety of different books and it's always interesting to find out what prompted them to share their stories, whether real or imagined. 

We are all aware that the Reverend Richard Coles will have a great deal to tell us about his extraordinary life and career when he comes to talk about 'A Death in the Parish' at the Riverside Woodbridge in a few days' time. There have been plenty of newspaper articles charting his thoughts on grief, retirement, faith, and a new podcast, as well as this new novel, and it's sure to be a wide-ranging conversation.

Then I'll be at Felixstowe Book Festival and will be meeting printmaker Angela Harding and journalist Felice Hardy who will be explaining how she came to write her memoir of her grandmother escaping Germany as a tennis champion. Marine biologist  Hannah Rudd will be talking about the treasures along our coastline and in the ocean, and Ben Ansell will be discussing politics! You can take a look at my thoughts on their books by going to moreaboutbooks.com.

Although the days are flying by, there's still time to pick up this month's book group read ahead of our meeting on 26 June. Written in the 1940s, it's something completely different and it'll be interesting to hear what we all make of it (scroll down for details). And if you can face thinking about July, please put Tuesday 4th in your diary when we'll be meeting debut novelist Margaret Meyer at Woodbridge Library. You won't want to miss it. Margaret will be introducing us to the witch-hunts in Suffolk in the 17th century in a stunningly atmospheric, intelligent and sensitive novel called 'The Witching Tide'. It's a powerful story and Margaret has so much to tell us about how the book came about and how we can relate to these events today.

There's lots going on! Thank you for reading.

While I enjoy making trips to London for big shows or exhibitions, there's something very special about seeing familiar faces or meeting skilled creative people in your own local community.

This weekend I enjoyed hearing chat show host and presenter Clive Andersonspeak at Aldeburgh and I toured artists' homes through the Suffolk Open Studios initiative in Woodbridge.

Seeing beautiful pieces of art, whether paintings, sculpture or pottery, was very energising and uplifting. It was also inspiring to see how these skilled and gifted people chose to shape their lives and lifestyles around their creativity, seeking to overcome the challenges we all face, particularly in terms of time and money, to express themselves and fulfil their passion.

And Clive Anderson, known for his self-deprecation and mocking manner, was also enlightening as he reviewed his on-screen disasters. Despite always preparing his interviews meticulously, his brief for his tv programmes was always to get a laugh, he said, but the interviewee wasn't always willing to participate in this intent. As a result the Bee Gees walked off mid conversation and Richard Branson poured a glass of water over Clive's head.

Though I'm hoping there won't be any such incidents when Reverend Richard Coles talks to me on stage at the Riverside in a few weeks' time, it is sure to be a memorable occasion in other ways, so I hope you'll be able to join us. Tickets are selling well, so don't delay if you want to get a good seat! 

Thank you for reading.

Here we are in another Bank Holiday weekend. This month they've been rather commonplace but I hope you have something nice planned and are able to make the most of the lovely weather.

As I am freelance, I don't really take much time out from working (or my work-life balance is one big holiday, depending on your perspective!), but I have scheduled some concerted reading activity tomorrow, hopefully in a sunny spot outside.

This reading may still be considered 'research' as I'm currently immersed in the memoirs and novels of The Reverend Richard Coles ahead of his visit next month. But it's no hardship as you'll see from the recommendation below.

Tickets are going well for Rev Coles' lunchtime event at the Riverside on Wednesday 21 June. I hope you'll be able to join us. If you take a look at Richard's commitments over the next few months with both a national book tour and a one man show in the autumn, we're very lucky to have him come to town! 

Thank you for reading.