News

Yes, the winner of the Tory Party leadership campaign is declared tomorrow. But let's not dwell on that.

Instead, tomorrow evening Browsers Book Group will be meeting to decide on their winner from this year's Booker Prize longlist. We'll be reviewing all 13 titles ahead of the judges' decision in drawing up the shortlist on Tuesday. I'll let you know what we decided in next week's newsletter. It's always interesting to see if we agree with the judges, and it's nice to be involved, isn't it?

One of my recommended reads this week is Jess Phillips' account of being a Member of Parliament. She says that some political players want us to think that we can't be involved, we can't influence change and we have to leave everything to the decision makers. But she urges us to write, to speak, to make our voice heard. We can make a difference. It's an encouraging read, written with a light touch, and I hope you'll take a look. 

Have a good week, and thank you for reading.

I was talking to someone this week who had forthright views on the media. He said that he didn't want to hear opinions, comment or interpretation, just the facts, all the facts, unfiltered. 

I found this statement rather overwhelming.

There seems to be a limitless amount of information, available 24 hours a day, from a huge array of sources, so, for me, the issue is surely less about accessing data, and more a case of gaining knowledge and wisdom, seeking a way to process it all?

This acquaintance said, though, that he didn't have a problem ploughing through information to establish his response. He said his studies at school, university and then professionally had given him the expertise to divine the details he needed to make his decisions.

But we don't all have that training, confidence or application? Now, more than ever, don't we need to find reliable sources who will help us get to the hub of the matter and respond to the crises affecting us today?

In the past, we've turned to the BBC. But in the lecture delivered by the former Newsnight presenter Emily Maitlis in Edinburgh this week, the integrity of the national broadcaster was brought into question as she claimed that the media in general was no longer in step with the changing face of politics. 

It's an eloquent and compelling speech, and I've always rather liked and been inspired and impressed by Maitlis. Not all of her arguments stack up. But why should we expect her to be wholly right? There is rarely a simple solution to anything and life today is complex. But we seem to be losing an ability to debate with consideration and respect, and are always expected to be on one side or another.

Perhaps we shouldn't try to be informed about everything and instead invest our time more thoughtfully. Perhaps we should carefully choose a book on a subject about world affairs, social issues, climate consequences, and dig deep? Perhaps you're already doing that?

Thank you for reading.

There was a fascinating article in the 'Guardian' magazine yesterday, written by Maggie O'Farrell about her experience of Covid.

I didn't realise that she had been badly ill - hospitalised, in fact, because the virus triggered a resurgence of the serious illness she experienced as a child. (She shared something of that when she visited us at Woodbridge Library to talk about her memoir 'I Am, I Am, I Am' a few years ago.)

The doctors told Maggie to rest so she took to her bed and chose to surround herself with books, just as she had as a child. And the particular book of choice this time was 'Mrs Dalloway' by Virginia Woolf, set five years after the Spanish flu pandemic. 

"Despite multiple readings, I had never before noticed the mechanisms of illness and recovery at work in the novel," Maggie says, "and I’m riveted by the coincidence of our pandemic and Woolf’s, separated by almost exactly a century."

She decides then to search for more descriptions of illness in fiction and, in the article, presents some of her findings. She concludes that "perhaps as we emerge from our pandemic, we need to ensure that we take with us what we have learned, to retain the sober wisdoms of sickness".

It's key, isn't it, that we take time to pause, to ponder and reflect. We're too quick to move on. I find that's the case with my reading. There are so many brilliant books to read that I'm straight on to the next before I've fully digested the one I've just finished. 

How interesting, though, to take a theme in literature and to explore it, as Maggie has done. And I think I've read elsewhere that she likes to follow lists in her reading, generally. She'll read all of the titles shortlisted for a prize and she also likes to read all the work by a particular author, to see how they have developed and the themes and ideas they have pursued. I'm sure this proves fascinating.

Thank you for reading.

It's usually quiet in the summer for events and activities but there's a flurry of author talks taking place in the next couple of months which might appeal to anyone following the Browsers Book Group reading at the moment.

Next week at FolkEast at Glemham, Suffolk, there's an exciting programme of author talks organised by the Halesworth Bookshop. It includes Kate Sawyerwho spoke to us online during lockdown when she launched her debut novel 'The Stranding'. Since then Kate was shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award and won the Fiction Prize at the East Anglian Book Awards. This is a lovely opportunity to meet Kate in person.

At the end of the month, Topping's bookshop in Ely (slightly further afield but always worth a visit) has an event with Hernan Diaz the author of 'Trust', one of the longlisted titles for this year's Booker Prize which we're debating at a special book group meeting on Monday 5 September.

In September, Suffolk Book League will be hosting Rupert Thomson in a visit to Ipswich. He will be talking about 'Barcelona Dreaming' (our book group title for April) as well as his other work.

Authors regularly mention how pleased they are to participate in events like these for the opportunity to meet their readers whom they recognise as always being so kind, supportive, respectful and appreciative. 

It's been horrific, then, to witness the attack on Salman Rushdie in the US this week. We wish him a full and speedy recovery. 

Thank you for reading.

It's August! And I don't know where the last week went. I had fewer meetings and pressing deadlines but, despite the lack of the usual distractions and interruptions, I don't feel that I've been particularly productive and I seem to have had less time to read.

As a result, the titles I'm recommending this week are rather picture heavy, though nonetheless powerful and thought-provoking so I hope you enjoy taking a look.

I did manage to read one of the novels from the Booker 2022 longlist, though. And, having seen that there are a few slim volumes in this year's nominations, I might be reading a couple more in time for our Browsers Book Group Booker Challenge meeting on 5th September.

All the titles have now been allocated a 'champion' who will present their thoughts on their particular book to the group, but if you're interested in taking part or would like to come along to listen in to the discussion in a few weeks' time, just let me know and I'll send you more details.

Thank you for reading.