My thoughts about books, writing, life and so many other things….Judy Leigh/ Elena Collins.
In the blurb on the back cover of The Fishermen, New York Times suggests that 'Chigozie Obioma truly is the heir to Chinua Achebe.' I read Things Fall Apart years ago and loved it: it was the archetypal 'modern' African novel and the title comes from a wonderful W. B. Yeats' poem The Second Coming. …
Continue reading ‘The Fishermen’: everything about Obioma’s novel is superb.
When it came out on DVD, I bought a copy of The Brothers Grimsby because the two main actors are both highly skilled. Mark Strong is a ubiquitous performer who has excelled in so many films, from Our Friends in the North to Sherlock Holmes, from Kingsmen to Anna Karenina and RocknRolla. He has been …
Continue reading The brothers Grimsby: definitely mad for it.
I'm still on my quest to read books by authors I wouldn't usually choose, looking at genres which are new to me, discovering what I can learn as a writer from them. I recently heard a keynote speech by Meg Rosoff at a writers' conference and I decided she clearly knows and can explain fluently …
Several years ago I saw Ralph Fiennes as Prospero in The Tempest. It was directed by Trevor Nunn, at the Theatre Royal, in 2011. Ralph, as in Salph and Sound, had only been on stage for twenty seconds. He hadn't spoken a word. He simply raised a digit slowly into the air and -pow! Thunder …
There are some things which are improved by time.We don't have to sideline everything old in favour of something new. When they are left to develop, whether it is an idea, a favourite jumper or a bottle of brandy, some things just keep on improving. The same can be said of a book. Holding a …
I'm on a quest to read popular novels that aren't the type of thing I'd usually read. Novels which might make one of my most respected literary friends wrinkle her nose and push it aside if I offered to lend it to her. The sort of writing I'm not steeped in. I'm doing this because, as a writer, …
Continue reading Review: ‘The Shock of the Fall’ and ‘Thursdays in the Park’
So the world is imploding. All sorts of worms are crawling out of the opened can.The negative feelings of the disenfranchised are manifesting themselves as widespread disagreement and arguments and dissatisfaction and we're seeing Facebook memes of Pooh Bear and Piglet healing rifts between polarised friends. Everyone has a strong opinion - thank goodness for Free Speech, …
Continue reading Words to stem the storm or at least hold the tide back for a moment.
... some moments are nice, some are nicer, some are even worth writing about. - Charles Bukowski I didn't intend to blog about politics so frequently, but the changes in the political climate in Britain at the moment are monumental and too elusive not to savour on a blog post. We're in a unique time where change is happening …
The days have gone when the Labour Party were the party of the working people. I think this is the case now, given the huge numbers who voted for Boris Johnson, Michael Gove and Nigel Farage's Leave campaign and who contributed towards their majority. I've read a variety of slogans and opinions on Facebook and …
Continue reading On Stronger In, the Brexit victory and what happens next…
I was excited to be travelling to the Winchester Writers' Festival with two talented writer friends. It was the first time I'd been to this festival and I was really looking forward to the workshops, the talks and meeting the agents. Given the horror stories I'd heard beforehand of writers rushing out of their sessions …
Continue reading Winchester Writers’ Weekend: more than just words.
