My thoughts about books, writing, life and so many other things….Judy Leigh/ Elena Collins.
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.
I went to the Crediton Food Festival this weekend because one of my stories had been shortlisted in the Crediton Writers' competition. It was pouring with rain, I'd eaten nothing for breakfast and I had to get up at five o'clock to make it on time. But it was certainly worth it- what a great way …
Continue reading Crediton Food Fair: a festival with great taste.
Introducing Pushkin. Alexandra Pushkin or Alexandra Pushkin-Boots. Or sometimes Pyuuuuuuuuuushkin or Little Pushkin or Ditta Puuuushkin or Puskh. Or Puuuussshhhy. Or Ditta. As T. S. Eliot says in 'The Naming of Cats': 'a cat must have THREE DIFFERENT NAMES...' Eliot says that a cat's ... mind is engaged in a rapt contemplation Of the thought, …
When I was doing my previous job, the one I loved doing before I gave it all up to become a full time writer and have the very best time of my life, I was still the happy soul I am today. I used to sing while I was working. I'd smile, joke, hug people …
Continue reading Positive Mental Attitude is a winner every time
Uzodinma Iweala's novel Beasts of no Nation is a brutal story about a boy who is forced to become a soldier. I read it in an hour and it has real impact. It's written in the present continuous tense, which gives it a sense of immediacy and the voice of the character is omnipresent, youthful and naive,. His language …
Continue reading Beasts of no Nation: a novel about a boy and a gun
It's not often Beckett comes to Devon. I have seen brilliant Becketts in our big cities but the Cygnet's version of Krapp's Last Tape in Exeter, starring James Elston, is definitely worth catching. It runs until June 11th. I am a real Beckett fan and I have been fortunate to see master actors on stage performing …
The referendum vote on June 23rd is one of the most important political decisions in our lifetime and, I have to admit, at the beginning I didn't think the Leave campaign was likely to win. I spent some time in Europe last month and I had lunch with some French and Belgian people who told me they were …
Continue reading On the E.U. vote: wars, words and perceptions of truth.
I have just finished reading 'Shakespeare's Wife' by Germaine Greer. It is the most superb read. I love the way Greer becomes a voice in your head when you're reading this book: you can hear her firmness, the way she is sure of her facts and how she isn't afraid to proffer an opinion. And this …
Continue reading Laddish literature? Not in Germaine Greer’s book.
I thought I'd share a Youtube song with an animated film, which made me feel really happy when I saw it. Happy weekend time. It is Gogol Bordello's Pala Tute. Directed by Aliaksei Tserakhau, the video is a mixed media collage which blends stop-motion animation and live action, with a lot of green screen work. The story …
Today as the sun was shining in the South of merry England, a postman dropped a brown envelope through my letterbox and walked away, whistling a catchy tune. I was busy writing so I left the post for later, which made the contents of the envelope a real treat when I finally ripped the paper …
That quintessence of dust 