What Were They Thinking?
On holiday recently I read Edmund de Waal’s book, THE HARE WITH AMBER EYES, the fascinating story of a collection of netsuke acquired by his family in the nineteenth century. I read it with rapt attention, in particular the account of how the collection survived the second world war. The Ephrussi family were among the […]
A New Friend
One of the best thing about writing crime fiction is meeting other writers. Crime writers are an unusually convivial lot and at conferences I always find myself chatting to interesting people as well as meeting old friends. At Crimefest in May I shared a table at the Gala Dinner with Danish writer, Dorte Jacobsen, and […]
Quick Update
Apologies to anyone who’s been wondering what’s happened to me. I’ve been busy with all sorts of things, including the first draft of a novel and really, I probably ought to be honest with myself and admit that I need to take time off from my blog over the summer. But before I disappear again […]
Lost in a Good Book
Recently I had a few days of feeling under the weather and couldn’t face anything too demanding to read – especially after reading Thomas Mann’s FELIX KRULL: CONFESSIONS OF A CONFIDENCE MAN for my reading group – so turned to some old favourites. For me comfort reading is of two main types: breathless thrillers and […]
Coming Across a New Writer
I well remember how I first came across the work of that fine novelist, Elizabeth Taylor, when I picked up an old Penguin copy of A VIEW OF THE HARBOUR in Austin’s furniture repository and idly leafed through it. I was caught by it and that copy -for which I seem to recall I paid […]
When a Character Comes to Life
Well, strictly speaking, the main character in my new short story, ‘What If?,’ didn’t come to life, he was alive already and having him comment on what I had written about him was one of the strangest and most fascinating events in my writing life. This is how it came about. Last year, Ra Page, […]
But I told you last year that I loved you
As well as a reading life, I do of course have a writing life and it would be a lonely place at times without Sue Hepworth. She reads and comments on everything I write, sometimes several times as my work goes through successive drafts – and I do the same for her. I won’t say […]
Linda’s Book Launch
Something to add to my last blog. The launch of Linda Stratmann’s new novel, THE POISONOUS SEED, is at Waterstone’s Islington Green on Thursday 2 June from 6.30. I can’t be there, but maybe you can? All are welcome.While I’m here I’ll mention that Anne Fadiman’s second book of essays, AT LARGE AND AT SMALL: […]