Thursday 23 April 2009

Officially Mint Book Launch

We had a special launch for my short story collection Knives last night. We expected forty and nearly eighty came. Publisher Peter Mortimer, (Iron Press) brought his boxes of books and many friends, colleagues and lots of very welcome newcomers came along. (see avril's account at www.avriljoy.com).

A writing friend, Jackie, brought her sixteen year old daughter Ashleigh and has just emailed me. 'I just wanted to let you know that Ashleigh thought you were ‘mint'. This, if you don’t know, is the ultimate accolade among today’s youth – it my day it was always ‘ace’... She’s also taken your book so it may be some time before I get a look in.'
That has just made my day.


My friend Terry, who, apart from being a seriously good photographer, is known as a country music disc jockey for BishopFM, with internet fans round the world, took some photographs. Here's me getting carried away with my own prose... I am reading from Glass, my short story about a young burgler who drops in on a vicar's wife through her glass roof.



My friend Avril and I gave the reading as a kind of double act, an 'In Conversation With WR'. As always she was great - knew the stories inside and out and threw me some very inspiring questions. She read an extract from the story 'My Name Is Christine' which refers to the savage experience of some of the women we worked with in prison. She read it with such feeling.


My cousin Carol Winskill, whom I have not seen for years, came along with her husband Jack. When I read from the story 'The Making of a Man' ( about a boy's first day working undergound at in the pit), I referred to her father, my Uncle Tom, a very clever and thoughtful man who loved the pit and knew the layers of the earth like the veins on his hands.



So thank you, all you lovely people who went home my book in your bags and pockets. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed reading it to you last night. Let me know.

Love

Wendy

PS Next Wednesday to the Hexham Book Festival to talk about Knives and Sandie Shaw and the Millionth Marvell Cooker with a talk called 'The Long And The Short of It - about the two different modes of writing. Come, if you fancy it...

3 comments:

  1. This looks like a wonderful evening, mum. Well done to you and Miss Joy! Terry's pictures are great too.

    Lots of love, Dx

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mary Bell asked me to post this for her as she had a problem posting this. If anyone else has a problem will you let me know or email me and I will post it for you.
    'What a smashing night we had at your book launch ( smashing is an old word for mint).. By us I mean the members of Easington Writers. We enjoyed the readings and couldn't wait to get home to start reading Knives. What a great day we have had with you Avril today. You have taught us so much. We feel very privileged to have you as our mentor for our new project. I can't wait to get on with my stories after listening to you. I am also looking forward to reading your blog each day. Enjoy your writing in France and I am lookong forward to your viisit to us when you return. Can You put this on your blog.
    Mary Bell

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thank you Debora.
    And than you Mary Bell. Easington is an amazing place and the people in the group are so keen. Some good writers there. I have great hope for the Easington Book which we will produce this year.
    Lovely to see you all at the launch,
    Wendy x
    PS You and the E people will feature in my tomorrow's blog.

    ReplyDelete

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