SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2004

NEWSLETTER 12

Work in Progress

The good news is that ITHAKA has had the thumbs-up from my editor, David Fickling but I do still have quite a lot of work to do on the ms to make it even better. I never mind this process and actually find it enjoyable, once I know what I’m doing and once I’m convinced that the work needs to be done. In this case, I can’t wait to get started, which I will do at the beginning of October.

Other things I’ve been doing are: working on the synopsis for the next adult novel, but it’s much too early in the day to say anything about that, except that I’ve now done it and am waiting to see what Orion think of it.

Look out in the next couple of weeks for news of LIZZIE’S WISH, which is one of the Historical House books, published by Usborne.

Also, MY FIRST BALLET STORIES is coming in October and you can see some of Emma Chichester Clark’s beautiful illustrations by visiting the New Books page. will be up on the site in due course. (Also see forthcoming events, below)

Events

It’s been quite a quiet summer, which was very pleasant, but now that September’s here, things have started moving again. The Youth Libraries Group Conference was held in New Hall Cambridge on the weekend of September 17th-19th and I went down to Cambridge on the Friday to do an event with Linda Newbery and Ann Turnbull to promote the Historical House books which are coming out soon. New Hall is a lovely college and the first thing I did when I got there was go into the Fellows’ Garden for a photo shoot with the others. A very funny and engaging young man called Neil (and I apologize for not finding out his surname!) took photos of all three of us together and then some individual ones as well and we had a great time. I was a bit put out because I had to wear my scarf in a very unbecoming way in order to cover up STAINS made when I sprayed myself with some perfume on the train down to Cambridge. I never realized that perfume did that…and having gone over half a century with no stains on anything from any spray, I am beginning to wonder whether it was just that particular fragrance…in any case, I felt a fool and not as nicely turned out as I ought to have been! Still the day was lovely. We had a very good lunch and it was fun meeting Philippa Perry (who’s one of the people doing PR on the Historical House books along with Justin Somper) and Liz Scott from Usborne. All the books were there for delegates to buy and they do look most beautiful. The Usborne stand was very bright and well-organized and it was good to have the books there in pride of place.

Our session was an interview of all three of us by Annie Everall, who’s a wonderful librarian from Derbyshire. We chatted about our inspiration and what it was like to work together and how much research we’d done and so forth and there was then time for the audience to ask questions. Usborne sponsored the tea afterwards and the delicious cakes iced in pink. Anyone who remembers my account of the Children’s Book Groups Federation Conference in Birmingham in April will note that tea and cakes seem to be a feature of the Usborne events, and very nice too! These cakes were altogether daintier and prettier than the ones in Birmingham, but I still retain a fondness for those huge, sugary squares.

I had to catch a train home to Manchester at 5.30 so I didn’t hear many of the other speakers but it was good to listen to Julia Eccleshare. I’ve known Julia for years and years. She was one of my editors at Hamish Hamilton in the old days and has been a good friend ever since. I’ve reviewed for her in the pages of the Guardian and discussed all manner of book related things with her but I’d never heard her speaking in public. She’s very good and fluent and funny and also managed to say some very interesting and important things about the state of children’s books today.

Last Thursday I went down to London to meet the marketing and publicity departments at Orion and we had a session in which the publication of Hester’s Story was discussed. I left there feeling as though every effort would be made on the book’s behalf and I really hope that everyone enjoys it. I have had proof copies now and sent them out and the first reactions (admittedly from friends of mine!) have been good. The cover is beautiful and I am keeping my fingers crossed. After the meeting I had lunch with my editor Jane Wood and my agent Jane Gregory and that was blissful..it’s the kind of occasion I dream about when I’m at the computer and it seems as though nothing is turning out right!

I have just got back from a trip to Cornwall which was most enjoyable. The first thing to say is: the trains worked brilliantly and every single change was smooth and trouble-free. Having said which, Cornwall truly is a very long way away! When I got to Newton Abbott, I felt I was properly ‘down South’ but no, there was still two hours to go! The Wonderful Words festival was what I was appearing in and my first event was at Ottakar’s in Truro. It was such a pleasure to see old friends Jenny Hamlett (a wonderful poet who lives near St Ives) and Rose Impey (a children’s writer who was down for the festival) and to meet Sara Macdonald, whose novel Sea Music I so enjoyed and which I wrote about in the last newsletter. After the event, Sara and Rose and I went out to dinner with Maureen Twose who was looking after me, and very delicious it was too. I had apple crumble for pudding simply so that I could have clotted cream with it. Delicious! Next day, Maureen came to fetch me in the morning and I had a good time at Redruth Community School, talking to Year 7 pupils and meeting Sue Wallace, the manager of the school’s excellent library. Then it was back to the trains and another seven hours of travel. This sped by as I was reading a book called Darkness Falls by Margaret Murphy, with whom I’m sharing a platform on October 17th ( see forthcoming events)

News and Forthcoming Events

The Cheltenham Festival is coming up and on Sunday October 10th, I’m doing an event with Rachel Billington at 3.15pm. I’m really looking forward to meeting her and to the event as well. Before that, I’m having lunch with Louis Sachar, the author of ‘Holes.’ This is a most marvellous book which I can heartily recommend if you haven’t already read it or seen the movie. I’ve been asked to interview him for Carousel magazine and I can’t wait. Then later that evening I’ve got to tell an audience why I don’t like JRR Tolkein…that should be fun. Next day, Monday 11th, I’m doing a creative writing workshop for three hours and then at 1.30pm Linda, Ann and I are doing a Historical House talk for an audience of schoolchildren. When I get on the train on Monday afternoon, I will be completely exhausted, I’m sure but it’s going to be tremendous fun. Watch out for a full report in the next newsletter.

On Sunday October 17th I’m part of a Writers’ Panel with Kathy Long, Margaret Murphy and Jan McNulty. I love this kind of question-and-answer session and I’m greatly looking forward to meeting the other writers.

On Friday October 29th, I’ve making an appearance at Harrods in London. I am very excited about this. They are inviting schoolchildren in and the occasion is the publication of My First Ballet Stories by Gullane Books. This book has a long and torrid history and this, for the first time, sees all the stories which I originally wrote in 1991 gathered together between one set of covers. The illustrations by Emma Chichester Clark are most beautiful. You can see some of them on the New Books page!

On November 11th, I’m visiting a school in Gateshead as part of the Northern Children’s Book Festival.

On November 25th, there’s a party in London to celebrate the publication of the Historical House books officially. Linda, Ann and I will be staying overnight in a hotel which ought to be fun, and you can rely on us to behave ourselves and not throw tv sets out of windows.

Books

Soon after this newsletter goes up, Erica James’s new book, Love and Devotion, will be appearing in hardback. I read it in proof and it’s a very touching story about a woman who has to bring up her sister’s two children after a tragic accident. It’s a wonderfully moving book but also has lots of Erica’s characteristic humour in it. Most enjoyable.

The Wife by Meg Wolitzer has a very misleading cover. It’s not a bit chick-litty but a very well-written story of a marriage. It’s funny in parts but only on the surface…the real story is quite tragic in many ways: hard-hitting and unusual. Best of all, the characters fairly spring from the page. Not to be missed.

I love discovering new thriller writers and Laura Lippman looks like a find. Her book, Every Secret Thing is unputdownable. I am now going to search out other novels by her.

The best book I’ve read for ages is Something Might Happen by Julia Myerson. I cannot imagine why it wasn’t on more shortlists. It is about a murder but it’s not in any way a thriller. It’s set in a small Suffolk town on the coast (Walberswick?) and concerns a family and what happens to them when their friend is found brutally killed in a car park. It’s bleak and frightening but also uplifting and I loved the way you felt you knew the place as well as the people. A really outstanding book which stays with you for ages after you’ve finished it.

Goodbye!

Adèle Geras