World Library Night (part 1)

I umm-ed and ahh-ed about volunteering for World Book Night, having read the backlash from a considerable body of writers and organisations about the value of giving away free books. And I agree with them. I think that it is grossly unfair that only ‘star’ authors are promoted – they can afford to give away their books for free – and that lesser known (and sometimes better) authors are left out. I find it odd that short stories or illustrated children’s books didn’t make the list. In spite of this, I threw my name into the hat and will now be giving out The Life of Pi (whilst another volunteer gives away Cloud Atlas) at Huddersfield Library next Saturday. And here’s why…

…when I think of free books, I think of libraries, and I practically grew up in a library. My mum had to work long hours so we were instructed, in no uncertain terms that we had to go straight to Feltham Children’s Library after school, where my mum would pick us up after working her long shifts as a supermarket cashier. She was reluctant, worried for her girls, and so asked the librarians, with her quiet voice and pleading eyes, to keep an eye on us. I was 9 years old and thought it was the most magical place in the world. I loved the soft cushions in the children’s area, the multi-coloured chairs and my favoured seat next to the Geography section – it was next to the door for the adult library. I used to sneak through the doors and look at Who’s Who and the Encyclopaedias. And it was there that my love of books and writing began, later shaping my education and career choices.

So, for me, giving away free books is linked to giving people access to a conducive reading environment and how this access can shape someone’s life. Given the current wave of proposed library closures, I wouldn’t be surprised if many other volunteers use this initiative to show policy makers the vital support that libraries provide for their communities. Even if you don’t take part in World Book Night, please become a member of your local library.

Mon dieu!

Came back a few days ago after teaching in France for a week, and am beginning to get into the groove of writing again. One of the emails alerts I received was for the annual Franco-British Council short story competition. Stories should be inspired by one of the following quotes:

Words are loaded pistols. Jean-Paul Sartre

Art must take reality by surprise. Francoise Sagan

The poet is a madman lost in adventure. Paul Verlaine 

I am an artist…I am here to live out loud. Emile Zola

The writer of originality, unless dead, is always shocking, scandalous; novelty disturbs and repels. Simone de Beauvoir

Language is a cracked kettle on which we beat out tunes for bears to dance to, while all the time we long to move the stars to pity. Gustav Flaubert

But wait! There’s a catch…you have to be aged between 16-25 – yet another reminder that ‘new’ talent has an age limit in the publishing world. But you know what? I’m buoyed by Jason Wallace’s journey to publish Out of Shadows (100 rejections and he wins the Costa Children’s Book Award 2011). So, given that my recent French experience is still seared in my skull, I’m going to ignore the limitations placed on me by some of these competitions and write something anyway. Not for the Franco-British Council though, just for you…watch this space…

Dear Diary…..

The BBC ran a series of programmes in March 2010 (repeated in Aug 2010) about diaries. A lot of it confirmed my own research about diaries, namely the cathartic nature of spilling your thoughts onto a page, unedited (supposedly), and that the writer, subconsciously, always has an audience in mind. These programmes, however, were about the diary as a literary device and what make a ‘good diary.’

On ‘memoirs,’ vulgarity and gossip is good, as is letting yourself or the ‘character’ come across, and observing important events. The narrative arc is ‘this is the story of my life’ where the writer recreates a picture for the reader. The programme interviewed publishers and agents, who commented that they ‘crystalise your version of events’ as well as offer details of history that cannot be recaptured, as in the wonderful Housewife 49. Here, anonymity brings with it a huge amount of freedom.

As a literary device, Sue Townsend (author of the popular Adrian Mole diaries), states that they have an ‘in-built structure’ that offers a technique for revealing a character (think Bridget Jones and Bram Stoker). The diary then develops a persona, it becomes your confidante, your friend (think Anne Frank).

This series is a fascinating sweep of a literary genre that is highly undervalued. The low status of the diary is mirrored in academia, in that it is mistaken for a tool that allows for pointless navel-gazing. It’s often said that you need to have something to say to write a diary, but I don’t agree. The language you use reveals something of you and your time, even in seemingly mundane depictions of events. This is invaluable to a researcher.

Up and running again…

After a year of working at breakneck speed, I feel I can finally come up for air and update this blog.

2010 was unofficially the year of the diary, and those of you who know me, know that I am a big fan of diaries. I used diaries as a primary data source for my PhD research. I have kept a diary, on and off, since childhood, and the type, and content of my diaries has varied over the years. I find them fascinating, as they offer an incredibly valuable entry point into the mindset of a person at a particular point in time and under particular circumstances.

Last year, The Wellcome Gallery held a fantastic exhibition: The Identity Project. One of the best parts of this exhibition (in my biased opinion) was Irving Finkel’s (of the British Museum) collection of diaries from everyday people. His analysis of the usefulness of diaries was particularly important, and something that the research community is particularly blind to.

The diary ‘allows us to hold and develop thought’ (think of Housewife 49) as well as acting as a ‘confessional’ or to ‘manipulate the public’ (clips from the diary room of Big Brother were shown as an example, although recent memoirs also come to mind).

It’s a shame that more academics don’t give it the credibility it deserves.