The Man Booker Prize long list has today been announced, and, I know what you’re thinking but, no… I’m not on it. Maybe it’s because I am, in fact, short. Or maybe it’s because I’m more Rita Walters than Hillary Mantel 😉
However, with The New Mrs D shockingly overlooked – despite its obvious brilliance – in the spirit of getting into the starting blocks for 2015, I’m now working on book two.
‘So she thought she would write great works of fiction; stroking clean pages with her literary eloquence. She’ll bleed over her words lest she might carry her reader to deepest, darkest Peru (it’s not that dark) (okay, it’s night-time in the story, shhh!), filling their noses with the sweet aroma of long journeys; of heat; of airplane turbulence; of the blood of innocents; of a brisk, early morning swim through clear, cool Mediterranean waters.
She’ll seek to lead them to sadness, anger or elation with long, graphite-busting paragraphs of original, erudite prose. She’ll pass on feelings, experiences, haunting images and tastes to book-hungry minds.
And she will win prizes. Studious types will debate over the symbolism in her writings; academics will quote passages in her name. She is scholarly; she is art in its purest form. She can be called, ‘writer’.’ She might even get a Wiki page…
She takes her pencil out and stares at another blank page. What great, opening line can her readers look forward to in book two? And in a flash it pours forth – the legend:
‘Sometimes, I’m so lonely and so frustrated that I buy sexy vegetables.’ Cathy Spires, widow, aged 68.
And so begins book two. Working title: ‘I Can’t Believe You Bloody Left Me’.’
Here’s to (WO)Man Booker 2015…
Deepest darkest Peru! Paddington Bear. I have always wanted to use that phrase somewhere! Here’s to 2015! 🙂
Haha! Paddington rocks. I just need to drop ‘marmalade sandwiches’ in to the next post 😀
It’s a great title!
Thank you! I bet I have to change it though 🙂
Whatever you do with that working title, I’ve now dealt with my review of ‘The New Mrs. D’. No, I’m not going to tell you what I said … you’ll have to read it on one of the four places I’ve posted it.
Suffice to say I’m looking forward to your next one.
I published ‘Amsterdam Calling’ yesterday, so I’m taking a few days off to catch up with other projects before I get into my own next big one.
I don’t know why, but I’ve just had to hit ‘follow’ again on here. Till later, keep up the good work. 🙂
Tom, I read your review yesterday and was so thrilled with it I posted it on my Facebook page. That was so kind and generous of you, I’m so grateful. It is great to get a few men reviewing the book too, I’ve been very pleasantly surprised at the male reader responses. Happy publication day for yesterday! I will away and check out Amsterdam Calling immediately!