I was contacted the other day by a high school student who was doing a research project on playwrights. She asked if I would answer a few questions. Well after resisting the urge to ask her why she had asked me as I wasn’t a ‘real’ playwright like Caryl Churchill and David Hare (and because I was impressed at how polite she had been) I answered her questions. The answers actually surprised me. ‘So that’s why I do what I do,’ I thought. Here they are: Continue reading “If only I were a ‘real’ playwright …”
World Book Day reading
Very excited to be reading to Key Stage 1 children at Milecastle Primary School tomorrow for World Book Day. The head teacher saw the exhibition of Young David Book illustrations at the Holy Nativity Church in Chapel House, Newcastle, and asked me to come to the school. Looking forward to inspiring some young hearts and minds.
Cold Comfort
Busyness and art exhibitions
Has anyone missed me? Sorry I’ve been away for a while. Nothing personal, you understand, I’ve just been so busy. Busy finishing the first draft of the screenplay for a feature film called The Choice, finishing a spell of social media promotions for another publishing company, busy not finishing my historical novel The Judas Curse (but making good progress with it), busy editing and publishing a fabulous crime novel by Tony Glover called Cars Just Want to be Rust, busy teaching a new crop of students at Northumbria and Newcastle Universities, busy helping to lead an Alpha Course at Heaton Baptist Church, busy ferrying my daughter back and forth to her gymnastics lessons, busy vising my mum who hasn’t been too well, busy starting to sort out my study but not finishing it (and now I’m working surrounded by boxes), and, most excitingly, busy preparing for the launch of the Young David Books Art Exhibition this Friday! Oh, and by the way, you and your friends are cordially invited – if you live in (or are visiting) the North East of England.
The exhibition will be of Amy Barnes’ original watercolours for the three books in the Young David Picturebook series so far: David and the Hairy Beast, David and the Kingmaker and David and the Giant as well as the work in progress on our next book, David and the Lonely Prince. Amy and I will be there to sign copies and talk about the books and there will be free cheese ‘n wine. Yes that’s right – free!
So if you have plans, cancel them, or risk missing the art exhibition of the year! (Well if I’m not going to talk it up, who will?)
Where? The Holy Biscuit, Newcastle upon Tyne
When? Friday 9 November
Time? 7 – 8.30pm
Cost? FREE!!!!!!!!!!!
The exhibition will run 12 – 25 November, 11 – 4pm daily.
No Oil in the Lamp – how the energy crisis may affect us in the next 30 years
This is an eye-opening book. Like many people of my generation (born this side of 1970 – just!) I do my best to recycle, turn out lights, buy Fairtrade and take public transport (whenever I have the time to do so, or when it’s not too cold, or when I don’t have big shopping bags to carry …). I’m even planning on making sure the next house I move to has a south-facing roof so I can install solar panels. But my efforts have been ad hoc at best. Until I read No Oil in the Lamp I had no understanding of the complexities behind the energy crisis and how it will impact every facet of life in the near future. I’ve heard scientists and politicians arguing about it but have never felt informed enough to really grasp what they were talking about. Andy Mellen and Neil Hollow have changed that. They sketch out in simple, unpatronising terms, the various arguments for and against each energy source. The concept of the long-term sustainability of each commodity consumed or energy source generated in terms of the ratio between energy-in and energy-out gave me a completely new perspective on my consumption. Scrupulously sourced and with more follow-up references than tunnels in a rabbit warren, this book could keep you busy for a very long time. But when you’re finished, don’t forget to pass it on: it’s essential reading! Oh, and they have an excellent website too www.theoillamp.co.uk
I have also interviewed the editor of this book about the impact that the energy crisis and the decline of renewable energy sources might have on the publishing industry. You can read all about it over at The Crafty Writer.
Different Tracks review
Last week I posted a link to my film Enemy Lines (see below). I mentioned that the film was based on a short story I wrote. That story, also called Enemy Lines, features in my short story anthology Different Tracks. As a result of posting the film, there have been a flurry of people downloading the anthology. One of them has been kind enough to leave a 5-star review. Thank you.
If you would like to read the anthology for yourself, here’s a taster:
Sometimes it’s only when we change tracks that we see the route we should have taken. An anthology of three short stories.
The Yacht Trip
Can a ghostly meeting on a remote Northumberland coast prevent a tragedy?
Enemy Lines
A soldier and a war protester change sides. Will love conquer all?
Another Man’s Shoes
It is said we all have a doppelganger. But what happens if yours is already dead?
You can get your own copy of Different Tracks here.
You can view the film here.
