Light Lifts My Spirits

I am one of the multitudes residing in the northern hemisphere who suffer from winter light deprivation. Not the full blown S.A.D. variety but, nevertheless, quite debilitating. I find the omniscient grey wallpaper dulls the senses and depresses the creative spirit.

So, in that mood, I made myself sign up for a three day writing workshop as part of the  'Winter Words' programme at Pitlochry. It turned out to be the kick-start I needed, not so much because of the tutor's input (she was fine) but more because of the way the group gelled: it ranged from a couple of lively twenty-somethings to a wonderful seventy-plus lady who exuded genteel modesty but turned out to be a wickedly funny rebel. We were honest and constructive with each other. sparking ideas until the River Room, overlooking the fast-flowing Tummel, threatened to ignite! The end result is the novel, consigned to the bottom drawer for the last two years, is now back on my desktop. And the Spring bulbs are aglow.

The weekend after the workshop, I was back at Pitlochry to hear Sally Magnusson talk about her latest book, ' Where Memories Go -  why Dementia Changes Everything', a moving memoir of the way she and her family dealt with her beloved mother's dementia. I had read the book and been very moved: what I wasn't prepared for was the intensity of the empathy which came from the capacity audience. It seemed almost everyone in that theatre had a story to tell about caring for a loved one with dementia. And Sally Magnusson handled their questions with such care and passion - a passion which has already seen her chair an important debate on the subject in an attempt to focus the minds of those who have the power and, we hope, the will to drive this topic to the top of the political agenda. 

This is not just another book about the suffering of one individual and her family but an extremely well-written and often joyous account of a daughter's search to preserve the 'self' of her mother in memories.

During the long, dark winter days, I try to keep the writing going by entering competitions. Periodically, I make a note of some of the most noteworthy ones . Usually it's short stories I enter but last month I submitted a memoir for a change. Initially, it felt quite strange writing in this genre but, once I'd found the right voice, it flowed quite easily. It was good to cut to the heart of things and put the magnifying glass on the detail. I found you can't be sloppy with the language of emotion in a memoir: to be credible, you have to distil and then some more until you feel the essence of the experience.

Back to books but this time two books for older teenagers: 'Ferryman' by Claire McFall and 'Slated' by Teri Terry. The first tells the story of Dylan who is killed in a train crash en route to meet up with her estranged father. But she emerges from the crash into a strange Scottish landscape where she meets a boy, Tristan, the Ferryman of the title, whose job it is to escort the souls of the dead across to their final resting place. 

Crossing this wasteland, they encounter menacing demons and wraiths who try to prevent them from reaching the safe houses along the route. They also encounter a developing relationship which, ultimately, presents both of them with difficult choices. As the blurb asks, 'Life, death or love - which will Dylan choose?' 

A sort of modern day retelling of the ferryman story of Greek mythology, this is an unsettling book which poses many questions about life after death, about the power of love and, ultimately, about the complex relationship between body and soul. Big and testing questions for teenage readers as well as for adults.

 
The second is set in the not too distant but scary future in which anyone under the age of 16 is made to undergo a surgery if they are believed to be 'terrorists', or if they are believed to be threats to the society. Their minds and memories are completely wiped and drawn blank. This procedure is called being 'Slated'. Their emotions are controlled by a device called a Levo which registers when the individual is experiencing strong, negative emotions. The state's idea is to control these individuals by keeping them in a permanently level, emotional state

The central character, Kyla is one such 'Slater', confused about all the terrifying flashbacks that keep returning to her - like the man who keeps returning to her dream, smashing her fingers with bricks. And yet, the only answer she is given is that she's "different". She is befriended and protected by Ben - kind, funny and interested in Kyla for who she is. 

The gripping plot involves Kyla trying to find out who she is, who she once was, and who she needs to be.

My only real disappointment was with the ending. The book is the first in what is going to be a series and the ending suffers from that. Too many loose ends are speedily gathered up in an unsatisfactory conclusion, victim of the drive to leave the reader with enough of a 'hook' to warrant a sequel. But, nevertheless, a compelling read.

This morning the light wakened me at 6.30. I could have been irritated by this but, instead, basking in the knowledge that the Spring Equinox is almost here, I threw off the duvet and welcomed the day!
 

 

A book festival in Blairgowrie? You must be mad!

A few months ago, being of unsound mind at the time, I threw out a question, intending it to be rhetorical, 'Why don't we have a book festival in the town?' Unfortunately, there are others out there of equally unsound mind who came back with the repeated answer, 'Why not?'. So here I am, taking precious time out from writing, to talk to book festival organisers around the country, downloading fiendishly complicated funding application forms and generally rushing round in a fever of passionate enthusiasm, nightly cooled by a cold poultice of doubt.

 I regularly attend book festivals, small and large (prefer the small) around the country so I know something about being a festival attendee. On the other hand, I knew precious little about the nature of the beast from an organiser's perspective until I started to make enquiries. Since then, it's been a steep learning curve but less painful than anticipated, thanks to the generous input from the organisers of other festivals such as Ullapool and Borders. Paula Ogilvie from the latter organisation, courtesy of Scottish Book Trust funding, has produced a comprehensive survey of book festivals throughout Scotland (currently numbering a staggering 34!) and this provides a wide range of vital information  from audience profiling to ticket pricing.

Already I have had offers of help from a wide range of people in the area. Now they just need pinning down. I'm hoping my unsound mind phase lasts sufficiently long to see this project through. All it takes is vision, energy, enthusiasm, meticulous organisation, professionalism . . . and a very brassy neck! Let's translate this vision into reality.

What a find! And I don't know how I've missed it. Just back from having spent a few glorious days in Stoer in the NW Scottish Highlands. Scenery to feed the spirit and people to gladden your heart. En route, we stopped in Ullapool and, quite by chance, discovered The Ceilidh Place (www.theceilidhplace.com), a hotel, bunkhouse, restaurant, arts centre AND wonderful book shop. The latter is run by a woman called Avril who clearly knows her books from her biscuits. The best display of Scottish literature I've seen in any independent as well as a refreshing range of children's books in English and Gaelic. I've no doubt May's successful Ullapool Book Festival helps to keep the stock fresh and up to date. But what a pleasure to chat to staff who really know their books. I could have spent a fortune (and nearly did!). I'll definitely be back and, hopefully, take in the festival as well.

Great Reads and Inspiration.

Recently I've been reading two very different and yet, strangely, similarly inspired books: Sebastian Barry's 'The Secret Scripture' and Dave Boling's début novel, 'Guernica'. The former, set in a mental institution in contemporary Ireland looks back to key events, both personal and political, through the eyes of a very elderly resident, Rose, who feels compelled to record her fading memories. Her testimony deals with shifting memory, loss and redemption. In common with his other novels, 'The Secret Scripture' draws some of its inspiration from Barry's real-life ancestry.

'Guernica' also records troubled and violent times - 1930's Spain and the ruthless bombing of Guernica by the Luftwaffe at Franco's invitation. The story starts with a Basque family and records their lives, loves and culture. Tragically, these individuals become caught up in the terrible events graphically depicted by Picasso in his famous mural. In an introductory letter, Boling explains the source of his inspiration for the novel:

 'Fresh out of college, I met a lovely Basque girl whose grandparents had come to America to herd sheep in the mountains of Idaho. Her family filled me with Basque foods . . . . . . and displayed a fierce loyalty to their families and heritage. From them I learned of the decades-long oppression of their culture by the Franco régime. And from them I also heard of the bombing of Guernica.'

I was thinking about both of these books while looking for an idea for a short story. And, you've guessed, I think I've found it in a particular family narrative about my maternal grandfather who, sadly, died before I was born but about whom my mother told many stories with warmth and laughter. These are truly inspirational.