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The wonderful Quay Arts in Newport, Isle of Wight is now taking bookings for a one-day creative writing workshop with Isabel Ashdown on Saturday 9th October 2010.
For full details visit: Quay Arts
I’m delighted to be returning to Waterstone’s Chichester during their Local Author Week in August. Jonathon, Manager of Waterstone’s Chichester will be hosting a week of local author events to celebrate the growing numbers of writers in our area.
It’s been one of my favourite places for book signings so far, and I’m looking forward to another busy Saturday chatting to the great people of Chichester.
On Monday, together with my agent Adrian, I boarded the WightLink St Clare to cross the Solent no less than eight times, as I signed copies of Glasshopper and chatted to passengers between Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight.
We met lots of new readers, many of whom will now be introducing Glasshopper to their book clubs and reading groups across the country. It was a delight to meet so many interesting people, and the captain and crew of the St Clare were wonderful hosts, keeping our strength up with drinks and sandwiches throughout the day.
Leon Jackson at Spirit FM interviewed me just before the book signing, and the interview will be available on listen again sometime towards the end of the week.
WightLink were delighted with the day, and I’m pleased to say that they’ve invited me back for a repeat session later in the year.
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To buy Glasshopper, click here.
To view Glasshopper Book Club & Reading Group Discussion Questions, click here.
Myriad Editions are offering a special discount for reading groups and book clubs buying six or more copies of Glasshopper.
Fiction Editor, Vicky Blunden says: “It’s great to hear that book groups are enjoying our novels, and to celebrate this and encourage more groups to discover our authors we’re offering a special deal: buy six or more copies of any Myriad novel for just £5 per copy including postage.“
Contact Vicky Blunden for details.
To view Glasshopper Book Club & Reading Group Discussion Questions, click here.
Yes, you read it right – on Monday 26th July I’ll be aboard the St Clare ferry, going back and forth between Portsmouth and Lymington for the day, signing books and chatting with passengers about my debut novel Glasshopper. With the Isle of Wight and Portsmouth being key locations in the novel, I hope to send lots of holidaymakers off with a copy of Glasshopper for their holiday reading! Crossing details are as follows:
10:00 Fishbourne-Portsmouth
11:00 Portsmouth-Fishbourne
12:00 Fishbourne-Portsmouth
13:00 Portsmouth-Fishbourne
14:00 Fishbourne-Portsmouth
15:00 Portsmouth-Fishbourne
And listen out on Spirit FM on the day, when News Editor Leon Jackson will chat to me about Glasshopper, study and life as a writer.
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To buy Glasshopper, click here.
To view Glasshopper Book Club & Reading Group Discussion Questions, click here.
The Clifton Monpelier Powis Festival is a community based event, showcasing music, literature and film against the vibrant backdrop of Brighton and Hove. I’ll be appearing on Sunday 11th July to talk about and read from my novel, Glasshopper, alongside fellow Myriad author, Robert Dickinson, who will be discussing his debut novel, The Noise of Strangers, a sinister dystopian novel set in a very different Brighton.
Hope to see you there!
Click on the image to see more detail.
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To buy Glasshopper, click here.
To view Glasshopper Book Club & Reading Group Discussion Questions, click here.
Hooray – it’s Bank Holiday weekend, the sun is shining and the aroma of barbeques and Pimms is in the air.
The smell of open-air cooking is something I always associate with good times – happy memories equally from childhood and adulthood – of relaxing and kicking off our shoes and eating al fresco. Smell is one of the most powerful of our senses in evoking memories, both good and bad, and for todays exercise I want to look at both. So straight to it:
- Try to think of a smell which makes you feel afraid/uncomfortable/helpless. For my daughter, it’s the smell of new plastic – ten years on, it still reminds her of the anaesthetic mask used in an operation she had when she was just two.
- Concentrate hard on describing the smell – not the fear – just the pure smell itself. Write continuously for five minutes.
- Now try to put into words the way that smell makes you feel – what do you see in your mind’s eye? Who does it bring to mind? What place is this smell associated with and so on – again, write continuously for five minutes. Remember, no-one else need ever see this if you don’t want them to.
- Think of a character, who is not you. Put them in a setting where they might experience something frightening or troublesome – and use your description of the scent to help build the atmosphere of the piece. For example, ‘Jenny knew something was wrong. As the unseen footsteps grew closer, so did the overwhelming fragrance of pear drops . . .’ Continue writing and see where the description goes.
- Now repeat the exercise, but this time with a good smell.
“Nothing revives the past so completely as a smell that was once associated with it.” Russian writer, Vladimir Nabokov
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To buy Glasshopper, click here.
To view Glasshopper Book Club & Reading Group Discussion Questions, click here.
The German translation of Glasshopper is now available for pre-order on Amazon. Am Ende eines Sommers is published by Eichborn, with an official release date of August 2010.
Click here to see more.
On 11th July, I’ll be appearing at the CMP Festival in Brighton, reading from and talking about my debut novel, Glasshopper. Everyone welcome!
Click on the image to see more detail.
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To buy Glasshopper, click here.
To view Glasshopper Book Club & Reading Group Discussion Questions, click here.
