Best known for his novel “A Place in the County,” a book which features incest, sexual jealousy, exploitation, feudalism (mostly taking place in Hampshire!), Rob has produced 3 works of fiction. He has had an academic career and now divides his time between travelling and writing. He specifically explores the idea of the significance of historical facts in relation to particular places.
He introduces the talk by telling us that it will be interactive and that “… we are going to be doing most of the work,” and asks us to consider “inspiration:” what is it and where does it come from? He invites us to move the furniture around and discuss with each other where we get our ideas from. Several lively discussions follow. Ideas include “life experiences,” something that Rob tells us is “very valid.” He reminds us of the adage “Write about what you know.”
Rob Stuart’s novels
However, he then goes on to point out that people who have written crime novels, are not necessarily writing what they know “… unless” he says, “you’re Fred West.” (Rob proceeds to put a grisly quote from a murder novel on the screen). Several people in the room have written crime stories, but as he points out, no one in the room has actually murdered anyone (as far as we know).
Rob then goes on to talk about where his own inspiration comes from. He tells us that he was an academic English teacher at the School for Oriental and African Studies. His boss presented him with the opportunity to travel to Libya to tutor Colonel Gadhafi’s son (at this point, a member of the audiences tell him that “…we weren’t expecting that!”). He explains that although this did not actually come to fruition due to delays in visas and other administrative issues, his second book, Appearance and Illusion, is all about a female academic who travels to tutor the son of a dictator in Asia – Rob’s missed opportunity becoming the inspiration for the story.
The inspiration for his second book comes from Rob and his wife driving around Hampshire and Wiltshire with some Dutch friends. They started to play a game called “If this village name was a person, what kind of person would it be?” He presents us with some local on the board placenames (e.g., Sherborne St John) and invites us to play along. Rob demonstrates how place names have inspired him in his work, with names such as Farleigh Wallop (a military man) and Stratfield Turgis (a publican).
Rob’s talk was lively and humorous and gave us all something to think about in terms of using what is around us as inspiration for our writing.
From Water Babies to The Wimpy Kid The evolution of children’s books and the perils of adaptation: writing with ghosts at your shoulder
Veronica Cossanteli report: 8th March 2022 by Sarah Noon
Veronica is talking to us this evening about the evolution of children’s books and the joy and the pitfalls of adaptations.
Veronica began writing in her teens “… as a distraction from homesickness.” when she was in boarding school. She grew up with classics, with lots of Victorian classics on her shelf at home. She was in her forties when she “…finally got her act together,” and enrolled at writing school, joining SCWBI at the same time. SCWBI accepted one of Veronica’s manuscripts for their “Undiscovered Voices” anthology. She later met with Barry Cunningham from Chicken House as part of the Winchester Writers Conference (something she says she was very nervous about). She presented him with her latest work for feedback, the meeting was successful, and Chicken House published her book!
Veronica Cossanteli
For those of us who are yet to familiarise ourselves with The Marvellous Land of Snergs, it is a children’s book written by E.A. Wyke-Smith in 1927. The book inspired Tolkien to write The Hobbit (The Snergs were “prototype Hobbits”)and J.K. Rowling famously has a copy of it.
Veronica was approached by Chicken House, asking if she would be prepared to rewrite and adapt it. As exciting as the story is, Veronica says it was very much a book “… of its time.” When Veronica first read the book, she says, she liked Wyke-Smith’s “… quirky sense of humour,” but there were areas of the book that needed reworking in order to update it for today’s young audiences. This, however, was harder than she thought! She sent the first draft to Chicken House who Veronica says sent it back with a resounding “could do better.” She soon realised that very much more than a “tweak” was required – it needed completely deconstructing and rewriting.
Veronica explains that the original book had countless characters, but because they were not hers, it was hard to get inside their heads and understand their motivations and back stories. The two children in the book had quite a bleak backstory (although the other characters did not), but they came across as very unscathed in spite of this – demonstrating, she says, a big difference between “then and now” with children’s literature. Veronica clarifies that in the literature of the time, children were often controlled by the adults (Roald Dahl is the one credited with giving the child protagonist the independence and capability to fight their own adventures). Children were written in a way described by Veronica as very two-dimensional. She explains that they were either very angelic, or incredibly naughty – often meeting a grisly end (she gives the example of Pinocchio who is hanged at the end of the original story). Modern children like a “protagonist with attitude.”
Veronica talks about how she needed to update her characters (the original Flora would “bat her eyes at knights”). A king became an ostrich-riding queen for balance (she says has no idea where ostrich comes from!). The Jester got turned into a frog because it annoyed her so much (she thinks that it was Wyke-Smith’s favourite character)! She considered making the narrative from the point of view of the Snergs, but Chicken House wanted to have the children at the centre of the story. Chicken House were also set on keeping the title the same.
Many stories have been re-written over the years, so what were the specific challenges with this, relatively unknown story? Veronica points out that if there are a lot of different versions of a story, then a writer has more freedom to adapt it – such as Grimms Fairy Tales. She talks about how many of these have been heavily sanitised – especially for an American market. This is very different than adapting the work of one author (and his relations!).
On the subject of Wyke-Smith’s relations, Veronica says she received mostly positive feedback, although a few things she had to change (“beware of surviving relatives!” she says). Chicken House contacted the family and investigated the legal position, but as the original book was out of copyright, this was a matter of courtesy rather than legality.
When asked if she would do something like this again, she reflects that it was a good creative exercise and has developed her as a writer. She says it has enabled her to identify mistakes she makes as a writer. She often asks herself what Wyke-Smith would have been critical of. She considers it an honour to have been asked to do it but is aware of the huge responsibility that goes with it.
Veronica hopes that Mr Wyke-Smith and Tolkien would approve!
Amy is a novelist and journalist who has written over 20 children’s books, from picture books to middle grade chapter books. She also works closely with publishing companies. She began writing in 2009, with picture books. She went on to writing junior fiction and her most recent books are middle grade. “I am working my way up!” she says. In addition to this, she writes scripts and articles for magazines. She also has 6 children – 5 of whom she home schools! Despite all of this, she still has time to do author visits! She is fortunate she says, that through her work, she is able to read many manuscripts – hundreds of stories every year.
Amy Sparkes
Amy considers that there are four things that are “… even more important than plot.” These are concept, character, voice and energy.
Concept
Many stories that Amy reads, have ideas that have occurred many times before. She gives the example of the Tooth Fairy. Whilst there is no reason why this can’t be incorporated within a story, she feels that writers need to “step outside of the safe idea.” She gives the analogy of a rainbow, and how a writer will often “go with the violet” – their first idea, when what writers should be doing is focusing on farthest (“red”). Writers should be challenging themselves to move away from their first idea. She suggests changing something within the original concept (for example, the setting or time period). Amy is asked whether she thinks there are certain age groups where certain topics are predictable and whether new writers should we steer away from those. She suggests we consider what can be done to make the topic different. For example, if the story is about a lost dog, could it be on another planet?
2) Character
Amy explains that she is always looking for characters who stand out because they’re not generic – not safe or predictable. She gives the example of the “feisty female” or STEM female. She asks writers to consider these things:
Why are we going to remember this character?
Why have the characters we read when we were young stayed with us?
What was different or quirky about them?
She goes on to say that we should try to give characters something different or interesting. This is vital, she says, because when someone has read one hundred stories that day, writers need to consider what is going to make their character different? Is it the best version of itself it can be? She reminds us that we have to be honest with ourselves as writers and make sure we’ve pushed our ideas and characters as far as we can. Amy gives the example of a child protagonist frequently being twelve. She suggests giving the character three adjectives and ensuring that at least one of those adjectives is clear in each page.
Amy also talks about distinct character voices. Eric in The House of Magic for example only speaks two words of one syllable at a time (there is no way that his voice can be confused with any other character!).
3) Voice
Voice is something that Amy is very passionate about (“It’s what makes you, you as a writer”). She says the voice is what “… makes me sit up in my chair.” Amy explains that having confidence in your voice is what “… makes your writing sparkle.” If you’re writing something that you care about, then the voice will come through. She talks about “head” stories and “heart” stories. The “heart” ones are the ones that you feel passionate about and have to share. These tend to be the ones when the writer’s voice is often stronger. Here, the writer will be more invested in the story and energised with regards to developing editing their work.
Sibling relationships is something that Amy is very interested in. As a result, this is often a theme in her books. The voice comes through clearly because she cares about the theme. This is what she asks writers to consider when they are developing their ideas. Amy is a firm believer in “dream time” – time away from paper and pen or computer. Writers need that processing time and time to consider the point of our writing. What do we want to say? Why do we want to say it? Amy believes that if we do this, these stories will “… be the ones that will sparkle and shine the most.”
4) Energy
When sending work to an agent, Amy admits that receiving the feedback “it’s a little bit quiet” is the things she dreads the most. It means the work doesn’t have that energy behind it. She says that one way of acquiring that energy is to go back to thinking about the voice and that connection again. She explains that energy can be a “quiet” energy – it doesn’t have to be a “loud” energy. She asks us to consider, what is the tone of the story? What are the key phrases? She gives the example of a bedtime story, which will be gentle, but needs to carry the reader along. We need to think about the words that are used and their rhythm etc. If it is a funny story, consider, is there a laugh on every page? Are the laughs getting bigger and louder every time? “You have to get readers feeling the sense of story and sense of progression.” She talks about keeping the pace going in order to build up to the end point or climax.
With older readers, she says, we are thinking about injecting each chapter with energy and to think about what makes our reader want to read on. She urges us to look at how we start and finish each chapter and to consider a hook, or the middle of a scene. She suggests “playing” with the reader, remining us that “kids love language.” Humour can encourage a child to read on.
Amy is asked how important it is to cram energy and voice into the synopses of a story. Her reply is that “You have to feel like the life has been sucked out of the story!” The first two or three chapters will enable the reader to feel the energy. The cover letter will allow you to be much more you.
She is also asked to clarify the difference between energy and pace. She answers that energy is about identifying what moments need more energy in relation to feelings and emotion – what do I want the reader to feel? “Pace,” she says “…is what keeps the reader coming along with you.”
Amy concludes her talk explaining that when she is writing, “… draft one is with my heart, draft two is with my head.” She says, the heart is the fun bit, and the head is more analytical – looking at energy and voice etc. She adds that this is where the reader has to be really honest with themselves. She ends with some very clear advice for us all: “Always start with the heart!”
James Chew: Talk: A Brief Introduction to Writing Interactive Fiction
James works for Fairbetter Games, a small company which was based in London pre-pandemic. The company specialises in games set in a “shared universe” of an alternative gothic London Victorian underworld. Their first game was Fallen London – a game based on texts and static image, where the player navigates around the landscape. The company has since branched out with several other games based on text-based stories, where the player makes choices in order to make their way around the world in which the game is set. Fairbetter Games also creates visual novels which James describes as “… quite text heavy and quite dialogue based.”
James Chew
So, what does James do? Well, surprisingly, very little coding is involved, despite what we may assume – although there is a requirement to know some coding and programming that the company uses, enabling the writer to keep track of all the narrative elements in the game, such as quests and dialogue. Descriptions of props etc are often written by hand, and require “… evocative, punchy prose to make those items seem attractive.”
One of the main roles in games writing, is the narrative designer. This involves the writing of large cinematic scenes (James gives the example of Call of Duty) as well as considering what order a player may find clues in mystery games, and what the effects of this order might be. One of the most important things when writing for gaming is to remember that the writer is writing for the player and to consider “What is the writer experiencing at any given moment?”
James goes on to explain some terms which are specific to games writing (verbs, gameplay, variables etc) as well as what a game actually is – genres include RPG, simulation, strategy, indie, platformer and shooter games. There is a massive arc of commercialism within the game industry, from what are known as the AAA games (Call of Duty, Assassin’s Creed etc – large commercial games) to the other end of the spectrum, which feature indie games such as the ones that James works on. However, they all have things in common, such as entertainment as their primary goal. But the games are also aiming to get an emotional response from the player in order to keep them immersed and engaged. James explains that “…all games are designed with the player in mind from the outset.” It’s all about offering an experience outside of normal life.
There are different types of protagonists in games: a defined protagonist, invisible protagonist, co-authored protagonist, player-defined protagonist. The type of protagonist has a direct effect on the game in terms of how they react and the roles the player is assigned.
The art of writing a good game, James explains, relies on the consideration of what the writer wants to make, who the player is and what that player can do. A game will be tested many times in order to ensure that a one-hour gaming session, for example, provides the player with many options in order to remain engaged.
One example of a narrative-rich genre is role-play. This genre gives the player an opportunity to create a character. Some games allow more choice than others. There is an element of choice and consequence in these types of games. This should lead to the gamer replaying the game numerous times, as they discover things led by the choices they make. Another example of narrative-rich gaming is immersive fiction – having its origins in Dungeons and Dragons, and books where the reader skips to different pages according to the reader’s preferred options. These types of games mean that James’ job gives him a lot of narrative freedom and his work involves a lot of “pure writing” as opposed to programming.
Like many other writers, James says that he feels it is important to be able to draw upon one’s own experiences, and for those interested in game writing, he believes that it is important to have experience outside of gaming in order to achieve that (James’ background is Medieval studies – and a knowledge of history has certainly helped with world-building).
James ends his talk with a couple of points to remember:
Your player is your audience
Consequences are friends
James’ talk provided a fascinating insight into the world of game writing and its connections and similarities with more traditional forms of writing and I for one, will certainly be looking at games with a deeper appreciation of the storytellers behind them.
Report by Sarah Noon
Denise Baden – Special Guest
Denise is Professor of Sustainable Practice at the University of Southampton. By her own admission she “… uses the university as a platform to be a bit of an activist on climate change.” She is a researcher, a writer of musical theatre, screenplays and a novel as well as academic writings.
Denise Baden
She begins by talking about how people understandably shy away from the topics of climate change and other green issues, due to their depressing and bleak message. In literature, she feels as if these subjects are often “dystopian and doom-laden.” She also adds that characters in films and literature that represent green causes are often “…really annoying.” With this in mind, in 2018 Denise set up a series of writing competitions “Green Stories,” the aim of which is to promote green solutions. Since then, it has snowballed. People have offered their services to judge and get involved in other ways. There have now been 13 competitions, including plays, flash fiction and short stories. These have included a variety of topics challenging the idea of consumption and fast fashion etc. She talks about the idea of including positive role models in stories; the teenage girl who goes to a fashion-swap rather than clothes-shopping, characters who eat in green restaurants etc.
Denise discusses how many young people have high anxiety about climate change but often feel powerless to do anything. However, she says, we all need to take responsibility. Characters need to reflect that – as opposed to characters in things such as Sex and the City and Emily in Paris, where eco-issues are simply not part of their world. Her novel, Habitat Man, which Denise describes as her “lockdown project” was written with the aim of offering solutions and exploring what we can all do on a day-to-day basis, rather than a large-scale adventure to a rainforest or Antarctica. She says, “If you can’t find the book you want you have to write it yourself.”
Her starting point was to write four short stories with a green theme. Two had a catastrophic ending and two were solution focused. These stories were circulated to a couple of hundred people for feedback. She found that the solution-focused stories were more inspiring for the readers, encouraging them to be more positive and proactive. The dystopian-type stories tended to be met with feelings of disempowerment and hopelessness. She explains that whilst people who like a dystopian story may enjoy the more bleak and hopeless narratives, these are unlikely to appeal to the masses – and Denise’s aim was to reach as many people as possible.
Denise’s role as a lecturer of Business Ethics as well as her other academic positions means that she is well equipped to write about green issues in a variety of forms. Writing for a cause is a very specific skill, about which Denise has frequently delivered presentations. She explains that readers do not want to be preached at or told what to do. It requires, she says, “a certain level of skill.” And of course, it is imperative that the writer knows what they are talking about. She gives the example of a character in her book using organic cotton, but researching and discovering that organic cotton uses twice as much water as cotton (several swimming-pools-worth of water in fact, for a pair of jeans and a t-shirt). “Double check your facts!” she says.
Habitat Man, as a novel, was conceived when Denise was contacted by a green garden agency, Southampton Transition Network, offering their services advising people on how to make their gardens more environmentally friendly. A gardener came to visit Denise and during their discussion, admitted that whilst he felt driven to fight climate change, he felt limited as to what he could do as he was just one man. Initially, Denise felt there was a great tv series in this – one man visiting people’s gardens in order to tackle climate change, but she thought she would write a book first, believing that she was unlikely to get a tv deal!
What was initially going to be a book of short stories developed with the introduction of a dead body which needed burying using green methods. Denise says, “Before I knew it, I had a proper story arc.” She describes her book as giving her “… an opportunity to smuggle in lots of green ideas.”
At this point, Denise plays us an extract from the book…
Denise ends her fascinating talk with some final advice for effectively writing for a cause:
Show, not tell (make sure the story is not too preachy)
Use humour
Less is more
A court case is a good way of showing both sides (and is also very dramatic!)
Denise’s final comment is to remind us that the reader wants fiction and a good story above all else – something that we all need reminding of from time to time!
Louisa Scarr (also known as Louisa De Lange and Sam Holland) has written a series of detective books featuring DS Robin Butler and DC Freya West. She has been a writer for six years and explains that she has now developed a way of writing which works for her. Before she shared this with us, however, she told us a little about herself:
Louisa gained a degree in Psychology from University of Southampton in 2000. She says she did this because she “wanted to know what made people tick but needed to do a ‘proper job. ’” A ‘proper job’ for Louisa meant one that required “a suit, heels and a badge.” So, she joined Siemens as a recruitment officer (“hiring and firing”) – a job enabling her to wear all those things. She always enjoyed writing and even worked in a library for a while, but ended up working in the headquarters of B&Q “hiring and firing again.” However, she was later given a role within B&Q which involved writing for them. She quit in 2016 and became a freelance writer, finishing the book she was working on.
After lots of hard work, Louisa was eventually picked up by Orion. Her first novel, The Dream Wife, is speculative fiction – crime with a science fiction twist. It was a two-book deal, which lead to Ask Me No Questions. At this point, she says, her agent pointed out that what she was actually writing was a police procedural, about a police officer – DS Kate Monroe. She then went on to write Nowhere to be Found which she describes as “the easiest and quickest book I’ve ever written.” Following this, she left Orion and joined Canelo.
Louisa describes herself as “a fast writer”. She says she can write an 80,000 a book in about three months. She wanted a publisher that was able to work with her at this fast pace. With Canelo, she explains, she has a deal where she has a book out every six months.
Louisa Scarr
With the aid of several photographs, Louisa goes onto explain her (now finely tuned) process. She starts with a whiteboard in her office. Here, she writes down initial thoughts, chapters, plots etc. The second stage is done with index cards (the various POVs) and post-it notes (the clues and evidence) laid out across a wall (she originally did this on the floor but “it didn’t work because of the dog!”). Consequently, this has now evolved into rows of post-it notes across her wall. She talks about the importance of chapter beginnings and ends to hook the reader and maintain interest. Spreadsheets are used to record details of recurring characters – their features, facts about their lives etc, in order that continuity is maintained.
When writing a police procedural, research and knowledge of the inner workings of the organisations and departments involved have to be portrayed accurately, and as Louisa explains she “has never been in the police force.” Her experience, she says, “is based on Broadchurch and The Bill.” However, she has built up a team of experts around her to whom she can go for for advice, clarifications and guidance. She gives us some examples: A police officer she met on the school run and his wife (a 999 Control Officer) have been invaluable. Her stepbrother is a consultant anaesthetist who has given her lots of advice when she is describing injuries.
Her sister-in-law is a pharmacist who is able to advise when her stories involve drugs and medication. Her friend is a CSI – specifically a blood spatter expert. Other friends include a meteorologist, and her stepsister-in-law is a paramedic. Louisa’s writing leans towards her experts and she goes on to tell us just how much she values them.
In addition to her group of experts, Louisa’s personal library consists of serial killer books, forensic books, Blackstone’s police manuals and legal books. She also uses Google Scholar to access relevant journals.
Louisa’s commitment to authenticity has seen her wear a crime scene suit (she was given one so she could feel what it is like to wear one) and has even been on a ride-along!
Louisa’s books also maintain their accuracy by the fact that she sets her stories in places that she knows. She shows us some pictures of scenes and settings she has used. Many are in Southampton, including the Common, Winnall, B&Q headquarters and Portswood. She has also used Reading. She has a friend that lives in a village in Devon and used this as home for one of her characters. She is therefore able to visit the locations, photograph them and describe them accurately.
With regards to her characters, she tells us that she sees them in her head “cinematically” and bases her characters on famous actors and then watches their work via film and TV.
There are a variety of highs and lows when working as a writer. Louisa lists the highs – the first proof, seeing your publication in a bookshop for the first time, positive reviews. She says that there are not many lows. One of them, though, is dealing with bad reviews (we are introduced to a scathing review by “Marion”). She says, “you have to be ready for that.” She cites structural edits as another low, describing the tackling of these as “the hardest few weeks”.
The final thing Louisa shares with us, is regarding the creation of her upcoming book The Echo Man. One of the first things she wrote, it was rejected in her early days due to its strong language and violence but will now be sold in about 10 countries. She has written the book under the gender-neutral pseudonym Sam Holland in order to appeal to a larger demographic.
Louisa ends her talk with a game … about serial killers! She shows several images of serial killers, and we have to write down who they were. Interestingly, nobody knows all of them, but one or two have achieved enough notoriety that most of the audience can identifiy them.
An intriguing look into Louisa’s methods and processes – we eagerly await her next book!
Jan Carr – Special Guest
Jan Carr is a children’s writer from Southampton. Writing older middle-grade stories, she is best known for her novel The Wonder Girls. Set in London in 1936, the Wonder Girls are a group of girls hiding from the paramilitary Blackshirts. Her latest book, The Wonder Girls Resist is set in Southampton in 1937 against the backdrop of immigration stemming from the Spanish Civil War. Like its predecessor The Wonder Girls Resist has a political stance, exploring a time when the country was on the brink of war.
Jan Carr
Jan tells us that at school she struggled to read but “loved a good story”. As a mum, she felt she couldn’t tell a good bedtime story to her children and was envious of those parents who seemed to be able to make up stories on the the spot. She therefore believed that she didn’t have a good imagination. However, over time she has discovered that the key which enables her to create stories, is simply to “sit at a keyboard and write”.
She confides that her first drafts are a mess, “a bit like throwing clay at chicken wire,” but she says that at least this gives her something to work with. Jan is an independent author, giving her a higher degree of freedom within her writing. Whilst her difficulty in getting a publisher initially made her feel “like a failure”, she explains that she is now happy to be an independent writer, with the control that provides her with.
Jan goes on to talk about her book, Spare, which is also an audiobook. Many people auditioned to narrate her book. When she found the person who “had the right voice” for her book, she sold a quilt in order to raise the funds (£450 for narrator to read a 7- hour book). She says she really enjoyed the collaboration within the project – giving her confidence because someone else was committed to reading her book.
She has had previous success with competitions, winning and being shortlisted for prizes. The first book she wrote created some interest with publishers. However, Jan was told that the book was good – just not not right for the particular publisher. This though, gave Jan the confidence to publish independently. She used a credit card in order to get the books published and printed. She then made herself available to Southampton primary schools, visiting the children, doing workshops with them and selling signed copies of her books.
By the time Covid hit, The Wonder Girls Resist was ready to promote, but as lockdowns loomed, Jan was limited as to how she could do this. However, she launched a Kickstarter campaign in order to get 1000 copies of her new book printed as well as more copies of her first book. Kickstart funding, she says, is an emotionally draining time and a little risky. Nevertheless, in just over a month she had the funding she needed. Now that life is adapting to Covid, Jan is able to school visits again – via her Kickstart sponsorship pages. She gets pupils writing and participating in drama activities. She also includes some craft activities (she explains that she was a teacher in a former life!).
Jan is currently writing the third Wonder Girls book – set in 1938, but she is being secretive about its storyline! We are looking forward to reading The Wonder Girls Resist very soon!
What a great way to end the year! Our meeting on 16th December 2021 was all about celebrating Jane Austen, on what would have been her birthday (she was born on 16th December 1775).
The first part of the evening (after a very successful book fair) was a talk given by Dr Cheryl Butler, entitled “Jane Austen and Southampton Spa.” A little-known fact about Southampton is that it was a Spa Town between 1750 and 1940. During this time Austen visited Southampton, in fact living there on three separate occasions.
Dr Butler has a keen interest in discovering how Southampton inspired Austen and finding evidence of this within her novels. Her first port of call was Northanger Abbey. Originally titled “Susan”, Austen wrote this gothic novel after a stay at Southampton Spa. Dr Butler tells us that whilst the manuscript was at the publishers, Austen asked for it back, wanting to further work on it following her time in Southampton Spa (in the novel, Southampton’s Dolphin Hotel and other landmarks are mentioned).
Dr Butler discusses how the description of the gothic Northanger Abbey itself is heavily influenced by nearby Netley Abbey. There were many cultural references to Netley Abbey at this time including paintings from Constable and Turner as well as poems and music inspired by the ruins. In 1806, when the Gothic movement was at its height, Austen moved back to Southampton, living opposite Southampton Castle – another Gothic building. Dr Butler explains that it is around this time that “Susan” is rewritten by Austen and renamed Northanger Abbey.
Dr Butler’s talk gave us a fascinating insight into Jane Austen’s links to Hampshire and Southampton in particular, and her research culminates in her book “Jane Austen & Southampton Spa.”
The second part of the evening was an intimate and captivating performance given by actress Rowan Suart entitled “Austen Sisters” in which Rowan performed letters written between Jane Austen and her younger sister, Cassandra. The recital also featured extracts from Austen’s early writings (“Juvenilia”) as well as poems and excerpts from her novels (in particular, Persuasion).
Suart began by explaining that Austen had six brothers in addition to her sister, and that she had a particularly close bond with Cassandra. As a result, Suart explains, Austen knew about sisterhood, and this is frequently reflected in her novels where she constantly explores this relationship – perhaps none more so than the Bennett sisters in Pride and Prejudice.
Rowan’s commanding performance enabled the audience to make an emotional connection to Austen, further understanding the person behind the novels – someone about whom we know relatively little with regards to her personal life.
Jenny begins her talk with a poem she has written to introduce herself. Her tone is warm and witty.
Born in Trinidad, Jenny tells us that she was the middle child of eleven children (her mother was Catholic, she explains, and there were no contraceptives!). Despite the large family, and the chaos and noise that one would assume goes with that, Jenny tells us that she was a very lonely child. And so, she says, she took to “… writing and scribbling.” She would read the “stacks” of books that her father gave her and then she would begin “writing and scribbling everywhere.”
Jenny Overy
Jenny’s grandfather lived on a farm and she tells how the family would go there and run around and climb trees, but she would just “… sit in a corner, and I would just be writing.” Jenny describes how this behaviour had her known within the family as “the oddball” – her grandmother even suggesting to her mother that perhaps Jenny needed to have therapy as she wasn’t joining in with the other children. But Jenny enjoyed and continued writing. She started with short stories and poems and then “graduated to writing ‘making-up and breaking-up’ letters for her friends!” Whilst Jenny’s teachers did not like this very much, they suggested that as she enjoyed writing, she should write an end-of-term play. For this, Jenny wrote a play about a family of squirrels who had a party for lots of other animals, giving the students the “… opportunity to dress-up and be creative.”
Jenny’s first job was at a supermarket. At this point in her talk, she reads a poem about a particularly bad day entitled A Most Unwelcome Intruder. Jenny’s poem describes how she was “… scribbling and scribbling,” not realising that there was a whole queue of people waiting to be served. Her manager told her that “The services were compromised by her inability to focus adequately.” Jenny goes on to say, “What does that mean to a sixteen-year-old? Nothing!” The poem humorously captures the fallout at home following someone’s bad day.
Around this time, Jenny joined a writer’s club and won second prize for poetry writing (Jenny expresses surprise at this!). On the back of that, she decided to attempt a memoir. Speaking with her eldest sister, Joy, when Jenny was some way into this, she was firmly told that she could not publish it. Her sister was not happy about their family stories being made public (“Family is family.”)! She suggested to Jenny that she re-wrote it as fiction. Jenny says she has “… always been obedient to her eldest sister,” and so agreed to do this. She reveals that it took her over three months to complete the re-write, but on completion, called her sister again to ask her opinion. Joy, she tells us, was concerned that she could still recognise herself in the story (largely because Jenny has merely substituted first names for middle names!), and, shortly afterwards, Jenny’s younger sister contacted her, also unhappy about the memoir (this time quoting the bible at her and accusing her of blasphemy). Her brother also warned her “… to be very careful”. This, Jenny informs us, “… put me off a bit.” Therefore, she put the memoir to one side and “… stuck with poetry.” In terms of reading poetry, she describes herself as “…a Keats lady… and Byron.”
Jenny was asked where she gets her inspiration from and she tells us that she may just go for a walk “… and when I get back, I just sit down, and a poem just comes to me.” She explains that she writes it down straight away but will edit it later. She tells us that she never sits down with the intention of writing a poem. A poem could come to her at any point. Through her daily observations, she may simply think “There’s a poem in that!” claiming “… anything and everything” can inspire her. She enjoys the spontaneity of it (she keeps a notebook by her bed in case inspiration comes to her in the middle of the night!).
An example of inspiration? Lockdown. Jenny watched a lot of television. This motivated her to write a poem about celebrities and their whiter-than-white teeth – which she reads to us. Jenny’s poems are comic and observational. Although she says she never sets out to be funny. She reads another poem based on the monotony of everyday life (“Up, shower, dress, go to work, come back, cook, shopping etc”). The final poem Jenny reads to us is about trying to laugh in the midst of climate change, covid, fuel shortages etc, ending with a positive:
“So, that laughing, we know won’t crack the face. In this world, love and laughter have such a sound place. You might laugh in the crowd and lots of people embrace, but when you can laugh at yourself, you’ve matured with grace.”
Yasmin has been a literary agent for 16 years and is now head of her own agency.
Yasmin’s talk starts with a brief history of creativity. The word came into use in the 1920’s and 1930’s. She goes on to explain that creativity’s sibling is inspiration – literally meaning “to breathe”. This “breath of life,” continues Yasmin, is the creative force. However, creativity is a comparatively modern concept. It was the emergence of psychology in the twentieth century which heralded the arrival of creativity as we conceptualise it today. “ Creativity,” says Yasmin, “is the ability to transcend our usual manner of thinking and let new and original ideas come to the surface,” clarifying that this is not limited to writing or the creative arts.
Creativity is subjective – it covers all works of art. Yasmin uses an example of standing in an art gallery with other members of the family, considering how the art would be interpreted differently by each person. In a similar way we connect with writing in a very personal manner and from our own “subjective reality”. She believes that creative ideas came from a place she refers to as “the space between.”
Yasmin is a strong advocate of reading and writing groups, where she claims, “subjectivity comes to life.” Yet she is fascinated by the influence that someone else’s viewpoint may have on our own writing.
Yasmin states that there are two types of creativity:
Intense, focused creativity (for example, when one is writing short stories)
Meditative creativity (when one is writing full-length fiction)
Inspiration, says Yasmin, is a combination of inspiration and discipline. Being in a relaxed state of mind is the key to unlocking the door. She asserts “be clear about your purpose. Why are you writing this book?” This is the first question she asks writers. Is it all about a publishing deal? Is it about getting one’s work work published? Is the main objective to become a best seller and earn a living from writing? Creativity and our beliefs about ourselves and our writing go hand in hand. “Belief in oneself and one’s writing is crucial,” she says. It is the engagement of the conscious and the subconscious mind. “Your belief in both is vital for creativity.” Yasmin eloquently explains “Creativity comes to the fore when it is ready – like a long-awaited guest. It has no timetable.”
Yasmin understands that the pressure to produce 5000 words per day can halt creativity. You have to let the words flow and let the characters’ voices come through. Creativity is trifold: inspiration, discipline and self-belief. If one has a deadline then plan in order to work towards it so that things aren’t left to the last minute, as this may hinder the creativity. If this occurs, step away for a bit and come back to the task. “Relax into a deadline.”
Creativity is about letting go, walking away from the page and doing something unrelated, allowing the creativity to come forth. Yasmin links this to the poet Rumi: “What you seek is seeking you.” “By stilling the mind,” she says, “we seek out that which is already seeking us.” She continues, explaining that creativity has its own identity, framework and is unpredictable. We should trust this process with “unflinching self-belief”. It will come with practice and by honing one’s writing skills. “You are not editing; you are being creative.”
Yasmin Kane: Literary Agent
Yasmin was originally a lawyer. She later moved to publishing and did work experience at a literary agency. She then set up her own agency using her law and business experience. When talking about the relationship between writer and agent, she explains that it is a partnership based on trust. It is crucial to find the right agent for you.
Yasmin fielded many questions from the audience – she was asked where she stood on the debate regarding the self-publishing vs publishing market. She says that this is all down to the individual person “horses for courses” and that refers back to her earlier point – what’s your intention? With this in mind, one can then decide about the best publishing route to embark upon.
She was also asked about what she looks for in a manuscript. Her reply: “a magic spark of creativity.” She explains that she wants to feel and know that the writer has moved out of the way. There’s an authentic voice – something, she says, that publishers a frequently talking about.
Following on from discussing manuscripts, Yasmin went on to explain what she looks for in a good synopsis (she asks for one side of A4). She explained how a writer should be able to hold the story in the palm of one’s hand. She gave the example of Star Wars and how you would strip that down “It’s basically good versus evil.” Look at story arc, she says, and pick out the plot elements that sum up your story beautifully. This will then be in chronological order with brief description of characters.
Yasmin also advised about cover letters. “Be honest.” She explained how they are the first opportunity for the agent to get to know the writer. It should include something about the writer’s background and experience, as well as the dreaded elevator pitch – a summary of the manuscript in two to three lines. A letter with a good elevator pitch from a writer who has done their homework with regards to the agency will have an increased chance of attracting attention. Check the websites to ascertain exactly what is required – and she also added that there is a difference between the fiction and non-fiction submissions process.
Report of Richard T Kelly’s talk given to the Hampshire Writers’ Society on 12th October written by Sarah Noon
Richard T Kelly is a writer and lecturer at the University of Winchester. He has also been an editor. Friends would ask him, he says, how he could spend all day editing and then go home and write his own stuff. “It seems very simple to me. I’m just making things out of words and sentences. If you’re a carpenter, you might make a table in the morning and a cabinet in the evening. What’s the difference?” Richard’s talk demonstrates how writing doesn’t need to be defined by the boundaries of its genre. He expands on his view that fiction and nonfiction is “… playing vaguely in the same sandpit but something else comes out of it.” Adding, “It depends what container you pour it into.”
When Richard began writing, he had a desire to write true stories. However, he “… wanted to tell them with some finesse,” rather than many history books which are simply “… one damn thing after another,” to coin a famous phrase. He wanted to create something which was both factual and had some creative spark. Richard goes on to say that, eventually, he wanted more. “I wanted to express myself non-fictionally.” However, he says he soon realised he did not have any imagination! He explains: “I have to believe that something is true or could have happened before I can fictionalise it.” What Richard realised, however, was that he could use his nonfiction writing skills to create fiction.
So where does the title of Richard’s talk come from? And how is it relevant to the relationship between fiction and nonfiction? The lie that tells the truth is a phrase credited to Picasso – and is often misquoted (Richard reminds us that many great writers such as Mark Twain and George Orwell are always being credited for things they didn’t say!):
“Art is a lie that makes us realize truth, at least the truth that is given us to understand. The artist must know the manner whereby to convince others of the truthfulness of his lies. If he only shows in his work that he has searched, and re-searched, for the way to put over lies, he would never accomplish anything.”
Richard suggests that Picasso is referring to something known as “poetic truth,” something Richard claims he is “… not qualified to expound upon.” He tells us that the fabrication or elaboration of an event can sometimes feel stronger than the real thing (“It didn’t quite happen that way, but it should have.”). He says that there is an artistry required to do this. Picasso is warning against too much research and too many facts – again “… one damn thing after another.” And he claims “that doesn’t make for art. “
Richard then goes on to quote Jean Cocteau:
“I am a lie who always tells the truth.” (Poem, The Red Package)
He suggests that these two quotes together have morphed into the one that is often used, explaining that he “… pitches his tent between Cocteau and Picasso.”
Richard tells us that nonfiction is commonly referred to as creative nonfiction in universities and publishing houses, which suggests that there is creativity involved within the genre. He then introduces us to some “legends” of creative non-fiction:
Gordon Burns: (Somebody’s Husband Somebody’s Son / Happy like Murderers) grew up in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in the 1950s &1960s. Burns wanted to move away from what was a bleak area at that time travelling to America to begin working for Rolling Stone magazine. The writing style popular in America at this time was known as “New Journalism,” an example of this being “Armies of the Night” by Norman Mailer. Mailer wanted to write about the Vietnam War, so he travelled to Vietnam, with a view of getting himself arrested. He succeeded with this and proceeded to write about his experience. Despite being a personal piece of writing, interestingly, Mailer refers to himself in the third person. Richard describes this as a “remarkable” artistic device to use when writing nonfiction and prompts us to consider rewriting a personal diary or journal in the third person to explore the impact of this.
Although uncommon in Britain at the time, Gordon Burns wanted to write in a similar way to Mailer. It was “… taking real life and writing about it in a poetic way.” Richard says there was a thrill to having real life written about in a way that involved some art.
Hunter S Thompson: (Hells Angels) Thompson wrote this after becoming involved with the infamous motorcycle gang. He was commissioned to write a piece about the renowned Kentucky Derby race. He didn’t watch the race, he just watched the spectators and got himself “a bit tipsy” as Richard delicately describes it. Alcohol prevented Thompson from completing his piece and so he simply sent his notebooks to his publisher. The resulting work was a success. This style and method became known as “Gonzo journalism”.
Tom Wolfe: (Radical Chic) This was an article published in New York magazine. Wolfe was invited to a party hosted by Leonard Bernstein for the Black Panther political movement. It was also attended by many celebrities. The result, Richard says was, “gold dust” for Tom Wolfe and his notebook! This piece demonstrates the rules and conventions that Tom Wolfe felt was indicative of New Journalism. The aim to be absolutely truthful yet have the quality of fiction. This was done by using four devices: 1) a dramatic scene-by-scene story, leaving out any back story and exposition etc. 2) use of real dialogue. Being a listener (e.g., What words do people use that make them distinctive?) 3) inclusion of status / social class details (articles of clothing, mannerisms etc) . 4) Point of view – seeing the scene through a pair of eyes – not necessarily the writer’s – it could be a bystander. Richard describes this as “Giving yourself permission to walk a mile in another man or woman’s shoes.”
Joan Didion: Richard describes her simply as being “really cool!” She is quoted as saying:
“Writing fiction is for me a fraught business, an occasion of daily dread for at least the first half of the novel, and sometimes all the way through. The work process is totally different from writing nonfiction. You have to sit down every day and make it up.”
Richard explains Didion’s theory that in nonfiction, it’s the notes which create the work. She claims that with regards to research, the writer is “… almost honour-bound to use it,” comparing it to sculpture, rather than simply “One damn thing after another.” It is, says Richard, “An elegant rendition of the truth.”
Norman Mailer: (The Executioner’s Song): Richard defines Mailer as “one of the great makers of non-fictional narrative.” He talks about a reciprocal relationship between fact and fiction, and that often when one has too many facts, they can become warped and inaccurate, perhaps resulting in a “betrayal of reality”. Richard urges us to “… look for the poetic truth behind the facts.” The Executioner’s Song is a study of murderer Gary Gilmore. Mailer’s interview material was sometimes “moved around on the page”, to ensure Gilmore sounded the way Mailer felt he should (something that journalists are not allowed to do), demonstrating, Richard says, that this genre allows artistry.
These writers inspired Richard to “steal a few tricks” and he goes on to explain these a little later on in his talk.
The modern American biography seems to be an updated version of the New Journalist style and Jean Stein and George Plimpton are experts of this. This updated style is often referred to as Oral History or Oral Biography: Taking a subject and talking to everybody around who knew them, creating a bank of interview transcripts. The resulting transcripts are edited, interwoven, and arranged on the page to form a sort of conversation between witnesses. Richard describes this as “a talking head documentary on paper.” The result is often the disappearance of the author from the narrative (Richard suggests American Journey: The Times of Robert Kennedy by Stein and Plimpton as a great example of this).
One great benefit about this “Oral Narrative” is that the writer is freed from the shackles of journalism. With this method, Richard explains, “… you can’t change the meaning of the story, but you can make it more engaging.” It’s a creative way for the author to use interview material – the interviews are much more about the words being spoken. They are also about the observational opportunity of being with someone close-up for a period of time. You can have disagreements and arguments on the page and allow the reader to form their own viewpoint. When the interviews have been collated, Richard says that contextual information will also become apparent, such as the time period and culture of the person giving the interview. In this style of writing, the author becomes very much part of the background; however, creativity is still important.
Richard has written several books and as stated earlier, has tried to “steal tricks” for his own works. “It’s great to take true things and then give them some creative polish.”
– Clarke was a “gritty realist” British film director. Richard’s publisher only wanted a straight Q&A format when Richard expressed a desire to research Alan Clarke. Richard interviewed some of Clarke’s proteges, but he felt the book “… wasn’t going where I wanted it to go.” He contacted Clarke’s friend Stephen Mears to interview, and he advised Richard to “… talk to some women” – and gave him a woman’s telephone number. After speaking with her, which in turn led to several more interviews with other women, “… a different story opened up,” revealing that Clarke was a “Hell raiser.” In the end, Alan Clarke: A Biography became an oral history (“the book deserves to have this kind of treatment”).
The Name of this book is Dogme 95 – Film makers in Denmark had gathered to protest against what they thought was the commercialisation of cinema – they felt the art form was no longer truthful. Richard travelled to Denmark to report on what was happening. He says that there was an attempt by the movement, to make film “… more real again.” Richard decided to carry out this project in the style of the aforementioned Hunter S Thompson, and “… hang out with them and write notes.” He then passed the manuscript onto his publishers without editing. The result was in Richard’s words a “… pretty rough and ready book”, not really fitting neatly into one style or genre, which is why, he says, he has a soft spot for it.
The Crusaders – Richard read two articles in his local paper, from the North-East of England. One was about a man who was to “plant” a new church in a housing estate. The article grabbed Richard’s interest and he cut the article out and kept it. In the same paper a few weeks later another headline captured his interest: “The death of a philanthropist” – a report about a nightclub doorman who was shot dead (the man had been at school with Richard’s cousin). Again, he cut out and kept the story. These were two stories that told something about where he came from, inspiring The Crusaders – Richard’s first novel. Richard claims that he never expected to write about Newcastle, but he says it was part of him; “… the pits and the ships” (all the men in his family were coalminers). Richard travelled back up to his native Northeast to research. When researching the book with his family, he says he realised that “… stories belong to other people.” The subjects of the original newspaper articles became characters woven into his novel. The young Labour MP in the story is based on Tony Blair – Richard exemplifies “mixing the real and the unreal.”
The Possessions of Doctor Forrest – A modern gothic horror inspired by Richard’s experience of walking around Hollywood and observing the amount of cosmetic surgery women had undergone, and how there seemed to be a general desire amongst women to all look the same (at this particular time, the template seemed to be Nicole Kidman!). Men too, he says, had gone through surgery and had “eyes like Siamese cats.” He recalls thinking at this point that “vanity is evil!” He interviewed real surgeons as well as people who had gone under the knife. He also observed a surgeon (one of the most surprising facts he discovered was the need for surgeons to wear extremely comfortable shoes, due to the sheer amount of time they are on their feet!). Richard recalls an interview with a young plastic surgeon who told him of a time he was driving to the theatre on a night out with his girlfriend, and he took a call from someone he was mentoring. The mentee was currently in the middle of a procedure and needed some advice. His girlfriend was shocked by the different, almost aggressive persona the surgeon took on whilst speaking on the phone, and she said, “… I did not like that person”. He expressed that he sometimes feels a bit like “Jekyll & Hyde.” – a pivotal moment in Richard’s plan for his book.
The Knives – a novel about a fictional home secretary. Richard furtively visited the Home Office in the name of research – even coming face-to-face with Theresa May – the then Home Secretary! Richard explains that descriptions of the Home Office in his novel are very similar to the real one but has a different address. This, he says, gave him licence to say, “… this story is not real.” He quotes PD James who did a similar thing in her books – putting in an obvious lie to make it clear the work is not meant to be true. PD James would include a note at the start of her books explaining that the settings were based on real locations but were not intended to be accurate.
Richard is superstitious about talking about his next book, which is not yet published. We look forward to hearing more about the new book in the future.
+A fascinating talk which truly demonstrated the symbiotic nature of fiction and nonfiction.
Report of the talk on 12th October at Hampshire Writers’ Society written by Sarah Noon
Dr Charles Lansley talks about his recent publication of a lost book originally began by his father, Peter Stark Lansley, in the 1960s, when he was in his 40s. Pon My Puff was written about Peter’s childhood home on the Isle of Wight. Dr Charles and his wife Claire are currently doing a tour in which Dr Charles explains how the book came about, and Claire reads some extracts.
The book describes Peter’s life as a child in 1920’s Isle of Wight. The period covered is from around 1924, when Peter was about four years old, up to 1929 when his grandfather died. There is also a short period written in the 1940s when Peter goes back to revisit his childhood home. The title, Pon My Puff, is an old Isle of Wight expression meaning “Goodness Me!” (Although Dr Charles tells us that he has since been informed by his cousin, that it is also used in Scotland). Apparently, Peter’s grandfather frequently used it. Other old phrases which frequently appear in the book include “Oh my Godfathers” and “That beats cockfighting!” – phrases his grandmother was frequently heard to say.
Dr Charles’s talk begins with him showing a photograph of his father in the 1950s, sitting at his desk (possibly the one where some of the notes were written). He recalls how as a child his father talked about writing his book and would read extracts to the family.
When Dr Charles’s mother died in 2013, his dad’s notebooks were found in an old trunk in the garage. Dr Charles recalls that the notebooks “weren’t in any great order and some bits were missing”. He felt it was his job to put all the work together. Originally, he was planning on typing up the notes for family members. However, he then realised that there was a potential broader interest and value to his dad’s work – and it having a “much wider appeal” – especially regarding its historical context. Dr Charles worked on the manuscripts, made notes and annotated the books, and in April this year, sixty years after it was first written, the resulting book was published. It is a testament to the accuracy of the notebooks – written in a time before the internet and social media – that Dr Charles was able to corroborate everything his father wrote about, through records and visits to the island.
Peter grew up on the lsle of Wight. Until the age of four, he lived in East Cowes with his grandparents, in the shop owned by his grandfather. His formative years were spent in a house called Woodside Villa in Wootton (Dr Charles showed us a picture of the house which still stands proud today). Here, he was largely brought up by his mother and grandparents as his father was away at sea most of the time (we later learn that the sea had a huge influence on the Lansley family). The book largely explores the relationship between him and his grandparents – especially his grandfather (known as “Gramp”). Peter lived there until he was eighteen when he came to Southampton to study Radiography. Dr Charles talks about radio being his father’s main interest (he later became a radio operator in the Merchant Navy, and he was also an amateur radio enthusiast). As a result, Peter’s writing talent was largely undiscovered.
“I was always interested in his family history” says Dr Charles, but he didn’t know much about his family tree. It was, he explains “… a bit thin.” He found reading the notes and researching the book very interesting – discovering that the people he had been reading about were real. He found cousins he never knew existed. Sadly, he says, there seem to be no childhood photos of his father, and he is not sure what happened to them.
When asked whether he contacted any of the people mentioned in the book and whether he felt the need to ask permission to use their names, Dr Charles replies that by the time he had begun working on the notebooks, the people his father had written about had all passed away. He checked records as well as speaking to locals and people that remember the family. With no surviving characters, Dr Charles felt it was safe to progress with publication, but it does beg the question: Could the book have been published at the time? Dr Charles adds that there is nothing negative written about any of the characters.
One of the most surprising notebooks Dr Charles found, was a selection of letters written by poet Laureate John Masefield, to a Mrs Gwyneth B Edwards at Southampton Writers’ Circle in 1958. These letters were copies that were handwritten by Peter. The letters were also included in Masefield’s biography. Dr Charles says he is currently undertaking further research into the connection with both Masefield and the Southampton Writers’ Circle. He visited Southampton Writer’s Circle recently and says he was “fascinated” by their scrapbooks and references to Mrs Edwards.
Dr Charles says that a recurring theme throughout these letters was one of “Seeking the Magical.” He claims, “One must always seek the magical adjective.” This is something Dr Charles feels his father took on board when he began to write his book.
We see an image of Mount Joy, a cemetery in Carisbrooke, which Charles describes as “like heaven”. Peter’s maternal grandparents are buried there. At this point, Claire, Charles’ wife, reads us the first of several extracts from the book:
Extract #1: A Little Piece of Heaven.
Gramp tells Peter what it will be like when he dies and goes to Mount Joy.
Extract #2 – What it’s like to be someone else.
Peter and his cousin Barry discuss what it would be like if they were born again as animals (and indeed, animals being born again as people!).
Extract #3: The Magic of a Family Christmas
Peter is waiting for his family to arrive at Christmas.
Extract #4: The Magical Innocence of Childhood: The Earwig
Peter and his four-year-old friend Victoria, talking as they are helping Gramps sort out his apples for storage.
Dr Charles goes on to talk about the “significant influence” the sea has had on his family, showing us pictures of Peter’s father Percy, his Uncle Will (who was sadly lost as sea in 1917), and Peter himself, who was in the Merchant Navy (his ship was sunk by torpedo in 1940, but he and his crew miraculously survived). We are shown a picture of an etching made by George Brannon in 1832 of Ashey Down sea mark which was built in 1735 as a landmark for ships. Gramp took Peter there as a boy. Brannon, Dr Charles points out that interestingly, lived in the same street as Peter did in Wootton).
(Extract #5) Peter & Gramps’s walks to the seamark
Grandfather and Grandson talking about men going to sea to fight for their country and the possibility of not returning.
Perhaps somewhat surprisingly for a memoir set on a tiny island, Pon My Puff has attracted overseas appeal – even from as far away as Japan. There are many people who have connections to the island, whose family left for shipbuilding or to join the navy. Many left to go to Portsmouth to find work. As a result, people with connections to the Isle of Wight can now be found all over the world – just take a look at the Isle of Wight Facebook group!
