Emerging Again .....

After a silent and rather complicated year, a new blog post!

I'm very pleased to have been elected to the CWA committee - I will make every effort to do my best for all. First committee meeting is on 29th of this month, so I shall look forward to meeting everyone in London.

Following this, at CrimeFest in Bristol. I have two panels, both on Friday 15th May. The first is at 10.10 am - Identity and Viewpoint: Writing 'The Other' , and is with Quentin Bates. Kate Ellis and M.R.Hall, myself, and participating moderator Alison Joseph.

Here they are:

.                                                                   Alison Joseph

The second is at 4 pm - 'War Crimes'- with  Jason Hewitt, Robert Olen Butler, Laura Wilson, Luke McCallin - and myself as participating moderator.

If you're around in Bristol on 15th May, do come and see us - two lovely panels of authors with scope for interesting discussion!

HISTORY AND STORY

The Historical Writers Association  in association with ‘Previously ....’ . 17 – 23 November 2014, present

History and Story

 To celebrate History Writing Month in Edinburgh, fellow writer Andrew Williams and myself have gathered together some of the most interesting and respected writers of historical fiction today to present a thought-provoking series of events. The events will be held in Adam House, Chambers Street. The periods covered range from 11th to 20th centuries. Together, they not only reflect how fiction can reveal the realities of history and help us understand the present, but also represent an interesting variety of approaches to writing historical fiction. 

You can buy tickets now to these events by clicking on the links below each panel descriptions

1.      Spies, Traitors and Secret Conspirators: A question of loyalty? 

 William Ryan, Edward Wilson and Andrew Williams

Monday 17th November at 18:00. Adam House, Chambers Street, Edinburgh

Historical novelists, Andrew Williams, William Ryan and Edward Wilson discuss the shadow world of spies and secret policemen, from World War 1 to Vietnam. 

Ticket link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/spies-traitors-and-secret-conspirators-a-question-of-loyalty-presented-by-the-hwa-tickets-13639033717

2.     From Hot to Cold War: Portraying Reality in Fiction

John Lawton, Laura Wilson and Aly Monroe

Tuesday 18th November at 18:00. Adam House, Chambers Street, Edinburgh

Join historical novelists John Lawton, Laura Wilson and Aly Monroe as they discuss the living sources they draw on and how the social and political changes that characterised the post-war era provide fertile ground for the fiction they create.

Ticket link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/from-hot-to-cold-war-portraying-reality-in-fiction-presented-by-hwa-tickets-13659029525

3.     Secrets and Signposts: the Past within the Present.

Tom Harper and Iain Pears

Wednesday 19th November at 18:00. Adam House, Chambers Street, Edinburgh

Tom Harper and Iain Pears write multi-layered novels, seamlessly intertwining stories across different eras of history from the ancient world to the present day. Join them as they discuss how they tackle these complex books, peeling back layers to reveal why the past is never truly dead and buried.

Ticket link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/secrets-and-signposts-the-past-within-the-present-presented-by-hwa-tickets-13659085693

4.     Female Characters – Writing Women back into History

Imogen Robertson, Samantha Norman and Sara Sheridan

Thursday 20th November at 18:00. Adam House, Chambers Street, Edinburgh

History is full of fascinating characters, male and female, who have for generations been dismissed as irrelevant by the historical establishment. Now a new approach to social history is beginning to make some of their stories available and historical writers are finding new perspectives and people with which to populate their fiction and enthral their readers. Come to hear three female writers of historical fiction discuss what inspires and informs their writing and how they bring the women of history back to their rightful place - centre stage alongside the men.

Ticket link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/female-characters-writing-women-back-into-history-presented-by-hwa-tickets-13659121801

 

5.     Terror, Faith and Reform: Stories of Renaissance Scotland

Shona Maclean, Marie Macpherson and Louise Turner

Sunday 23rd November at 14:30.

Adam House, Chambers Street, Edinburgh

From Flodden to the union of crowns, historical novelists, Shona Maclean, Marie Macpherson and Louise Turner discuss life in Scotland at a time of riot, murder and reformation, in the context of their novels. 

Details for ticket bookings will be available soon on the 'Previously ...' website, as well as here.

Ticket link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/terror-faith-and-reform-stories-of-renaissance-scotland-presented-by-the-hwa-tickets-13659324407

Looking forward to seeing you there if you're anywhere near Edinburgh!

23 November - Terror, Faith and Reform: Stories of Renaissance Scotland

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Sunday 23rd November at 14:30.

Adam House, Chambers Street, Edinburgh

Shona Maclean

Louise Turner

Marie Macpherson

A great Scottish panel to round off our HWA-'Previously ...' events. From Flodden to the union of crowns, historical novelists, Shona Maclean, Marie Macpherson and Louise Turner discuss life in Scotland at a time of riot, murder and reformation, in the context of their novels. Come to see these three fascinating novelists talking about how they bring history to life through story.

Tickets on sale now: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/terror-faith-and-reform-stories-of-renaissance-scotland-presented-by-the-hwa-tickets-13659324407

19 & 29 November - HWA-Previously Events: 3. 'Secrets and Signposts: the Past within the Present' and 'Writing women Back into History'.

1

1Secrets and Signposts: the Past within the Present. 
Wednesday 19th November at 18:00. Adam House, Chambers Street, Edinburgh

 Tom Harper                                                    and Iain Pears

Wednesday 19th November at 18:00. Adam House, Chambers Street, Edinburgh

Tom Harper and Iain Pears write multi-layered novels, seamlessly intertwining stories across different eras of history from the ancient world to the present day. Join them as they discuss how they tackle these complex books, peeling back layers to reveal why the past is never truly dead and buried. 

Tickets on sale now: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/secrets-and-signposts-the-past-within-the-present-presented-by-hwa-tickets-13659085693

 Female Characters – Writing Women back into History

Thursday 20th November at 18:00. Adam House, Chambers Street, Edinburgh

Imogen Robertson, Samantha Norman and Sara Sheridan

History is full of fascinating characters, male and female, who have for generations been dismissed as irrelevant by the historical establishment. Now a new approach to social history is beginning to make some of their stories available and historical writers are finding new perspectives and people with which to populate their fiction and enthral their readers. Come to hear three female writers of historical fiction discuss what inspires and informs their writing and how they bring the women of history back to their rightful place - centre stage alongside the men. 

Tickets on sale now: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/female-characters-writing-women-back-into-history-presented-by-hwa-tickets-13659121801

The first HWA-Previously events, Edinburgh 17 & 18 November Spies, Traitors and Secret Conspirators; from Hot to Cold War; Portraying Reality in Fiction

1.      Spies, Traitors and Secret Conspirators: A question of loyalty? 

William Ryan, Edward Wilson and Andrew Williams

Monday 17th November at 18:00. Adam House, Chambers Street, Edinburgh

Historical novelists, Andrew Williams, William Ryan and Edward Wilson discuss the shadow world of spies and secret policemen, from World War 1 to Vietnam

Tickets on sale now: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/spies-traitors-and-secret-conspirators-a-question-of-loyalty-presented-by-the-hwa-tickets-13639033717

1.      From Hot to Cold War: Portraying Reality in Fiction

John Lawton, Laura Wilson and Aly Monroe

Tuesday 18th November at 18:00. Adam House, Chambers Street, Edinburgh

Join historical novelists John Lawton, Laura Wilson and Aly Monroe as they discuss the living sources they draw on and how the social and political changes that characterised the post-war era provide fertile ground for the fiction they create.

Tickets on sale now: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/from-hot-to-cold-war-portraying-reality-in-fiction-presented-by-hwa-tickets-13659029525

HISTORY AND STORY

 

The Historical Writers Association  in association with ‘Previously ....’ . 17 – 23 November 2014, present

History and Story

 To celebrate History Writing Month in Edinburgh, fellow writer Andrew Williams and myself have gathered together some of the most interesting and respected writers of historical fiction today to present a thought-provoking series of events. The events will be held in Adam House, Chambers Street. The periods covered range from 11th to 20th centuries. Together, they not only reflect how fiction can reveal the realities of history and help us understand the present, but also represent an interesting variety of approaches to writing historical fiction. 

You can buy tickets now to these events by clicking on the links below each panel descriptions

1.      Spies, Traitors and Secret Conspirators: A question of loyalty? 

 William Ryan, Edward Wilson and Andrew Williams

Monday 17th November at 18:00. Adam House, Chambers Street, Edinburgh

Historical novelists, Andrew Williams, William Ryan and Edward Wilson discuss the shadow world of spies and secret policemen, from World War 1 to Vietnam. 

Ticket link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/spies-traitors-and-secret-conspirators-a-question-of-loyalty-presented-by-the-hwa-tickets-13639033717

2.     From Hot to Cold War: Portraying Reality in Fiction

John Lawton, Laura Wilson and Aly Monroe

Tuesday 18th November at 18:00. Adam House, Chambers Street, Edinburgh

Join historical novelists John Lawton, Laura Wilson and Aly Monroe as they discuss the living sources they draw on and how the social and political changes that characterised the post-war era provide fertile ground for the fiction they create.

Ticket link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/from-hot-to-cold-war-portraying-reality-in-fiction-presented-by-hwa-tickets-13659029525

3.     Secrets and Signposts: the Past within the Present.

Tom Harper and Iain Pears

Wednesday 19th November at 18:00. Adam House, Chambers Street, Edinburgh

Tom Harper and Iain Pears write multi-layered novels, seamlessly intertwining stories across different eras of history from the ancient world to the present day. Join them as they discuss how they tackle these complex books, peeling back layers to reveal why the past is never truly dead and buried.

Ticket link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/secrets-and-signposts-the-past-within-the-present-presented-by-hwa-tickets-13659085693

4.     Female Characters – Writing Women back into History

Imogen Robertson, Samantha Norman and Sara Sheridan

Thursday 20th November at 18:00. Adam House, Chambers Street, Edinburgh

History is full of fascinating characters, male and female, who have for generations been dismissed as irrelevant by the historical establishment. Now a new approach to social history is beginning to make some of their stories available and historical writers are finding new perspectives and people with which to populate their fiction and enthral their readers. Come to hear three female writers of historical fiction discuss what inspires and informs their writing and how they bring the women of history back to their rightful place - centre stage alongside the men.

Ticket link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/female-characters-writing-women-back-into-history-presented-by-hwa-tickets-13659121801

 

5.     Terror, Faith and Reform: Stories of Renaissance Scotland

Shona Maclean, Marie Macpherson and Louise Turner

Sunday 23rd November at 14:30.

Adam House, Chambers Street, Edinburgh

From Flodden to the union of crowns, historical novelists, Shona Maclean, Marie Macpherson and Louise Turner discuss life in Scotland at a time of riot, murder and reformation, in the context of their novels. 

Details for ticket bookings will be available soon on the 'Previously ...' website, as well as here.

Ticket link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/terror-faith-and-reform-stories-of-renaissance-scotland-presented-by-the-hwa-tickets-13659324407

Looking forward to seeing you there if you're anywhere near Edinburgh!

Literature on the Loch

Last August I was invited to Ardoch House on the banks of Loch Lomond. I have to admit I’d never been there before. Yes, of course, I knew it was beautiful but I simply wasn’t prepared for it: the setting and the views from Ardoch House are breathtaking. There’s the loch, the hills to the North, but most of all an extraordinary sense of calm, an almost edge of the world magic, a sort of visual balm. It is wonderfully freeing.

I went there, together with Maggie McKernan, to meet Carlos Alba and Peter Armitage, the owner of Ardoch House. Peter is often described as a ‘businessman turned philanthropist’. In other words, he retired early ‘to give something back’. His particular interest is ‘human capital’, especially the development of young people - most of all, young people from disadvantaged back grounds. He has put some 7.5 million pounds of his own into rescuing and developing Ardoch House, and he and his family bear all the costs themselves. To help with the running he lets Ardoch out to corporate clients and that allows him to offer courses and accommodation to children based charities in the UK and abroad.

Carlos, who is a novelist himself, also helps Peter Armitage develop and promote different projects for Ardoch House - among them, photography holidays and creative writing breaks - called Literature on the Loch.

Apart from writing fiction myself, I also worked as a teacher for many years and now sometimes teach courses to foreign academics – usually research groups - working at English Universities. The aim is to help them communicate successfully with their peers but also with other non-specialists. It’s interesting, very specific work. It’s quite different dealing with an academic who grew up in Japan, from one educated in Argentina or Jordan, for example. Languages come with all kinds of baggage, conventions, and manners – and sometimes very different ways of thinking - which require a slightly different approach for each person. Teaching such a wide variety of people how to write articles that communicate their ideas and arguments clearly and successfully is quite challenging, but also very rewarding. For Literature on the Loch, I’m looking forward to combining my writer’s hat and my teaching hat – and to helping each person develop their own individual voice and style.

Since that first meeting, plans have gradually been taking shape. The first of these creative writing breaks will be at the end of March or beginning of April (date to be confirmed shortly). There will be a writing workshop each morning, most afternoons free, and each evening there will be a guest speaker who will then join everyone for dinner and chat. I will be conducting the workshops together with Maggie. The team of guest speakers will include writers Carlos Alba, Andrew Williams and Christopher Brookmyre, as well as David Robinson, literary editor of the Scotsman.

You can read more about Literature on the Loch by visiting the website, which has just been launched. http://www.literatureontheloch.com/