After my extended week 'away' in Finland, I've come home to a hive of activity on the Coffee and Vodka front.I already knew before I went away that my second novel would be featured on Triskele Books site as their June book club read, but I was delighted that Kate Battrick of Girlonomics fame posted … [Read more...]
Will my Strindberg obsession produce a novel?
One of my tasks here in Helsinki has been to do some research for my new book. Or one of them…I've long had an idea to write a fictional story about the life of August Strindberg and particularly something involving Siri von Essen, August Strindberg's first and most influential wife.Siri von … [Read more...]
A-z Blogging Challenge: H is for Helsinki
My theme: Writing and the business of writingWhat has Helsinki got to do with writing, I hear you scream. Well, OK, absolutely nothing, although, Helsinki is the setting for two of my books, and will be the setting for my next book too. (More about this later.)I just thought today, about third way … [Read more...]
A-Z Blogging Challenge: G if for Genre
My theme: Writing and the Business of WritingBefore I started taking my writing seriously, I was almost allergic to the word genre. For one it just seemed so pretentious somehow; it was a word used by Melvyn Bragg on the South Bank Show, not a word an ordinary person who loves books would ever … [Read more...]
A-Z Blogging Challenge: D: is for Dialogue
My theme: Writing and the business of writing[I know, I know it's 5th April today and I should be on E, but I'm running a day late…Yesterday, I couldn't get away from the office (yes, I have a day job), and in the evening I had promised to go to a members' viewing of Lichtenstein's Retrospective at … [Read more...]
A-Z Blogging Challenge: C is for Creativity versus Cash
My theme: Writing and the business of writing.Creativity and the art of making money are often deemed complete opposites: creativity is pure and beautiful, whereas cash is dirty and ugly. How could these two things possibly be connected?But even writers have to eat.In fact, one could say artists are … [Read more...]
A-Z Blogging Challenge: B is for Blogging
Should writer's blog?When I started blogging three years ago, I did it purely as an experiment and because I like writing, whether an article for a magazine, a blog or a novel.I also knew that blogging can be a very good way for a writer to build a platform, to get your name out there. It can also … [Read more...]
A-Z Blogging Challenge 2013
Having just had a long discussion on Twitter and on Jane Friedman's excellent site about whether writers should blog or not, I have done the almost opposite of what the post by L L Barkat recommends.I've only signed up to the blogging A-Z Challenge. A blog post on a theme per day on each … [Read more...]
Kindle and a few book recommendations for rainy days
I haven't posted a blog about my major passion, books, for a little while. This doesn't, however, mean that I haven't been reading. What else is there to do during these rainy days? (As information for my non-UK readers, as nature's little joke, right after many parts of this country were … [Read more...]
William Boyd and a new James Bond book
William Boyd - picture from BBC.co.ukI heard some brilliant news on the radio this morning. One of my very favourite writers, William Boyd, is going to write a new Bond book. I loved his latest novel, Waiting for Sunrise (my review is here), and although I'm very much looking forward to the new … [Read more...]
