I’ve known Jane Wenham-Jones for years. A real life-enhancer, usually sporting rainbow-coloured hair, Jane writes novels, short stories and columns, interviews authors at literary events and often pops up on TV and radio too. It’s been a while since she wrote a novel though so I was eagerly anticipating her new book, Mum in the Middle. I’m pleased to report that it’s a cracker of a book, mainly because Jane ...keep reading
I’ve read India Knight’s Mutton and Gill Hornby’s The Hive and expected their event at the Chipping Norton Literary Festival to be all about their novels. How wrong could I be? Chaired by writer Jane Wenham-Jones, the hour-long session was far more entertaining than that. To sum it up, it was all about bees, Botox and bras. The straight-talking conversation began with bees because they helped to inspire Gill Hornby’s ...keep reading
Carole Blake is the doyenne of literary agents. She has worked in publishing for 50 years, started her own literary agency in 1977 (now Blake Friedmann) and has a star-studded list of clients that includes the likes of Peter James, Barbara Erskine and Sheila O’Flanagan. She’s also the author of From Pitch to Publication: Everything You Need to Know to Get Your Novel Published, a must-read for writers. Carole is ...keep reading
Hail, sunshine, a myriad of the nation’s top authors and some delicious cakes – the inaugural Chipping Norton Literary Festival had all these things, and much, much more. Held in one of Oxfordshire’s prettiest towns, this was one of the best literary festivals I’ve been to. Fun, inspiring, friendly, and superbly organised by Emily Carlisle (who only had the idea for the event last August) and her team. I booked ...keep reading