Our literary journal, exclusive to members of Suffolk Book League |
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This BookTalk: a letter from editor, Gill Lowe |
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We hope very much that you enjoy this latest BookTalk. We have followed a member’s suggestion of adding dates to each BookTalk issue. Members asked to hear about local writers’ groups and we are delighted that Katie Ward has a feature here about her regular Wolsey Writers meetings where everyone is welcomed. We continue to publish a compendium of local festivals. Let us know if you’d like us to include literary events planned for 2025. Our bookseller, Andrew from Dial Lane, has written a very personal piece about Matson Taylor, a writer he has championed over the years. Our archivist, Janet, has written about two significant anniversaries: 100 years for Suffolk County Library and 200 years for the Ipswich Institute. BookTalk #186 focuses on a cluster of related themes: hauntings, mystery and memory. Angela’s much appreciated quiz picks up on our autumn topic. Our new(ish) ‘Desert Island Books’ series features haunting works. Keith writes about an author who has haunted him across the years. Sarah Waterson introduces Suffolk Haunts, the new anthology by creative writing students at the University of Suffolk. Rose writes about a conference for postgraduates at UoS: ‘Phantasmagoria: In Conversation with Ghosts’. Jeff investigates an intriguing authorship mystery. Amber reviews Latch, Rebecca Goss’s latest collection of poetry which explores memory. We are privileged to have permissions to publish one of Rebecca’s poems, about a woman returning to her childhood home. In October we will welcome Rebecca to SBL. Looking forward to India Knight’s visit to SBL in December, Tricia has reviewed India’s recent novel, Darling, which echoes Nancy Mitford’s The Pursuit of Love in a modern retelling. We have summaries of our recent author events with C. L. Miller, Patrick Barkham and Claire Davison. Two writers have offered their choice of five books – these fascinating lists always add to our TO BE READ piles! Members say how much they appreciate these regular author selections and also the ‘What We Are Reading’ reviews. We are keen to include members’ suggestions of books too. Please do send your reviews to enquiries@suffolkbookleague.org |
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N.B. BookTalk online is packed with links to 25+ articles and will probably be shortened by your email provider. To ensure you can get the most from BookTalk, please use: View in a browser - at the top of this email. Or go to www.suffolkbookleague.org, log in and click on the drop down arrow next to your name, go to Members Only and click on the BookTalk box. |
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Recent Author Events and Authors' Book Recommendations |
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C. L Miller: 16th May 2024 Janet Bayliss writes: It was fairly recently that I became aware of the ‘cosy crime’ fiction genre, which is defined by the crimes taking place in small communities, the detective being an amateur, and sex and violence staying in the background. It has been said that C. L. (Cara) Miller writes in this vein; but as her talk demonstrated, there is far more to her writing than this. | | |
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Patrick Barkham on Roger Deakin: 19th June 2024 Patrick Barkham came to talk to us about his new biography, The Swimmer: The Wild Life of Roger Deakin. Patrick showed us what a multifaceted character Roger was: his humour, inspirational nature, and sadly, a dark, difficult side too in some of his relationships. Patrick told us how, 90,000 words into his first draft, he’d abandoned it to weave the story from Roger's own voice in the notebooks he’d kept from eight up and the recollections of those close to him. | | |
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Caroline Davison: 24 July 2024 Suffolk Book League welcomed back the author Caroline Davison to talk about her non-fiction book The Captain’s Apprentice: Ralph Vaughan Williams and the Story of a Folk Song, which was awarded the 2023 New Angle Prize. Caroline is a Norfolk-based writer with a background in conservation as well as performing as a singer with local folk bands. | | |
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Upcoming EventsYou can book your tickets for future events via the following links: |
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| | Rebecca Goss Ipswich Institute Thursday 10th October 7.30 pm | | |
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| | Polly Crosby Ipswich Institute Thursday 14th November 7.30 pm | | |
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| | India Knight Ipswich Institute Thursday 5th December
7.30 pm | | |
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| | The Garden Against Time by Olivia Laing Read by Jeff Taylor | | |
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| | Darling by India Knight Read by Tricia Gilbey | | |
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| | Latch by Rebecca Goss Read by Amber Spalding | | |
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| | Yellow Face by R. F. Kuang Read by Janet Bayliss | | |
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| | This Tale is Forbidden by Polly Crosby Read by James Phillips | | |
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| | The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell Read by Rose Gant | | |
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Over to you...Desert Island Books Haunts... |
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Our BookTalk Editor, Gill Lowe, offers her choice of eight stories which haunt her, and includes links to read them for yourself, if you dare! Whose selection might be next? Your desert island books may be those you'd read in a hammock, or in the wilderness, or in a penthouse in the city...or wherever you like. Please feel free to have fun and send yours to enquiries@suffolk bookleague.org |
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Here are Angela Bell's questions for this issue's quiz on the theme of haunting and memory. The song ‘Memory’ is taken from a musical based on the work of which twentieth century poet? Who is the forgetful protagonist in the novel Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey? Name the forgetful feline created by children’s author Judith Kerr. An old man remembers time spent restoring a medieval wall painting in which novel by J. L. Carr? What is the one word title of the 2016 best selling memoir by comedian Sue Perkins? Which East Anglian town is the setting for the winner of the 2023 New Angle prize? This non-fiction book celebrates ‘nearly forgotten communities’. Novel by Kazuo Ishiguro, adapted as a film starring Emma Thompson and Anthony Hopkins. Which ‘cosy crime’ heroine created by C. L. Miller shares her name with a Norse god? Which best selling non-fiction book by neurologist Oliver Sacks explores psychological conditions including amnesia? Which novel by Julian Barnes won the 2011 Booker prize and was adapted into a film starring Jim Broadbent?
Answers at the end of this BookTalk |
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Hauntings, myth and memory at Suffolk Book League |
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A look at the past list of speakers for over 40 years of Suffolk Book League reveals that ghost stories have not featured heavily. This may be partly because as a literary subgenre such tales are often overlooked generally; nevertheless there have been times when the SBL programme has taken on a decidedly haunted air. One such was in December 1985 when John Gordon and other authors discussed ghost stories at the Quay Theatre, Sudbury with sponsorship from Eastern Arts. Those were the days! |
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My latest poetry collection, Latch, explores memory and the act of returning to the landscape of my childhood, to understand it anew. I grew up in Suffolk, then moved north to a city at eighteen and came to live in my home county again shortly before my fortieth birthday. I soon realised I wanted to write about my return, but it took me some time to get started. There were certain childhood experiences I was curious to mine, and, for the first time, I felt a desire to write about the countryside I was now immersed in, but I did not feel skilled enough to step into ‘nature poetry’ territory. Once I understood my book would contain themes that I did feel confident about examining such as girlhood, motherhood, and familial tensions I began to consider how I could weave those subjects into poems that explored the Suffolk landscape at the same time. Photo: Natalie J Watts | | |
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Books which haunt me - whose work has stayed with you over time? |
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Even among the big beasts of Victorian novelists, Trollope has lasted magnificently. Most of his novels are currently in paperback, and adaptations of both his Barchester and his Palliser novels have repeatedly shown how well his dialogue works for television and radio. As a parson who has lived and worked in cathedral closes, I can myself vouch for the accuracy of his understanding of those intriguing places and institutions, and friends occupied in politics and the law also say how they marvel at his insights.
This is the clue to his lasting appeal. |
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If you would like to contribute to this series please contact us on enquiries@suffolkbookleague.org |
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Tales from the Bookseller |
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The Power of Evie. There have been many, many things that I’ve been proud of since starting my bookseller journey: things that I’ve done; people that I’ve met; opportunities I’ve had. But none gives me greater pleasure or make me as happy as the part I’ve played in bringing Evie to Ipswich. Evie – for those not in the know – is The Miseducation of Evie Epworth, the debut fiction title by Matson Taylor, which was published in July 2020 during lockdown. |
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Suffolk Haunts: Original Stories Inspired by the Legends and Landscapes of East Anglia |
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In September, the fourth of our very successful and well received series of anthologies will be published. Suffolk Haunts: Original Stories Inspired by the Legends and Landscapes of East Anglia follows Suffolk Reflections: Original Stories Inspired by the Waterways of East Anglia, published last year. The stories in all four anthologies are written by our students on the MA in Creative and Critical Writing course at the University of Suffolk. These soul-stirring and atmospheric tales seep out of the mists of the past, the ethereal East Anglian landscape and its ancient coastline... | | |
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Deben Holt: some literary archaeology |
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‘Deben Holt’ was used as the pseudonym for two adult novels published in the late fifties: Circle of Shadows (John Gifford: 1957) and Sinner Takes All (John Gifford: 1958) and, twenty years later, for The Secrets Man (Alpine/Everest: 1977), as part of the Roger Moore and the Crimefighters children’s series. The blurb on the dust wrapper of Sinner Takes All reveals that the pseudonym cloaked ‘…the identity of two well-known authors. “Even our friends”, they say, “aren’t onto us yet!”’
In issue 74 (2017) of ‘Crime and Detective Stories’ magazine CADS, Liz Gilbey asked the question ‘who was – or were – the two authors who got together to create Deben Holt?’
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The first in a new series, beginning with Katie Ward's WOLSEY WRITERS Meet. Write. Share. |
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Wolsey Writers is a creative writing group based at New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich, meeting on the first Saturday morning of the month. Our community includes novelists, scriptwriters, poets, storytellers, authors of children’s literature, comedy, and non-fiction. We welcome writing in any genre. We welcome writers from diverse backgrounds. We welcome all levels of experience and aspirations of every size – from haiku to blockbuster trilogy. A typical meetup size is about 20 people, although up to 35 people can (and do) attend. We occupy the beautiful upstairs bar of the New Wolsey Theatre with our notebooks, coffees and snacks – sometimes in noisy discussion, sometimes in mutual silence while we work. |
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Local Events and Festivals |
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Upcoming Literary Festivals Young Adult Book Festival Stowmarket 14th September https://suffolklibraries.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/1173650567/events/428611379 Foreword Festival are running a ‘Young Adult Book Festival’ in partnership with Stowmarket Library and Taller Books. A day of ‘meeting authors, author panels, interviews, activities and a YA book fair.’ The festival will feature panel-style talks with guest speakers Pam Smy, author of the Thornhill Series, Annaliese Avery, former manager at Beccles Library and author of The Immortal Games, and Rachel Churcher, author of the Battle Ground series. Tickets are free but need to be booked. Flipside Festival Framlingham 28th September www.flipsideuk.org/flipside-festival This year’s festival goes ‘head to head with various forms of power.’ Presenters include writers William Atkins, Gareth Evans, Amelia Gentleman, Lucy Hughes-Hallet, and Rosie Holt ably supported by actor Toby Jones and composer Errollyn Wallen (Master of the King’s Music). Bury St. Edmunds Literary Festival 11th - 13th October https://www.burylitfest.co.uk/ The 6th annual festival presents a host of writers celebrating poetry; fiction for children; fiction for adults -historical, crime/thriller, contemporary/literary; and non-fiction – nature writing, biography and children’s literature. Writers include Patrick Barkham, Jill Dawson, Catherine Emmett, Martin Figura, Matt Gaw, and Sarah Marsh. WamFest - Women in Arts & Music Felixstowe 11th - 13th October https://www.wamfestfelixstowe.art/ On Saturday, October 12th in the beautiful surroundings of Harvest House literary lovers can enjoy interactive author sessions, poetry, performance and music in the Conservatory. Events will include Liz Rastrick in conversation with Katie Ward and Sally Harris, Ruth Dugdall talking with Eva Verde and Holly Pester. There will also be a ‘Lunchtime Jam’ with Morag Clarke, Elske Howeler, Ally Aldridge, Jackie Carreira and Virginia Betts and a performance by ‘Soap Box Poet’ Amy Wragg. On Sunday October 13th local poet Mai Black will be leading a writing workshop in the ‘Two Sisters Arts Centre’ in Trimley. Read more here: https://www.suffolkbookleague.org/post/watch-out-for-wamfest-this-october Lavenham Literary Festival 1st- 3rd November https://www.lavenhamliteraryfestival.co.uk/ Although the festival is biennial the ‘Festival Dinner’ is an annual event and this year’s speaker, is Craig Brown. The dinner is taking place at the Swan Hotel in Lavenham on the Friday evening. The programme for the rest of the weekend includes Alan Johnson, Parick Barkham, Sheila Hancock, Louis de Bernières and Tracy Borman. Poetry in Aldeburgh Festival 8th - 10th November https://www.poetryinaldeburgh.org/ This year’s festival is on the theme of ‘water’ and includes readings, workshops, exhibitions, and talks by a range of poets including Caroline Bird, Imtiaz Dharker Sarah Howe, Arji Manuelpillai, and Blake Morrison, among many others. Southwold Literary Festival 8th - 10th November https://southwoldartscentre.co.uk/whats-on/southwold-literary-festival-weekend-ticket-8th-10th-nov Following the success of last year’s inaugural festival the 2024 festival ‘features an amazing mix of fiction and non-fiction authors speaking about a fascinating range of subjects.’ Speakers include Ian Collins in conversation with Richard Mabey, Annie Garthwaite, Lucy Hughes-Hallet Simon Loftus, Kate Sawyer, and D.J.Taylor in conversation with Ronald Binns. Jeff Taylor If you know of any other literary festivals happening in Suffolk in 2024 please email enquiries@suffolkbookleague.org |
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Phantasmagoria: In Conversation with Ghosts April 29th 2024 |
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On April 29 2024, SBL committee members James, Amber and Rose hosted the University of Suffolk’s English department’s first ever postgraduate conference: ‘Phantasmagoria: In Conversation with Ghosts’. This event had been many months in the planning, working with Dr Lindsey Scott and PhD student Molly-Kate Britton, but a spooktacular day was had by all. Today I am going to be sharing with you a flavour of the spectral conversations and papers that filled the day. |
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Regional Schools Mastermind Final 3rd May 2024 |
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After being elected to Chair and following our first 2024 Committee Meeting, I had the pleasure of representing SBL at The Suffolk Schools Mastermind finals. We have sponsored this very worthy competition since 1997, when Ann Parry was Chair. Then as now, it was agreed that the aims of the competition, which is seen as a vehicle for promoting reading across Suffolk, entirely matched our own commitment to encourage reading and to promote books. Some 300 pupils from years 7, 8 and 9 (that’s 11–14-year-olds to those of us unfamiliar with current school structures) competed in nine schools across Suffolk. | | |
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Primadonna 26th - 28th July 2024 |
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A beautiful July afternoon was spent on the final day of one of my favourite East Anglian Festivals, ‘Primadonna’ at the Food Museum, Stowmarket. The Museum as a festival venue is superb. Recent refurbishment of the facilities mean it is accessible and has great toilets (for a festival goer that is an unusual bonus) and all the activities and exhibitions are available for the whole family. | | |
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Janet Bayliss marks the 100th anniversary of the Ipswich Library and the 200th anniversary of our beloved Ipswich Institute. |
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| | Janet asks if you have memories of Ipswich library you'd like to share for this centenary year. Please send your recollections and reminiscences to enquiries@suffolkbookleague.org | | |
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| | Get a glimpse into the past of the fascinating Ipswich Institute where so many of our events are held. Again, if you have any special memories you'd like to share please send them to enquiries@suffolkbookleague.org | | |
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QUIZ ANSWERS: T. S. Eliot. Maud Mog (the forgetful cat) A Month in the Country Spectacles King’s Lynn The Remains of the Day Freya (Lockwood) The Man who Mistook his Wife for a Hat The Sense of an Ending
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Elsewhere, in the world of books... |
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