St Clementin Literary Festival update see http://segorastclementincelebratetheword.blogspot.com/2012/01/literary-music.html
Does anybody knwo how I can reach Diane Johnson ( author who divides her time between France & california, wrote Le Divorce, Le Mariage amongst other books)
Thanks
Maureen
See
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkLyNCmmzM4
for a short video about the Literary Festival in Deux Sevres this coming August/September 2012.
I am delighted to announce that a three-day Literary Festival will take place in St Clémentin, Deux-Sèvres, France, from Friday, August 31st to Sunday, September 2nd, 2012.
This will be the first-ever festival of its kind in this region of France. It is open to English and French authors, publishers and booksellers. It is already attracting a great deal of interest both locally and elsewhere.
We are delighted that well known British authors Helen Dunmore, Roisin McCauley, Katherine Gallagher, Duncan Falconer, The Linen Press, and poet David Cooke have at present accepted our invitation to attend.
The festival will also be celebrating French writing, and amongst the French authors who have accepted our invitation are Michel Cordeboeuf and Isabelle Soulard.
In all, more than thirty French and British authors will be participating. There will be readings, conferences, discussions, book-signings and workshops.
We also have a great opportunity for authors and independent publishers.
A new bookshop, has recently opened in Bressuire, a small town near us. The shop is run by a young, enthusiastic Frenchman, who is fluent in English. He is going to be closely involved in the literary festival, and is interested in selling English language books to the large English community in the area. I don't know how easy it is for you to place your books in shops, but here is an opportunity to have your work on the shelves. Email me either at wordswritingbooks(at)gmail.com or leave a comment here and I will give you further details.
This is a non-profit venture. The mayor and the people of St. Clémentin are very supportive, volunteering their services – transport, marshalling, fund-raising and accommodation.
We cannot stress enough how much we need your support for our inaugural event, which we hope will be the first of many. Who knows, perhaps when we celebrate our 25th festival, you will be able to say, ‘I had a hand in starting that.’
If you are able to help at all, either by way of a donation, or a gift for the prize draw, we would be very grateful. If you happen to live in this area, the offer of accommodation for one of our attending authors, or a ride to and from the airport would be most helpful.
And if I can be of any help at all in reserving tickets for any particular author(s) you may want to meet, then please contact me wordswritingbooks(at)gmail.com or leave a comment here.
In anticipation of any help you are able to give, Thank You. Glyn.
Twenty plus books, impressive James. I am writing a magnus opus of my own but not fiction and will expect to see a couple of hundred sold worldwide at best. Anyway, not my point. The previous search for clues to titles I would like is not yet getting me enough tips for my voracious reading appetite.
The question I have today is about Philip Kerr's 'Bernie Günther' books. When he had written the first three he said that Günther was finished, but now he has published four or five more. I just reread the first three in the single cover as 'Berlin Noir' and really do get the Sam Spade-Dashiell Hammett feeling. Are the more recent books as good. I am wondering if Kerr has done what Hammett did and overstretched his character, if so I may not bother. On the form of the first three I would like to imagine they are good, so the collection of four would be great. So people, is it worth the plunge?
A friend here on "Survive France" has asked me to mention that some twenty of my books (whether or not they have yet been print-published) are available at Smashwords and jamesdavidaudlin.yolasite.com, and soon at Amazon, Kobe, and all the others.
One of my novels, "Rats Live on no Evil Star" is also available in French ("Palindrome") and Spanish ("Palíndromo"), if you prefer those languages. One of the stories in the collection "Mooreeffoc" is in French, and several poems in "Across the Silence" are in French or Spanish.
My agent is negotiating the not-yet-print-published books - especially the aforementioned novel - with publishers in Paris, NYC, and London, so this is an opportunity to read ahead of the curve.
Did not see the documentary though, my children hog the TV until bed, then I read a while in my own untilthe book drops - I am the only early riser in the family so have to be up first to get them all up. So, suitable for bed as well, which some people do not understand - there are books for beds and nonbed books, just like others are great for long plane journeys and so on - which I am sure hardcore readers will do one of those hmmmm and nod of head things in agreement to.
Couple of very possibles there... Must say though, it is the sedentary rather that transitory I prefer so that the place beomes like a character. That is what makes Cannery Row and Sweet Thursday work, travel ones, well I got loads and some are among my favourites as both fact and fiction. Fact I like includer Frater's Chasing the Monsoon and, oddly enough, Leighton's Tuva or Bust! about Richard Feynman's final journey. At the moment though I feel like the places with fictional characters, probably too much travelling for 30 odd years putting me off.
Welcome to Bookworms Brian! I'm a big Steinbeck fan too, did you see the Melvyn Bragg documentary about 10 days ago? The best book i've read in the last 18 months or so is "Truck Fever"by Manchan Magan. It tells of his trip from the UK to Africa in an old army truck with a bunch of oddbods. I honestly couldn't put it down, you're in the back of the truck with him all the way, hot sweaty and scared. It's beautifully written too. Have you ever read any Norman Lewis eg Jackdaw Cake about WW2 and his experiences with his italian in laws in London and then fighting his way through Italy? If you like that, he's written loads more both fiction and non.
I read for everything and have books with my name on the cover (mostly co-authored) but not fiction. Whatever I read, I always seem to go back full circle to one kind of book. My absolute favourite is Steinbeck's Cannery Row, but I also love Joyce's Dubliners and Döblin's Berlin Alexanderplatz. Characters work best for me in places, mainly very real places but those characters like Mack or Doc in Cannery Row who are clearly an amalgamation of many real people but not a portrayal of one person. Clearly, there are many books that do that and I am always searching. Start telling me what I (might) have missed people because I am running out of books soon and need to place some orders!
Flanagan's Run by Tom McNab. Of interest to me as it's about running, of course, and it's set in the 30's, Trans American Race, LA to NYC. Great so far.
Good decision Karen!!
Very true, it was making my head hurt....I'd read a few pages, pick it up again a day or so later then have to read them again - it's too complicated, but then that could just be me.....I love spy things/thrillers on film/tv, and I'm sure the film will be good, so I await it. The book has been put back on the shelf and I've got an Ian Rankin to get me going again.... :-)
Life's too short to finish a book you don't enjoy. It surprises me when someone takes the time to write a lengthy review of a book they "absolutely hated". Why would anybody bother?
hi Karen I don't struggle with books any more! I used to ALWAYS finish any book that I started - however much I disliked it, the way it was written the characters, the plot, whatever! I used to plough on - as if there was a prize for getting to the end! Well- then I realised two important things!! Firstly, there isn't a prize for finishing a book! And secondly, there are LOTS of other books out there - just waiting to be read! So - if you aren't enjoying it, I would stop. Go and see the film if you want to, or not if you don't! Find another book - and enjoy reading it!! Just me!! Good luck!!
I am really struggling with Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.....I know it's coming to our local cinema in Feb. should i keep at it, or just wait for the film then read it, I might understand it more..!
My feeling is that it's a book you have to pick up and read, no stopping, I'm getting lost with only reading it a couple of nights a week......
Welcome to our newest members Sue Whatmough, DAVID TOWEY, Kate Schofield, Elaine Perry and Joanna Stone. Thanks everyone for your recommendations and comments. I’m going to be reading “No Off Switch”, I’m a big fan of Andy Kershaw and the music he shared with us all. It was so sad to see his life go so horribly wrong.
Have friends going back to UK at the end of the week - so I have organised an Amazon order that will be delivered to them and I will get it when they come back! Hoorah!! That includes The Lantern and The Whisperer - and some others though I can’t remember exactly!! I will update when I have actually read them!!
I’ve read Savage Garden and The Information Officer, both of which I really enjoyed. Read The I.O. while on hols. in Malta last year so knew the places in the book very well. I’m going to buy a copy of The House of the Hanged when I go back to the UK next week. I’ve just finished The Brutal Art by Jesse Kellerman, easy to read thriller, lots of twists and turns, set in the past and present.
I read Savage Garden last year and really enjoyed it. I’ve got House Of The Hanged waiting for me on the bookshelf, so looking forward to starting that.
I’m reading The Lantern by Deborah Lawrence at the moment. It’s set in France, so I’m enjoying it so far…