Lesley Cookman's Blog, page 16

The Green Carnation

This week a new literary prize has emerged. It all started when the Man Booker long list was announced and a friend of mine, the writer Paul Magrs, whose review of Murder in Steeple Martin can be found through a link in a previous post, asked why there wasn't a prize for gay male fiction called (ahem) The Man Fooker Prize. Twitter took it up in a mild way, I of course, thinking it was a great idea, and then Paul said "You'll be a judge, won't you, Lesley?" And suddenly, it was real.

Over th...

Sometimes, nice things happen

This week, having sent off Murder Imperfect to my long suffering editor last week, I had a couple of days off, cleared out the office and the understairs cupboard and discovered I have a new deadline for a new book, Murder to Music, due out next April.

A few weeks ago, I sent a large parcel to son Leo in Manchester. It never arrived, and all attempts to trace it have failed. This morning - guess what? A large parcel in a blue plastic bag arrived addressed to the Occupier. Inside was my parcel ...

Shows, Graduations and Conferences

Since my last post there have been Notable Events. All of them in London and occasioning Very Bad Feet. The first was daughter Phillipa's final show at the Royal Academy of Music. She played Sarah Jane Moore in Sondheim's Assassins and was, of course, brilliant. So she can act, now? I couldn't walk the following day.

Next, the graduation. Held in St Marylebone Church, a beautiful building right opposite the Academy. Best friend Elly's dad Graham and I were the chosen two and travelled up at ...

Stereotypes

I am conforming to a stereotype. I have, slowly and subtly, turned into a mad elderly woman writer with cats. My eldest son says I am turning into a recluse. I am depressed. And I STILL haven't finished Murder Imperfect.

This, of course, may have something to do with the depression. It's a long time since I was diagnosed with clinical depression and it was due to external reasons (can't remember the official term now) so I'm guessing it might be now, as I am not naturally a depressive. But th...

New review

I was delighted this morning to receive a message from Paul Magrs to tell me he'd reviewed my first Libby Sarjeant book, Murder in Steeple Martin. I was even more delighted to find he was a highly respected writer and academic. His website is http://www.paulmagrs.com/(still can't do proper links) and the review is here: http://www.facebook.com/l/dc2d9;paulmagrs.com/blogs/?p=526

Having suffered from some kind of viral infection for nearly two weeks, I got even more behind with Murder Imperfec...

Deadlines, LBF and contracts

Murder In The Green came out early and has received very good feedback. Hazel Cushion, the MD of my publishers, Accent Press, invited me to their party at the London Book Fair, an event sadly depleted by the cloud of volcanic ash preventing overseas editors and agents from galloping in with cheque books in hand. However, the party was good, we went on to dinner and I got drunk. Telling people at home was odd - they were all surprised. I have an unfortunately good tolerance of alcohol...

Good ...

How Publishing Really Works

There is a terrific blog of this name, read by many in the publishing business, including authors and aspiring authors. The lovely lady who runs it, Jane, had her arm twisted up her back to persuade her to allow me to contribute, which I have now done. You can read my post here. Any of my nearest and dearest who take issue with anything I've said (Lies! Lies! It's all Lies!) please email me privately!

A bereavement in the extended family caused a couple of weeks of upset, made worse by coming,...

Another rant against everything

Is it something to do with the election? Is the government trying to prove that it knows better than we do, that the rule book grows longer and longer as if it's some hidebound boarding school? Dads must not carry children on their shoulders. OK - in some circumstances that is dangerous, but surely only the thickest (and no, I'm not going to apologise) dads will do that in, say, supermarkets or railway stations.

Over the last weeks there have been more nonsensical "laws" being postulated than ...

BUREAUCRAPSY

This morning I received an email forwarded to me by a friend, who, on having read my little rant of last week, thought it might strike a chord. It did of course. Here it is:

FOR ALL LOVERS OF BUREAUCRAPSY .

Don't you wish that you had written this?

This was actually taken from a passport application and a member of staff copied it, as it made her laugh all day.

Dear Minister,
I'm in the process of renewing my passport but I am a total loss to understand or believe the hoops I...

The Beanstalk Broke

No, no-one can have that title because I thought of it and I shall use it. And it's true. The beanstalk broke, Jack fell ten feet to the ground and the follow spot turned the pink fairy green. There were other little catastrophes - like me forgetting to introduce the Princess, the dog food in the bakery scene (?) refusing to open and the music for the spectacular Hoe-down skipping leaving the ensemble repeating the same moves over and over again like a surrealist dream.

Ah, well. Maybe we'll...