Read Regional Fiction Writers
Friday 21 October, Durham Town Hall
Durham is a beautiful city, and on a grey afternoon nothing could be more inviting to a book-worm like myself than being invited from a bright lobby, up a narrow stair case and ushered through a series of dark wooded chambers for a spot of late afternoon fiction. Especially when I feel like I’m doing my bit for the region by attending a reading by local authors. Read Regional is an annual event intended to inspire people to…well, read regional. Does it do its job?
Sort of. It doesn’t get off to a fantastic start. With a view of the market square and paintings bigger than its fireplace, the setting was grand yet intimate-perfect for stories. However, when an author pronounced AWOL turned up five minutes into someone else’s reading, the spell of gentle reverence cast by a storyteller doing her thing was broken. The AWOL author, Danielle Ramsay of Whitley Bay, sat down without apology and proceeded to pull faces at the other authors while Beda Higgins of Newcastle read one of her own short stories.
I dreaded Ramsay’s reading, I would not be able to keep her rudeness and lateness out of my head long enough to form a fair opinion. Thankfully her reading was a string of clichés that reached for profundity without ever quite grasping it, so my bias was an omen rather than a hindrance. She went to great lengths to explain the importance of her book, Broken Silence, a crime novel set in Whitley Bay. Choosing a reading was something the authors all agreed was difficult, but in Ramsay’s case I rather think it was a mistake more than a decision. I was not compelled to hear more of her work, nor the opinions with which she was so generous.
The author I was interested in hearing more from was Carolyn Jess-Cooke, originally of Belfast and now based in Gateshead. Her novel, A Guardian Angel’s Journal, is the story of a woman who dies and travels back in time to be her own guardian angel. Due to other readings being overlong she got the least time to share her work. She chose to read an excerpt that explained the metaphysics of her angels and I was intrigued as to how the rest of her world was built. She explained how she found the idea of large feathery wings to be impractical for her character and shared some of her research into an alternative.
She also had one of the more interesting pieces of information in the Q&A afterwards as the authors discussed the relationship between themselves and their publisher. Jess-Cooke’s next novel is to have different endings in the UK and the US, a surprising insight into just how important the difference between markets can be (a revelation which makes Harry Potter fans’ fuss about The Sorcerer’s Stone pale in comparison.) Jess-Cooke provided great insight into just how little control an author really has over the final state of their manuscript, and the Q&A was worth staying for if only for that.
Also reading was Higgins, rudely interrupted by Ramsay. Higgins read from her short-story collection, Chameleon, choosing a Christmas tale of longing and the relationships between lovers and friends. As someone who prefers her escapism with unicorns and explosions it wasn’t necessarily my cup of tea, but a tale well told and it received the strongest round of applause. Higgins also shared her experiences and difficulties getting a short-story collection published as an un-established author, which was another useful insight into the practicalities of getting published.
Dan Smith of Newcastle wrote about Brazil in his novel Dry Season. After setting up a summary of the plot he read a section from the beginning of his book leading to the events that alter his characters fate. The sense of foreboding crept over me slowly, even in the small reading he gave from the beginning of the story. The opening did its job well and my curiosity had been well and truly prodded.
I write stuff. I used to have a book review blog, but occasionally I do something other than criticize the written word so I thought I’d set up a blog to prove it. I got a first class BA in Media and Cultural studies, which means I can make people watch Teeth and defend it’s artistic and cultural merit AND debunk misguided feminist theory at the same time. 
I am delighted to find someone who also finds Danielle Ramsay rude and so full of her own importance. Having had the misfortune to be in a book shop while she was doing a ‘signing’, I overheard her brash voice, her narcissistic ramblings and felt the full force of her enormous ego. She appears to consider herself a writer of great repute when in fact her book is shockingly poor in both form and content. Something and someone to be avoided at all costs.
[Reply]
meatso Reply:
November 24th, 2011 at 12:31 am
I found this review offensive, rude, unhelpful and a sad testiment to Ms Moores psyche. It is not only inaccurate (having attended the event myself) but is a very vitriolic, vindictive and puerile attack on someone who simply had the misfortune to arrive late for what (according to this article) would appear to be the Mel Moore Show.
I thought the event was worthwhile, and provided those in attendance with a rare and interesting insight into the thoughts and development of the authors work, each different, each engaging in their own way. New Writing North have showcased both fresh and established talent with the authors and poets selected; to have their efforts misrepresented by such a talentless and subjective review is appalling.
At one time critics or reviewers had to possess some skills to go about their daily work. No sign of any here, regrettably.
We can all argue over the freedom of speech; this reads more like freedom to vent your spleen. Having a 1st in Media and Cultural studies clearly does not equip someone for the necessary skills for such a piece.
The associated piece from bog-blogger mezzo is another sad indictment of how easy it is for people to have their say, who really should have their opinions moderated in some way before allowing the sad soiled linen of their inner thoughts to be aired in public. Most people have more positive thoughts in their heads at 12.26 on a Saturday lunchtime. You have to wonder about the size of Mezzo’s ego to craft such a creative piece……..
The real shame is not that such a paltry review finds it’s way onto the net.
It is that NCLA, Newcastle University and the editorial staff of Friction Magazine sanction it’s publication along with the associated bog – sorry – blog.
Shame on you all.
[Reply]
Dear Mell,
I sincerely apologise for my lateness at the New Writing North event at Durham Book Festival which unfortunately was caused by personal circumstances – I did my utmost to get there and thankfully I managed it.
On arrival I was instructed to go to straight to the front by an organiser despite my wishes to sit at the back and wait until Beda Higgins had finished reading. I consequently apologised profusely to my fellow writers with Read Regional for my lateness and for interrupting Beda’s short story reading.
I am really pleased that you attended the event and choose to write about it as New Writing North have worked so hard and have been so generous with their Read Regional campaign for all those involved. It is a great platform for local writers and poets, both debut and established and deserves recognition for it’s work. And it was also a great honour and privilege to be part of the Durham Book Festival.
Again, apologies for my lateness. The last thing I would want to do is offend anyone, especially when they have taken the time to attend such an event.
Kindest regards,
Danielle Ramsay
[Reply]
Mell Moore Reply:
November 24th, 2011 at 7:57 am
Thanks for taking the time to read, Danielle.
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