A Room without a view

In Room Emma Donaghue has created a novel of paradox. Room is 12 foot square and contains everything Jack needs; his whole life, 5 years, has been spent in Room and we learn how Ma has loved and nurtured him during that time. Ma is captive but has made Room a safe place for her son. The story is told by Jack with naivity and precocity. We read the words to understand how Ma and Jack cope and we read between the lines to understand the horror and deprivation. Yet when they are Outside they are still not safe and we learn more about our world through the newly opened eyes of Jack.
This novel is both terrifying and charming but decidedly uplifting. It is about the power of maternal love and the importance of storytelling. Rightly discovered and entered for the prestigious Booker prize, this amazing read could well become the book of the year.

A windy place

This is how Jackie Kay describes the aloneness of an adopted person who does not know about lines of heredity, stories of ancestors or family ties. In her latest book Red dust road, Jackie Kay tells the story of finding her birth parents and recognising her special ancestry. Many of her published poems have explored adoptive situations but this autobiography tells her very own story in a humourous and moving way.

I was very fortunate to hear her reading several passages from the book during the Beverley Literature Festival. Her presence is surprising; afro hairstyle, mid brown skin and broad Scottish accent, but so commanding. Her reading is always a performance and the message comes across loud and clear. I ventured to ask a question (I'm more used to running around with a microphone than speaking into one) as she had read about her birth father, her adopted mother and adopted brother and I wondered if the writing about her birth mother was more difficult? Indeed, she admitted that story is sadder and that she was unable to write about it with the humour that characterised the telling of Daniel's story but she agreed to read an extra short piece that the audience found very moving.

Jackie said that there are 3 families in this book which is a multivoiced memoir even allowing room for the reader to tell their own story along the way. What really struck me was the portrait of her adoptive parents as the most loving, understanding, conscientious people. The red dust road refers to the landscape of Nigeria that overwhelmed her on first arrival in the country. Her new relationship is to her ancestral land rather than to her father. And her final comment was that the story is still unfolding. Jackie Kay's ability to communicate so much through her prose and poetry is astounding. Listen to her here

Beauty in books

Beauty in Books is the title of the current display at Beverley Public Library. It refers to the bibliomania and bibliosophia of John Edward Champney, Edwardian resident, book collector and benefactor. He provided the funds to build the Library and bequeathed his art collection to found the Art Gallery. On display were illustrated books by Arthur Rackham and Walter Crane and local works about Yorkshire by the sea. There will be a lecture called "Introducing Champney's books: conserving for future generations".

On the journey over to Britain I read People of the book by Geraldine Brooks that made me think about books as pieces of art and history. Fascinating story and ideas.

Many of the comments I have received when discussing ebooks relate to books as artifacts, as beautiful containers for the stories within and how we may lose the fascinating visual element of illustrated material. Perhaps I'll go to the lecture and ask about ebooks - there's a lot to think about.

Notwithstanding the English

Louis de Bernieres, the first speaker at the Beverley Literature Festival, discussed his latest book Notwithstanding: stories from an English village and answered questions from the audience about Englishness. His previous books have all been set in more exotic places but he has realised that there is a lot of material much closer to home. In a series of linked short stories, he introduces a cast of unusual characters and gently hints at how English village life is gradually changing.

The Beverley Festival programme covers fiction, biography, poetry and politics with local authors and stages events over ten days. A Children's Literature Festival is also happening at the same time - wonder if they need another volunteer?

Reading the pictures

In Beverley I have discovered an interesting way of displaying artworks. 22 paintings have been reproduced and brought out of the gallery onto the streets. Frederick Elwell born in Beverley in 1870 found inspiration for his paintings in the town; local people and places feature significantly. Now the local and domestic views can be found in prominent places around the town with explanatory captions.

It's a brilliant idea and I'll be walking the whole trail to see and read about local history.

Travel reading

My Kobo is loaded with books for my journey, 27 hours of flying and a 10 hour layover. Included are modern classics that I haven't got round to reading: The Song of the Lark by Will Cather and Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys, contemporary titles that somehow I missed on publication: The Book Thief  by Marcus Zusak and People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks, and some book group suggestions that I didn't have time for: Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Boudain and A Book of Common Prayer by Joan Didion.

Interesting that three of the titles include the word book!     

                 

     

Guide to a happy life

Fiction is full of unhappy lives; the happy ones seem more difficult to write. The first part of Anna Quindlen's latest book Every last one depicts a happy, normal family and yet you know that something is going to happen to change that. What does happen is unexpected  but the happiness is somehow restored by the end of the novel. My previous favourite novel by Quindlen is Blessings but I have also found her two small books of non-fiction very readable and well-written.

In How reading changed my life she comments that "In books I have travelled, not only to other worlds but into my own. I learned who I was and who I wanted to be, what I might aspire to and what I might dare to dream". In a Short guide to a happy life she reflects on how to live well taking nothing for granted. This is a short book with a message - one that I can relate to.

For several years Quindlen has written for the New York Times developing her concise, precise style. Many American and British newspapers publish columns by the best fiction writers of the time, readable for their choice of language and structure, and offering more than journalism. I'm looking forward to reading such columns while I am in England - look out for more comments on this.