Maggie Cobbett

Crime Tuesday

This morning’s guest speaker was crime publisher Jon Wood, seen above in interview with Swanwick’s very own Michael O’Byrne. Having started his career with Hodder & Stoughton, where the first best selling author he took on was Harlan Coben, Jon moved to Orion Books in 2000. He had a great deal to say about changes in the publishing industry, but what struck me most was that calls on his time could well lead to his reading a submission on the Tube. For nine minutes. While strap hanging. Not encouraging news for budding authors!

Feeling the need for a change of scenery, I devoted the afternoon to a visit to Sudbury Hall and the Museum of Childhood. The main building dates from 1660, the museum being housed in the 19th century east wing. Some rooms were used in the 1995 television adaptation of Pride and Prejudice and the tour guide showed us a mantelpiece on which Mr Darcy aka Colin Firth leaned and the table on which he wrote a cheque to the manipulative Mr Wickham. He (the tour guide) then stood back and waited for the ladies to swoon. No one did. The museum was fun and it was good to see so many children fascinated by traditional toys and then allowed to play with carefully crafted replicas.

Back in Swanwick, a stroll round the lake before dinner appealed to me and I don’t think I’ve ever seen it looking more attractive.

The evening speaker was Zoe Lambert, who told us all about her short story collection The War Tour, concluding that it was not the writer’s job to judge but just to show what kind of people the characters are.

Write, Camera, Action! has become a regular feature of Swanwick week and a series of sketches presented by Katie White and guests brought this very busy day to a close.

13 August, 2013 - Make the first comment on this story