Maggie Cobbett

The York launch of ‘Shadows of the Past’.

The venue this time was my elder son’s house for an afternoon ‘do’.  The original plan had been to lay out the refreshments picnic style in the garden (hence the blue plastic plates etc.), but dark clouds were looming over York as we arrived with a carload, so we thought discretion the better part of valour. The Cobbett men, having done their bit earlier on, found time for some displacement activity whilst I added the finishing touches.

Among the guests were fellow writers and salsa dancers, some devotees of both activities. On a different occasion, we might have pushed back the furniture and practised a few moves. Well, Susan does have tango numbers in her repertoire!

However, literature was the thing that afternoon. I read a couple of extracts from the novel and explained the background to those who hadn’t heard all about it before.

It was good to welcome people who hadn’t seen each other for a while and to make some introductions.

The rain held off and allowed the party to spill out into the garden.

For more photographs of the afternoon’s proceedings, please click on the images below. The quality is variable with some images being stills taken from the video.

30 August, 2015 - There are 2 comments on this story

‘Shadows of the Past’ is officially launched in Ripon

There must be something special about an author’s first book launch. Although Shadows of the Past isn’t my first published work, it’s my first novel and has been a real labour of love.

The sun was still shining when I was ‘setting out my stall’ and, although the heavens opened later and some guests had to battle through a ferocious storm to get home again, nothing could dampen my mood. Many people have asked me about the inspiration for the story, parts of which are more or less autobiographical, and the selection of photographs in the centre of the table was there for them to browse through.

By an amazing stroke of luck, I met Susan again at Swanwick a couple of weeks ago and invited her along, upon which she offered to bring her accordion and play some French bal de musette numbers to enhance the atmosphere. As a better wordsmith than I am a cook, I’m also indebted to my good friends Cathy and Sue for providing most of the wonderful food.

People from many different threads of my life came together and some were astounded to discover that they had me as a mutual friend. The quality of the photographs below is variable – my roving photographer was also host, barman and general factotum and didn’t manage to capture everyone – but they will give you some idea of the proceedings. Some of them are stills taken from the video he was trying to make at the same time. To guests who dropped in for a while and left before he picked up his camera or arrived after exhaustion set in, I can only apologise.

23 August, 2015 - Make the first comment on this story

The excitement mounts…and the fear!

Knowing that my first book launch is only three days away (Saturday, 22nd August from 5 p.m.) reminds me of the panic that always set in when my flatmates and I in Manchester were about to throw a party during our student days. Would no one turn up and we’d be left to languish alone amongst the refreshments we’d lashed out on? Would everyone we knew turn up and there wouldn’t be enough to go round or even room to stand comfortably? (Well, we did once have 200 people in our flat!)

The weather wasn’t a factor in those days, but now it is. Our garden is quite a picture at the moment and I’m hoping to see a crowd of people enjoying it on Saturday. I’ve even arranged to borrow extra outdoor furniture from the neighbours. However, as natives of our ‘green and pleasant land’ know only too well, we pay a price for all that greenness. I once took part in an ‘erotic drama’* called Natasha, filmed a few miles away from here, and have never forgotten its Indian director ranting and raving every time we were rained off. It was August, for heaven’s sake, wasn’t it! Yes, but this was North Yorkshire, not Bombay.

Anyway, Que sera, sera as the song goes. There will be refreshments, there will be music and there will be a hopeful author with a pile of books to sign. Please come along and join me!

*In case you’re wondering, ‘my’ scenes were neither erotic nor particularly dramatic. I was part of the church congregation of ‘Little Haven’ (actually Birstwith) and had a badly sprained ankle at the time, which made it difficult to run for cover each time the heavens opened during the church picnic scene. Richard Lintern, who played the vicar, was very kind and almost carried me at times. If you’d like to know more about this ghastly film, which went straight to video – I have a copy somewhere – you can see the trailer on You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJkv67-vRY4

19 August, 2015 - Make the first comment on this story

The final curtain

All good things must come to an end, unfortunately. Courses wound up and the AGM held, it was time for the jollifications to begin.

Rain threatened and the Dregs party had to be held indoors instead of on the lawn, but the Buskers band kept us all entertained. I’m slightly to the right of centre and enjoying a glass of wine.

It was time to dress for the occasion and I think the smiles say it all.

After dinner, it was time for Swanwick’s own version of ‘Romeo and Juliet’, written by our newest committee member, Phil Collins. The sight of Romeo (Chairman Michael O’Byrne) in baggy pants and

Juliet (Cathy Grimmer in an impossible wig and speaking throughout in a squeaky lisp), the sword fight and dramatic deaths of Mercutio (Ben Scott) and Thibault (Simon Hall) will remain with me for a long time. The audience was divided into Montague and Capulet camps and whipped to a frenzy by Phil on one side of the stage and John Lamont on the other. Hilarious! The evening finished, as ever, with Auld Lang Syne and the many Scots among us ensured that we performed it correctly; not a trace of ‘for the sake of’ and no crossing hands until the second verse!

13 August, 2015 - Make the first comment on this story

A dramatic day at Swanwick!

What could possibly compete with a stellar performance from Simon Brett, multi-talented writer and raconteur par excellence? He set the bar very high indeed and I particularly enjoyed his take on ‘Under Milk Wood’ and the recent proliferation of gloomy Scandinavian crime dramas.

HOWEVER, the seven plays performed in this year’s round of ‘Swanwick Page to Stage’ had the audience alternating between tears of emotion and tears of laughter. With perhaps equal amounts of serious drama and comedy, there was certainly plenty to enjoy. Even I – a reluctant thespian these days – was persuaded to tread the boards again and I had a whole line to myself in Cathy Grimmer’s play about a family in disarray.

Above is a photo call for everyone involved. You can just about see me in a turquoise jacket, seated at the front with Cathy standing behind me.

12 August, 2015 - Make the first comment on this story

Friends reunited!

One of the joys of Swanwick is making new friends and catching up with old ones.

Not many go as far back as Geoff and I, who last met in 1972. It was great to see him again.

Today was definitely one for basking in the sunshine and I really envied Julia’s hat. She gave us another stunning performance at Buskers’ Night, which included many other talented Swanwickers. As one who can neither play nor sing to any remotely acceptable level, I was content to sit back and enjoy it all.

11 August, 2015 - Make the first comment on this story

Been there, done that, got the T-shirt!

Yes, folks, I really have got the T-shirt! Today was the day to don it and do my short course entitled ‘Focus on Fillers’. I’d been dreading the technology going wrong but, with some help from a couple of obliging fellow Swanwickers, the Power Point presentation in the morning ran smoothly. The afternoon was given over to a workshop where people could come up with their own ideas and discuss where they might submit them. The room was full for both sessions and there was a lot of laughter, so I hope that everyone enjoyed the course as much as I did.

Afterwards, I was very happy to relax and become a consumer again. Prolific short story writer Della Galton was a sure fire winner as the evening speaker.

10 August, 2015 - Make the first comment on this story

Swanwick 2015 continued

What could be a better start to the day than a meditation session by the lake before breakfast. If my alarm clock hadn’t failed to go off, I might even have made it.

As it was, I had the usual hearty breakfast and then went to the first part of John Lamont’s ‘Succeed on Purpose’ course, which was very inspiring. It was serious stuff, but John could make the driest subject entertaining and I’m already looking forward to Part 2.

Before and after lunch, I attended travel writing sessions by Roy Devereux. Unfortunately, due to technical issues, the second part had to be cut short. Not only was that disappointing, but it means that my fingers will be permanently crossed until it’s time for my own course tomorrow, which will be taking place in the same room!

The Swanwick Facebook group got together during the tea break to discuss the way ahead. Watch this space!

The evening speaker was Mario Reading, who gave us a lot of information about his own successes and failures, the latter being greatly overshadowed by the former. His Anti-Christ trilogy – The Nostradamus Prophecy, The Mayan Codex and The Third Anti-Christ – for example, has sold more than a million copies in 38 countries! Mario, very unenthusiastic about the rise in self publishing, stressed the importance of literary agents in general and, in particular, their expertise in selling foreign rights.

9 August, 2015 - Make the first comment on this story

Swanwick 2015

Here I am again for my 10th consecutive stay at the Writers’ Summer School and the grounds of The Hayes Conference Centre are looking as glorious as ever. One very welcome innovation is a free hot drinks machine in the bar. (Regular doses of caffeine are definitely needed to keep most of us on our toes.) Soon the lawn will be filling up with writers from all over the UK and beyond, chattering away nineteen to the dozen and trying to balance cups of tea and plates of cake. It’s always a joy to catch up with old friends – in my case with one VERY old friend, last seen in the flesh in 1972 – and make new ones. As a veteran Swanwicker, I’m now sporting not only a yellow badge but also a pink one to show that I’m an ‘Ambassador’ and particularly approachable if problems arise. Not only that, I’ll be a table host for White Badgers (newbies) at the first evening meal to spare them the worry of wondering where and with whom to sit.

Many of them, like myself, will be staying in comfortable en suite rooms in Lakeside and will enjoy a stroll round the lake or a quiet read on one of the handy benches.

The speaker this evening is crime writer Alex Gray and I’m sure the Main Conference Hall will be packed to hear what she has to say.

8 August, 2015 - Make the first comment on this story

Let the celebration of ‘Shadows of the Past’ begin!

Here are the promised timings. (See earlier postings for more details).

Saturday 22nd August at home in Ripon: 5 p.m. onwards on a ‘drop in, stay as long as you like and drop out’ basis.

Saturday 29th August at Richard’s place in York: 2-5 p.m.

If you’ve never visited either of us before and need directions, please let me know.

3 August, 2015 - Make the first comment on this story