The Birmingham Meet-Up Reading Group
Last January I went up to Birmingham to talk to The Birmingham Meet-Up Reading Group to discuss The Crowded Bed which had been their book choice for December 2007. I had a really great night with a very large group of very welcoming thirty-somethings. We had an excellent post mortem and I came away really delighted with so many positive comments. You may recall that the target audience for TCB was 'the middle years woman' so it was a real bonus to get the enthusiasm of another age group.
How lucky I am that they have chosen A Man Like Any Other as their December choice for 2008. On 13th January I will be making a return trip to meet up with them, and I am looking forward to it very much.
The Kennington Library Festival
On 7th March 2009 I will be taking part in the first Kennington Library Festival. This is my own village (a very large village actually) that is lucky to have its own branch library. More details later, but worth saying here that in the morning Eliza Graham and I will be doing author spots, and in the afternoon I will be presenting a talk on Publishing. Here I will be able to present and refer to my forthcoming text book, The Seriously Useful Authors Guide, as all is on course for a publication date in February.
Benedict's Carnival
I just adored Kate Wiltshires novel Benedict's Carnival. I heartily recommend it, and here is my review. *****
A perceptive and emotive story
Although having adored my early years of education at a CofE Junior School, and fascinated with the concept of religion per se, I am a non- attender. Thus, I know nothing about the structure and politics of an Anglo Catholic ministry. Benedict's Carnival, for me, took the lid off the insider dealings of the church function and administration that outsiders like me never consider. Personalities abound to great effect, and it was the first time that I have thought about a vicar being revealed as such a complex character. A really well drawn aspect was the actual struggle that 'active' gay clergy have in being accepted for ministry. The two-faced woolly areas are that they CAN 'come out' and declare themselves to be gay, BUT they have to be celibate. This is such a fudge of the issue. Had Benedict been allowed to form an open, mature relationship with another man it's doubtful that he would have caused all the stress and emotion he did - the congregation and his close colleagues would be able to accept his boundaries, and the whole administrative set-up would have functioned much more efficiently. Thus, with open and active homosexuality being virtually banned for the ordained, his sexuality was the bane of his life. But he was also very 'naughty' and attention seeking. In garnering a 'fan club' from his heterosexual female admirers, he clearly had no idea of the danger his sweet words were creating. I consider this to be because he needed an emotional outlet for his affection, but had no idea just what heartache he was causing. The most emotive feature that Kate Wiltshire captures brilliantly is exactly what happens when a married middle aged woman falls in love - deeply in love - with an 'unattainable' man, and the serious madness it creates in her mind. The character Meg was so spot on as she pathetically hung on to every tiny crumb of Benedict's affection towards her and went completely over the top in trying to gain his favour. She even thought, poor thing, that she was in 'telepathic communication'with him. The denouement is rather sad, but I have to come to the conclusion that everything that happened to Benedict was entirely his own fault. A very emotive read.
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