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The last book group meeting of the year took place last week and we won't be gathering together now until the end of January. But our discussion has given us lots of reading matter to pursue until we meet again. 

There were a dozen recommendations enthusiastically and eloquently shared by members of the group, and I'll be listing these on my website next week (sorry for the delay, this week has run away from me!).

We've also picked up the book we'll all be reading together in time for the discussion on Monday 27 January - it is called 'The Valley at the Centre of the World' by Malachy Tallack. It will be interesting, as always, to see what we each make of that.

At our last meeting it was good to look back on the titles we've read in 2024 and, in voting for our favourite, we found that they all had something memorable and thought-provoking to contribute.

But the overall winner? It was a resounding vote for 'Horse' by Geraldine Brooks, the book we've just finished reading. Good to end the year on a high!

Thank you for reading.
 

It was great to see so many people at The Riverside Woodbridge last Sunday when we gathered together to meet Matt the Cartoonist. And he was such a treat! 

Despite more than 30 years at the top of his game, he seems a very humble, unassuming and warm individual who has a rather infectious laugh and twinkling eyes. He clearly likes to tell a story and has a great memory for the punchlines of his cartoons from years gone by.

There was lots of laughter and I think everyone left feeling so much lighter and happier through spending time listening to Matt.

So next Sunday we will be at The Riverside again. This time meeting to hear the printmaker Angela Harding talk to us about her life and work - the places she's been and the people she's met.

Angela creates stunning pictures, but she also gets into a few scrapes as she explores the countryside for inspiration, and she tells some good stories. She's great fun!

If you haven't got your ticket, please scroll down for more details or go to The Riverside website here.

I can assure you this is another author event which will prove the perfect tonic for a dark, cold wintry day! And we'll have lots of ideas for Christmas gifts too with Angela Harding merchandise, stationery and advent calendars on sale on the day.

It's always interesting to hear from writers and artists about their lives and what prompts their creativity. But this week I've been aware of the encroaching threat of artificial intelligence (AI). Will they all soon be made redundant?!

I was listening to the 'Off Air...with Jane and Fi' podcast and was taken aback by one of their experiments. These two broadcasters had decided to test the reach of AI, for their own curiousity, and had typed in a request for a children's story. They read out the result on their programme - AI had answered all of their very particular and idiosyncratic requirements and had created a story which was engaging and humorous, and had done so in very little time. What does this mean for storytelling in the future?

This struck a chord because I had also interviewed an illustrator recently. She had shared with me how digitalisation had changed the way she worked, but AI may have even more impact. She had responded by taking time out of her working week to return to traditional methods of making art, for her own creative well being. It had caused her to view the future with more optimism.

"It’s part of the human condition to imagine, to create art. If we relinquish that to machines, what are we left with?” she said. “There will always be space for work that celebrates the maker’s touch."

So I hope you'll join me in meeting Angela Harding next week to cherish her stunning artwork and her engaging and entertaining storytelling!

Thank you for reading.
 

When I'm about to write an article, or find a theme for these newsletter messages, I need to have an opportunity for my mind to wander. And I have discovered that inspiration often strikes when I'm driving. (These are easy-to-navigate journeys with relatively light traffic and when I'm not carrying any passengers, you understand.) It's regularly proved a very productive time - I solve all sorts of problems while I'm moving along. The trick is remembering them all when I get to the destination.

But I haven't had reason to get in the car in the past few days so have looked to other means of triggering my thought processes. And I've found that knitting can do the trick!

For the past couple of years I've been knitting socks. They're small projects which are very satisfying, easily transportable with no complicated instructions to follow so I've taken them with me when I know I'll be somewhere with a lot of downtime (or when I'm watching television which doesn't require full concentration).

I've found, though, that without other stimulus, the rhythm of the needles and the progress of the project helps me think. And it seems I'm not alone.

The Olympic diver Tom Daley has attracted a lot of attention for knitting on poolside as he waits for his turn in various competitions and an exhibition of the garments he's created has just opened in Japan.

However I'm finding that knitting is also quite a thing for authors. The crime writer Josephine Tey even called her writing her 'weekly knitting'.

I remember some time ago that a children's book was about a knitted character called Milo Armadillo and the author-illustrator Jan Fearnley had written a knitting pattern so that you could make your own Milo Armadillo - which I did!

I've recently been introduced to the author MJ Robotham with her fictional memoir 'The Scandalous Life of Ruby Deveraux' and found that on Instagram @robothammandy she has posted lots of images of knitted dolls she has created, often modelled on booksellers or her publishing team, and garments themed around the characters of her novels. 

And Barbara Kingsolver, the author of 'The Poisonwood Bible' and more recently 'Demon Copperhead', has published a knitting pattern for mittens reflecting her book 'The Lacuna'.

But a friend recently sent me a link to an episode on BBC Radio Four series Shedunnit which was about crime writers who were also knitters (and many of their sleuths were knitters too!). The programme included an interview with a designer who has created a new book of knitting patterns inspired by the writing of Margery Allingham, but unfortunately it's sold out so I can't report back on it yet. I don't need any more projects though - still a few more socks to knit!

Thank you for reading.

What did you do with your extra hour today?!

I would have liked to have taken advantage of the clocks going back by gaining more sleep but it didn't happen. So I grabbed a book instead - not a surprise, and never wasted time, of course. 

I do find it rather disorientating for the day, though, getting used to the new time. And it means that there's no denying it - we're now on that fast track to winter and Christmas. 

But we do have a treat in store with the visit by Angela Harding in a few short weeks. Her advent calendars are a delight and her account of her life exploring the countryside, rivers and coastline which inspire her stunning linoprint pictures is truly uplifting and invigorating. If you're looking for ideas for Christmas gifts, there are a huge range of products now boasting Angela's stunning images and you'll get a copy of her new book for yourself or a friend when you come to our event on 1 December (scroll down for details).

Of course we're hoping this week's Budget won't leave us short when it comes to our spending for Christmas. And I wonder what Matt, the cartoonist with the 'Daily Telegraph' will highlight as the key 'takeaway' from the government's plans for the paper the next day. Come along to meet him on 17 November to find out how he decides what he should feature in his witty, oh-so-clever cartoons each day. 

Both Angela and Matt are great fun so will be perfect to lift our mood as the days get shorter and darker. Have you got your tickets yet?

And do let me know if you're hoping to come to book group tomorrow night. We'll be discussing 'The Children's Bach' by Helen Garner and planning our last meeting of the year. Hope to see you there.

Thank you for reading.

Last week was a very busy week for me, but I still managed to make three trips to the cinema and watch a few hours of shows on streaming channels! 

In normal circumstances I would have told myself that I couldn't fit in all that screen time but it depends on your priorities doesn't it?! I knew that if I didn't get to see the films this week, the opportunities would have passed me by. They didn't have any other showings at the cinema and my free offers on the streaming channels came to an end this weekend!! 

Looking back, each film or series was an adaptation of a book and it's been interesting considering how I've responded to them all.

There were the books I hadn't read which I saw as films at The Riverside - 'Touch', a novel by Swedish writer Ólafur Jóhann Ólafsson, and 'Outrun', a memoir by Amy Liptrot. Both interesting films, beautifully shot, though a little slow, and which haven't left me keen to read the original text. 

And there were the books I had read - 'Disclaimer' by Renée Knight and 'Slow Horses' by Mick Herron, both streaming on Apple TV.

It's so difficult to work out what makes a good adaptation, isn't it? I think 'Slow Horses' is brilliant because the cast of characters worked so well. The book was good (I've only read the first in the series, and some time ago) but the tv version has had me completely gripped and I'm eager now to return to the books. 

But 'Disclaimer', despite having Cate Blanchett as the lead and beautiful settings, hasn't held my attention. This when I thought the book a great concept, and will always think of it fondly because Renée held her book launch with me at Browsers in Woodbridge many years ago. I urge you to read the book!

I feel I might be taking a risk in a few days' time, though, because the animated film of the children's book I mentioned recently is showing at The Riverside cinema. 'The Wild Robot' was a wonderful story with a powerful message. I know the film has received good reviews so I'll be going to see it with high hopes!

Thank you for reading.