The National Writers Conference, Going to Prison, and more...

I spent two days this week working in prisons, running creative writing workshops for PeoplePlus.

On the first day I was in a men's open prison. Before we got into the writing part of the workshops, I talked about growing up in a working class town and being creative when nobody else was, or at least appeared to be. I told them about feeling like an alien in my own family, about my parents who worked in a shoe factory, and how ‘working hard and playing hard’ was the culture back then, and how there was no room for creativity. I’ve written a little about my upbringing here.

I finished the talk by showing them a photograph of my Uncle Terrence, down a coal mine.

‘Writing a novel can be hard work,’ I said, ‘especially when you're in the messy middle of it, and the plot isn’t working and the characters are a mess, and it feels like it can never be fixed. But then I look at this photograph of my Uncle Terrence, and I remind myself — working down a coal mine, now that’s hard work. And I remember how lucky I am to be doing what I do.’

The second day I was in a women’s prison. When I got to the photograph, one of the women looked at me and said, ‘That's your uncle? That's the kind of family you come from?’

‘That's right,’ I said.

Something changed in that moment, in how she looked at me. It was only a tiny moment, and she has probably forgotten all about me by now. But we made a connection of sorts, and I doubt I will ever forget it.

I met some larger than life characters across those two days, and heard some amazing stories. And I feel privileged to have been there, and been a part of it all.

I'm speaking at the National Writers Conference

If you live in the UK and you are an author, or an aspiring author, I am speaking at the National Writers Conference in Birmingham this summer. I will be on a panel with two other authors talking about how to Monetise Your Work. There are many other panels throughout the day, including Promotion for Writers, Keeping your Writing Going, and more, plus informal opportunities to meet other writers.

It’s a brilliant day and I’ve been going for about ten years. If you want a day packed full of information and inspiration for authors, and you want to meet other writers, then come on in.

In other news...

On our holiday in the Isle of Harris I found a sheep skull on a walk up to an eagle spotting station. Of course I brought it back with me. It’s currently sitting in a bowl of washing up liquid on the kitchen table, much to Mrs Preston’s horror. The cleaning stage takes a couple of weeks, during which I have to replace the water every day. Then I will need to soak it in hydrogen peroxide to disinfect it and whiten it.

What will I do with it then? Who knows? (Well, I might have an idea, but I’m keeping that to myself for now.)

Currently Reading

Not my usual kind of book, but I have just bought A Very Vexing Murder by my friend Lucy Andrew, which is set in the world of Emma. The novel stands on its own, but being the completist I am, I had to read Emma first.

Movies Watched This Week

Watching this incoherent mess has to be the closest I will ever get to the experience of being on acid. It was almost five stars from me.

To be honest, I didn't get it.

Seen this before, a long time ago. Not bad. You gotta love Phil Davis.

This film wasn't sure what it wanted to be, but pretty good nonetheless.

Don't expect action and thrills, but it's riveting and gorgeous. I swear I must suffer with face blindness though.

Hitchockian thriller with an infuriating ending that had me leaping off the sofa and shouting.

Sean Connery is terrific in this, but bloody hell it’s a grim, miserable watch.