News

The publication last week of 'A Promised Land', the latest memoir of Barack Obama, caused quite a stir. Whether we're all longing to be reminded of the recent past when things were safer and more predictable, or we're relishing the opportunity to dwell in the company of someone who conveys a calm, reassuring composure, it's encouraging to see that the book has topped the sales charts.

There's a depth and thoughtfulness to Obama which is very attractive in a leader, so it's interesting, I think, to be reminded of how he has said he finds solace, wisdom, insight and compassion through reading novels.

In an interview a few years ago, he said: "the most important stuff I’ve learned I think I’ve learned from novels. It has to do with empathy. It has to do with being comfortable with the notion that the world is complicated and full of greys, but there’s still truth there to be found, and that you have to strive for that and work for that. And the notion that it’s possible to connect with some[one] else even though they’re very different from you.”

If you remember, in the summer, crime writer, Val McDermid commented on this too. Governments that seem to have done best in our current crisis, she said, “are led by people who read fiction”, naming Nicola Sturgeon in Scotland, Jacinda Ahern in New Zealand, Katrin Jakobsdottir in Iceland and Sanna Marin in Finland.

“What fiction gives you is the gift of imagination and the gift of empathy," she said. "You see a life outside your own bubble. If you’re sitting there reading your endless biographies of Churchill or Attlee or whatever, you’re not looking at the world outside your window. You’re not understanding the lives of ordinary people who populate the country you’re supposed to be governing.

“My advice to any politician is: go and read a novel and you’ll understand the world better and you can imagine a changed world better.”

It's good to learn, then, that fiction sales are on the rise. Although the past few years had seen a decline, during the pandemic the sales of novels has grown by 13 per cent. And, apparently, there was a similar upturn in reading novels during the second world war.

When the news has seemed relentlessly grim in the past few months, the events of last week have been novel and, dare I say it, uplifting. Change in both the White House and Number 10, and growing confidence in an imminent vaccine have at least given us something different to talk about. 

We need to find hope, happiness and reassurance where we can in these difficult times. I find I'm seeking out upbeat television, radio and online events - and books -  to help boost my mood.

I was pleased to see this reflected in a short feature in the 'Guardian' this weekend where novelist Amanda Craig listed 'Books to bring cheer' (I'm not able to find a link to share, so let me know if you'd like more details!).

Of course she mentioned PG Wodehouse, but also Eva Ibbotson and Frances Hodgson Burnett who are best known for their books for children.

She highlighted, too, the solace to be found in nature writing.

Although the weather has taken a turn for the worse this weekend, there is still so much to appreciate in the outdoors.

In 'Vesper Flights', the author Helen Macdonald shares her passion for birds, and urges us to look up to the skies. The lifecycle of swifts is certainly awe-inspiring. They will fly constantly for two or three years, only sleeping when they ascend on a 'vesper flight' recorded as being a height of 10,000 feet.

What we can learn from swifts and other astonishing birds, mammals and plants is densely packed in a beautifully rich collection of essays. Scroll down for more details about this wonderful book, or read my article about Helen and her first book 'H is for Hawk' here.

Another fabulous nature writer is Melissa Harrison. You may remember we discussed Melissa's first novel 'Clay' at Browsers Book Group several years ago, and gave it considerable praise. More recently, she has received great acclaim for 'All Among the Barley' set in an imagined 1930s Suffolk.

Melissa also writes nature columns in various newspapers and magazines. A compilation of her writing for 'The Times' forms 'The Stubborn Light of Things', her beautiful new book, delighting in nature through the months and seasons in both the city and countryside.

Melissa will be talking to me about this new book in a special event for The Cut in Halesworth on Wednesday 2 December. Taking place online (of course), donations are invited for your ticketed attendance, with all funds raised used to support this glorious Suffolk arts centre.

The doors may be shut and we can no longer wander the shelves of our bookshops and libraries, but there are still plenty of books easily available to carry us through the next few weeks.

Reviews and recommendations will be even more valuable in finding the right titles to suit our moods and circumstances - and will perhaps prompt us to think about some Christmas purchases.

If you listened to my item on BBC Radio Suffolk last week, you'll have heard my suggestions for a few gift books. These are aimed at children but which will appeal to all ages. You can take a look here, or listen to my chat with presenter Lesley Dolphin here. I'll be adding more titles in the next few days and weeks.

As you get ideas for book purchases, please do remember to use your local high street bookshop. This is such a difficult time for them to be closed and they're all trying their best to find ways to allow us to shop safely.

But perhaps you've read about the new online bookshop initiative this week? It's called bookshop.org and has proved very successful in the USA where it was launched by former booksellers keen to provide an alternative to the global reach of a certain internet supplier.

There are curated booklists to browse, drawn up by booksellers and reviewers and, for every purchase made through the site, independent bookshops receive a commission. You can read more about it in the Guardian article here. I've linked the reviews on my website so that you can purchase online if you wish (and I will receive a small commission for each purchase, with a further commission going to all independent bookshops). You can also search for titles through my page here. However, please note that it is still best to order direct from your local high street bookshop!

With the American presidential election and the start of another national lockdown, we've got a big week ahead.

There will be plenty on the television and in the newspapers for us to gen up on the details, but sometimes the headlines are all I want to take on board.

Last week, though, an article in 'The New European' newspaper provided a welcome distraction. While it was essentially just like everything else at the moment, acknowledging  how the virus is affecting our lives, it also provided humorous respite.

Charlie Connolly was writing about authors missing out on the opportunity to meet their readers. With 'real life' festivals, talks or book signings all cancelled, the writer's solitary existence has been exacerbated. But these events weren't without their pitfalls.

He recalls the book signings when no one turned up, for example, and his feelings when sitting alongside fellow authors with bigger followings. And there were also the misunderstandings.

Names are easy to get wrong, so his policy in writing the dedication was always to ask for the spelling. "I usually check even the simplest of names," he says, "which can leave people walking away thinking it weird that I can write a whole book, apparently without being able to spell 'Dave'."

He also recalls the story of Monica Dickens at a signing in Australia when she inscribed a book placed in front of her to 'Emma Chisett' - when the person was actually enquiring what the book cost.

It may be a while before there will be any more moments like these, but this article certainly caused me to chuckle and to think back with fondness on the occasions of our own in Woodbridge. Read his article here.

With the days getting shorter and the weather getting wilder, we can usually console ourselves with the thought of retreating, in front of a roaring fire, tea and toast to hand as we lose ourselves in another good book.

We're fortunate to have so many brilliant books so easily accessible and lots of prizes and media programmes and clubs suggesting new titles to try.

Sometimes, though, all this choice brings another problem - there just isn't enough time to read all these great books.

There are different ways of approaching this 'problem'.

One well known publisher recently sent out an email to its readers giving 'tips' on how to conquer the pile of books you've accumulated but haven't yet read - make sure they're all in one place so that you can't escape the enormity of the task, it says, or 'curate' the pile by season/subject/topicality/genre, or set a 'goal' to read at least 50 pages a day. And so the 'advice' continues. Admittedly this was compiled from comments by book prize judges (you can take a look here). But doesn't this begin to sound like a chore?!

I remember reading about the writer David Nicholls who felt he was missing out on many great books, so set his alarm an hour earlier in the morning and, before he got on with his day, he would spend that time reading. It became something rather special.

This weekend, of course, we gained 'an extra hour' with the clocks going back, so this might be an opportunity to start a new habit, dedicating time each day to escape the winter months with some choice reading.

We can remember, though, that sometimes it's good just to take things more slowly, to pause and to consider rather than rush on to the next new thing. So, in a couple of weeks, we're going to have a meeting to discuss our favourite titles - the books we return to time and again, those which have stayed with us or the books we'd like to pass on. If you'd like to join in, reply to this email with the book you'd like to nominate and I'll be sending out more details next time.

Of course tomorrow evening we'll be talking about this month's book group title, 'The Forest of Wool and Steel', a gentle, slow and thoughtful read. Let me know if you'd like the details for joining in - everyone's welcome!

Finally, though - did you catch the artist Maggi Hambling on BBC 2 last night? There was a fabulous documentary celebrating her career, as she marks her 75th birthday. Her approach to her work and her use of time is hugely inspiring and entertaining. Take a look at the programme here, or my interview with Maggi here. And her visit to Woodbridge here.