Richmond Literary Festival

Claire, Nathan and I

I was in London over the last couple of days and took part in Book Now, the Richmond-Upon-Thames Literary Festival, my last reading of 2009. It’s been a busy 7 months of travelling since THE HOUSE OF SPECIAL PURPOSE was published but it was nice to fit one last festival in before Christmas, particularly as I was reading once again with Claire Kilroy, at a festival programmed by an old friend, Nathan Hamilton, who was a student on the Creative Writing MA at the University of East Anglia during ‘04/’05, when I returned to my old uni as Writing Fellow.

Last Day In Singapore

Today was my last day in Singapore after a very enjoyable festival. I started the day out at Channel News Asia’s morning television programme where I was interviewed alongside fellow writers Edwin Thumboo and Philip Jeyaretnam about the importance of this once-every-2-years festival and how literature transcends geographical boundaries. It’s always interesting to see how television stations operate in different countries. In Ireland and the UK, one is always caked in make-up before being put in front of the cameras. In the States, you’re in and out without so much as glancing in a mirror. Here it was more like that, which suits me just fine.

Afterwards it was back to the Arts House, the festival centre, where I took part in my last event, a masterclass on writing novels. Then it was all over and time for a little shopping. Tomorrow, the 14 hour flight home…

Singapore Events

I took part in 2 events at The Arts House in Singapore yesterday as part of the festival. The first was a public interview and reading from THE HOUSE OF SPECIAL PURPOSE; the second the same but relating to THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PYJAMAS. I have a few more days here before I go home, some interviews, a TV appearance, and a talk on how to write novels on Monday. So I better figure out how to write them between now and then.

Sights of Singapore

The Arts House – location for the festival

Lim Bo Seng Memorial

Civilian War Memorial

Civilian War Memorial Fountain

Singapore Writers Festival

Singapore

I’ve arrived in Singapore to take part in this year’s Singapore Writers Festival. Having been to Australia and back only a couple of months ago, I didn’t feel too intimidated by the 13 hour flight – particularly since I had the new novel by my favourite writer to read along the way. (Last Night In Twisted River by John Irving).

I’m taking part in a few different events over the next few days; they’re listed on my website and on the festival website.

In contrast to last month’s publicity trip to Russia, where it was extremely cold, the weather in Singapore is unlike anything I’ve experienced before – a sort of dry heat that can take a little getting used to. I’m here until next Tuesday anyway, so there’s plenty of time.

Wigtown

A busy few weeks of festival appearances continued this weekend with a trip to Wigtown in Scotland for the Wigtown Book Festival. Wigtown is Scotland’s National book town, the equivalent of Hay-on-Wye in Wales. It was an enjoyable few days, particularly because there was a strong Irish writing contingent present, including Glenn Patterson, Roddy Doyle, Carlo Gebler, Claire Kilroy and myself. A day back home today and then tomorrow I’m off again… somewhere much further away.

Aspects

I went to Bangor yesterday for the 18th Aspects Irish Literature Festival. It was my second time there; the first time I visited, in September 2005, I had intended reading from my third novel, CRIPPEN, which had been published the year before, but before leaving Dublin for the North I received the proof copies of THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PYJAMAS, which was due to be published three months later in January 2006. On a whim I decided to take a copy with me and rather than reading from CRIPPEN as intended, I read a section from the new book, the part where Bruno walks along the fence and meets Shmuel for the first time. It was the first occasion I ever read from that novel to an audience and I had no idea that I would be reading from it, and from that section, hundreds of times over the years that followed. It was quite appropriate therefore that I engaged in one of the most interesting festival discussions I’ve ever been part of last night, when the writer Carlo Gebler interviewed me in front of an audience about my work and we inevitably ended up discussing my experiences with that book. In fact, I didn’t even read from THE HOUSE OF SPECIAL PURPOSE as I had originally planned but remained in interview format instead. Aspects always brings surprises, it’s a great festival. And it’s running for a few more days yet if you’re near Bangor.

Clifden Arts Festival

To the most western point in Ireland last night, Clifden in County Galway, for the annual Arts Festival. A great night at the Station House Theatre and then in to visit some of the children at a local school this morning. It’s a busy time at the moment for festivals. I’ll be in Bangor on Thursday night for the Aspects festival and Scotland over the weekend for Wigtown.

Mountains To Sea

with Patrick Gale backstage at the Pavilion Theatre

The first Mountains To Sea festival is taking place this weekend in Dun Laoire, County Dublin, with a host of international authors taking part. I was delighted to read with English novelist Patrick Gale yesterday at the Pavilion Theatre in a very enjoyable event. I’ve been a fan of Patrick’s novels for a few years now; I read from THE HOUSE OF SPECIAL PURPOSE, he from THE WHOLE DAY THROUGH.

SW11 Festival

with Rosie Alison at the SW11 Festival

To Clapham last night for the start of the SW11 Literary Festival, which runs until the end of the month. I read from THE HOUSE OF SPECIAL PURPOSE at Waterstone’s on St John’s Road and was joined by debut novelist Rosie Alison, whose book THE VERY THOUGHT OF YOU is a moving and evocative story of a young girl transported to a country house at the start of the Second World War and who becomes a witness to the many disturbing and dramatic events that take place there.

It was great to read with Rosie as, in her other life, she is a film producer at Heyday Films and was co-producer of the film adaptation of THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PYJAMAS. If I remember correctly, Rosie’s phonecall to me was the first communication about a potential film of my novel, way back in 2005 when I was Writing Fellow at my old university, the University of East Anglia.

‘Friends of mine get calls like that all the time,’ one of my former UEA writing buddies sniffed at the time. ‘It’ll never happen.’