writing – Susan E Barsby

Who Am I*? Unearthing my influences

I have become obsessed by the ‘Literary Criticism’ section in Waterstones. The shelves there are no longer what I remember from lit crit at uni but instead have more of the world on them. When I worked at the Stones we had an essays section but that’s gone and this fascinating hotch potch is all… Continue reading Who Am I*? Unearthing my influences

Writing and working

I’ve been feeling quite positive about my writing recently. It’s not that I feel I’ve produced wonderful quality work – far from it – but just that I have been producing anything at all. This last year has been for me, as I’m sure it’s been for so many, a challenge – in terms of… Continue reading Writing and working

Soundtracking

How are you doing after the first week of lockdown easing? It’s been the Easter school holidays here and I’ve taken the week off work in order to be with my daughter E so I’m writing this sitting in the Market Square, waiting for her to come out of dancing class. It’s a warm day… Continue reading Soundtracking

Finding focus

How are you doing? It’s March already and I don’t know about you but this year feels utterly odd. Not wasted exactly, but time has a very different meaning these days. My daughter has gone back to school today. She had that one day in January in school, but otherwise has been at home with… Continue reading Finding focus

Twenty Four Stories

Five or six years ago I walked through Nottingham’s Old Market Square. It was near Christmas, dark overhead but the Christmas market was in full swing, including the annual ice rink. The scene gave me a ‘what if?’ moment and I turned it into a story. I wrote and edited and wrote and tinkered, made… Continue reading Twenty Four Stories

Bringing back the bodies… *

I was delving into the BBC’s website the other day and came across one of my favourite authors, Barbara Trapido, on the Book Club programme. She and the audience were discussing The Travelling Hornplayer. Trapido has written seven novels and four of them are linked. By linked, I mean that characters return and live on… Continue reading Bringing back the bodies… *

Competition time! Win an author’s kit

I’m celebrating. And to have you join in my celebrations I’m giving away everything you need to be a writer. Everything, except the sheer bloody mindedness, which I’m afraid you’ll have to cultivate yourself. Would you like to win: coffee, biscuits, writing maps, notebooks and pen? You would? Great, read on. Your ultimate writer’s kit… Continue reading Competition time! Win an author’s kit

On audiobooks

In a fit of enthusiasm, I told a work colleague last week that I was doing so well with my running that I would be working up to doing regular 10ks. (This is true, though I thought I’d give myself a few more weeks to make sure I’ve really nailed the 5k but still.) Her… Continue reading On audiobooks

A Whitelaw Christmas Carol

December 1932 “Mum says don’t forget Christmas dinner,” said Daniel as he left The Whitelaw that afternoon, having safely delivered the account books. “Any time, she said, but we’ll probably eat about two or three-ish.” “I already told her there was no need,” said Tip. “I’ll be perfectly fine by myself. I’m not a charity… Continue reading A Whitelaw Christmas Carol

A literary weekend

I’ve been trying to get to Haworth to visit the Charlotte Bronte exhibition all year. It finishes this month. I was going to go up on July but went to look after my mum after an op instead. Then I went to some workshops and events in Haworth in September but they overran and I… Continue reading A literary weekend