PRIMADONNA 2024:

Here are some of the highlights of the amazing events I attended – (but the full prorgamme is here).https://primadonnafestival.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Primadonna-Programme.pdf

Day one:  Who Has the Right to Write featured writers Winnie M Li, whose gripping novel I have already purchased after hearing her speak so frankly, and Amita Murray. They discussed writing about lived experiences, writing about things outside your experience and sensitivity readers. They reminded us about the way being stereotyped can really hurt, and they spoke about writing the story in your own way. I met Amita Murray later and she was very friendly and happy to chat. 

Writing for Change: Monisha Rajesh and Sairish Hussain spoke about politics and art, and Sairish read an extract from her novel, Hidden Fires, set at the time of the Grenfell Tower fire. It was another fascinating talk.

Jane Savidge: The inventor of Britpop was the highlight of my day, giving a fascinating and fabulously entertaining talk about managing ‘62.5%’ of all the Big Britpop bands and read an extract from her new book about Pulp’s This is Hardcore album, including that incident with Michael Jackson! I was fortunate enough to meet Jane later. What a truly lovely person with such an interesting life and a great sense of humour. The books are also excellent!

Day Two: First of the morning was Georgy Jamieson hosting a talk about writing climate change, and then I hopped over to hear Director at HQ Stories,  Lisa Milton, TLC, (The Litaerary Consultancy –  director, Aki Schilz), Niki Igbaroola (Jacaranda Books) and Alice Jolly, (award-winning author) to hear about ‘how to get published’. Georgy, who I have known for a long time, is another lovely person who always makes time to stop and chat, and Lisa, who is so lovely to talk to, also made time to come and see me later to find out what I’d been up to this year. 

Then I headed to Recovery’s Got Talent – always a highlight of Primadonna – and there were so many great performers there. I’ve written about this event before. It’s a showcase of talent for people in any sort of recovery – and there’s definitely a lot of talent. I was welcomed into the barn, and I even managed to get a spot to perform a couple of poems as well!

Finally, I went to the jam-packed open mic with Justine de Mierre, whose event is so popular it really needed a bigger venue and longer than one hour. My highly irreverent poem, The Unhealthy Stuff, kicked it all off and I was happy to have enthusiastic audience participation. I have found that this poem has the same effect as the song, ‘Sit Down’, by James. I usually invite the audience to give a little ‘Whoop’ when they recognise themselves in the poem – and they always do! Great fun! 

Day Three: The highlight of today was once again performing poetry on the main stage and watching the others and then guest poet, Ella Duffy. The flash fiction prize-winner, Hayley Duning,  was also there reading an excellent piece

Prize-winner, Hayley Dunning (left) and Poet, Ella Duffy.

And now to the July Mini-Interviews. Each month I try to talk to one or two authors, usually local, about their work.

First off the block is  JD MISSEN, author of the David Lloyd book club book of the month, Secrets from a Misty River and her new book, The evil within us all’

Tell us a bit about your books. Have you always been a writer?

I started writing poetry when I was about 13, then wrote my first book soon after that. Like most writers, I initially wrote to express my feelings about the experiences I’d had but, after having such a great reaction from school friends, who had read my first book, I then wanted to write for other people’s enjoyment. 

What are you working on now?

I’m now working on the third Detective Inspector Morgan mystery, which is set on the Suffolk Coast and is based on an historical event that may or may not have occurred. I’ve been taking time out to catch up on publishing the other books I had already written but now I am looking for my next endeavour.

What do you enjoy reading?

I mostly read crime fiction and non-fiction. 

And the other writer I spoke to was Sue Thompson, whose story about Jacob Rees-Mogg, in her book, Spending a Penny in Southwold, made me roar with laughter. Sue also has great comic timing in her spoken delivery – try to catch her at one of Suffolk’s spoken word events

When did you start writing, Sue, and what are you up to now?

I started writing when we moved to Suffolk from Rayleigh in Essex in 2013 to help other relocators to fit into their new lives. This turned into three books about Suffolk life and the adventures we had and the characters we met. I started writing by hand in notebooks at the age of 64, so there’s hope for anyone! I then wrote a book of poems called Crochet me a Life and found I enjoyed writing rants so much that I now have 15 new poems, and I am thinking of publishing another poetry book. 

What do you like to read?

As a retiree, I enjoy performing music and poetry and just having new experiences. I enjoy reading crime novels, especially the Elly Griffiths series set in Norfolk, I also love the classics, my favourite being The Wind in the Willows which I re-read every winter. 

Well, it’s time to go and dance for a bit at the close of Primadonna, so I’d like to recommend a read of any of the books by any of the authors mentioned here today.

Next month, more book news, more interviews, and a taste of literary summer wine in August! 

Virginia has written numerous articles and fiction, written for stage and radio, and published three books, The Camera Obscure, Tourist to the Sun and That Little Voice. Her fourth books is a Punk Novel, Burnt Lungs and Bitter Sweets, coming soon!