festivals #7

i was radical and took a day off work today purely to see val mcdermid at the book festival and then a concert at st marys cathedral (bach 'magnificat' and handel coronation anthems - really, i went to hear the five minutes or so of 'zadok the priest' which i have adored since singing it at school in the choir mentioned in yesterday's blip. it was great!).

val mcdermid writes excellent crime novels, which while in one respect are no different from all the rest on the market are also entirely different - something to do with the way she uses language and how she inhabits her characters i think. i saw her at the book fest last year with denise mina (glasgow-based crime novels) and they were hilarious - gossipy and funny and frank about their work and happy to chat and answer questions, and answer them thoughtfully and fully, too.

i like hearing writers talk about their work, inspirations, the craft of it, it makes the books better for me, even if at the same time makes me realise that though i may have a novel in me, as the saying goes, i doubt it's going to see the light of day. the fact val now lives a stone's throw from my parents in utter anonymity is rather cool, too.

i'm also fascinated to look at the hands of a writer in the act of writing - even if it is only signing their name. do i learn anything from it? no, but it doesn't stop me being fascinated - you know me, i always like the odd details...