Books are my bag

Emily here speaks for all of us (well, her bag does) as we gather for more insights in to the novel-writing world on the Curtis Brown Creative Writing course. I had to wing it a bit last night as I was unprepared for the class where we each had to read out our versions of the all-important letter to the agent. I hadn't seen that we were supposed to have done this as I was away last week. So I cobbled one together as the class continued. I don't think it sounded too bad. In fact I'll keep one or two of the phrases I used. That's because books are my bag.

Anyway what did you think to the new photograph of the Queen? Come on, admit it, how many of you would have straightened it in the crop and got rid of all that curtain? And why was she photographed in front of a cupboard door? I'd be interested to know the thinking behind the composition.

The newspapers stick by their own (he's a former press photographer), but they've been less kind about the painted portrait of Prince William (scroll down to the Queen too, how the hell did he pick up a second commission?).