Dear Reader,
As a geeky teenager, I dreamt of appearing at Hay Festival, the Glastonbury of book festivals. When my debut novel, TESTAMENT, was published in 2018, I asked my editor if I’d get to Hay. She let me down gently, with the encouragement that in the future with a few books to my name, maybe I’d make it. Well, reader, I did. I was invited to Hay. The only trouble was actually getting there…
First, a train strike was called. With all solidarity to the unions, this presented a logistical challenge. I’d have to fly. Plane booked, Edinburgh to Bristol. Plane cancelled! Never mind, I’ll book a flight for the next day that means getting up at 5am to reach Hay by 2.30pm, when I’d be chairing Max Porter. Buckle your seatbelts, stow your trays, and away! A car will pick you up at the airport. Or will it…? Slight snafu, no car! No one’s fault, busy weekend, train strikes, many moving parts – I’ll persuade a taxi driver to take me to the English/Welsh border. Some persuasion later, including explaining that I’m due on stage with Max Porter VERY SOON NOW, and we’re off, speeding down the green lanes and screeching to a stop at the multi-coloured big top tents of Hay! I’m here! Literally and figuratively, I Have Arrived.
Time to down a cup of tea and swan onto stage with full Big Red Trouser Energy to chat with Max about his stunning new novel SHY. And what an exceedingly lovely chat! Max began with a reading that almost made me do a spit take on my Hay debut, as he shouted “OI DICKHEADS” at the audience. That will wake you up! Max is incredibly generous with his creative process, political convictions, intellect and spirit. It was a joy to be part of this moment, which really felt like an exchange and celebration with the whole theatre. Thanks, Max!
After that, time to breathe out. More than any other literary festival, Hay feels like an actual festival, with tents creating a village in blissfully sunny fields! It was book heaven to sit in the green room garden, meet other writers, and spot all the people off the telly. I want to thank all the staff at Hay, from the programmers and sound techs to the transport desk and the tireless interns, who all made me feel so welcome and cared for. One of the volunteer drivers even checked I’d eaten dinner! Which, I confess, I hadn’t, because it was all too exciting and I wanted to squeeze in seeing Philippa Gregory and then Dara Ó Briain. Then it was time for the Artists’ Party at a farm with a DJ in a Porto-cabin, very Year Six Disco Vibes, in the best possible way.
During the festival, writers are stashed in B&Bs, spare rooms, hotels, and probably hedgerows, given the aforementioned Artists’ Party. I woke up in my lovely holiday house feeling slightly worse for wear with my arthritic feet especially sore, as if I had walked rather than flown from Scotland to Wales. However, it was nothing an afternoon with Kate Mosse couldn’t fix.
The day was finally here, the highlight of my calendar, sharing a stage with THE Kate Mosse, bestselling historical adventure novelist and founder of the Women’s Prize. I was equal parts excited and nervous. It was great to have lunch with Kate and her husband, the writer Greg Mosse, beforehand because they’re both extremely kind, and it calmed my nerves, plus we got to talk writing and the early days of the Women’s Prize. One of those pinch-me moments.
Kate’s sublime new novel THE GHOST SHIP (out 6th July) is about seventeenth century female pirates, so the perfect pairing for A WILD & TRUE RELATION. We entered the theatre without a set list, just a plan to get to know each other on stage and see what happened. And what happened was the most joyous hour of finding connections, sharing process, championing lost women writers, and nautical bingo. You can watch the whole event on Hay Player now.
Having long dreamt of a Hay debut, Inever imagined it could be with a luminary like Kate, who has done so much for literature and women writers in this country. It was one of the absolute highlights of my literary life, and I feel very grateful and lucky indeed. Thank you to everyone who came along, and who waited to get books signed — I think this singing queue may have been ever longer than the one at the Double O launch, at points three-people-deep and snaking out of the tent! A very special feeling, after fourteen years writing A WILD & TRUE RELATION.
My next events include a big South West tour and some other highlights. Here are July dates for your diary, with links where I have them!
7th July Penzance Lit Fest, Cornwall, A WILD & TRUE RELATION chaired by Wyl Menmuir
8th July 007GB Club on HMS Belfast – sold out, but hope to see you there!
11th July St Ives Society of Artists, Cornwall, A WILD & TRUE RELATION (This one is FREE)
13th July Harbour House, Kingsbridge, Devon, A WILD & TRUE RELATION
22nd July, Travelling with James Bond, online event co-hosted with Licence to Queer, tickets £9 or FREE to paying subscribers, promo code below my signature (along with a couple of other Nice Bonus Things)
30th July Primadonna Festival, Suffolk, A WILD & TRUE RELATION
I’ll leave you with a work of art. My sister, Rosie Sherwood, is getting into book cover design alongside her amazing, award-winning artistic practice. The first step is to build a portfolio, so she’s designing covers for her favourite books. And lucky me, I got to be her first experiment! Here is Rosie’s cover for my debut novel, TESTAMENT, released five years ago. How STUNNING is this?? It feels very special to have my first novel re-imagined through my sister’s eyes. Thank you, Rosie!
You can read about Rosie’s process here. I can’t wait to see what novel Rosie picks to give a make-over next! If you have any suggestions, leave a comment below, and check out Rosie’s beautiful Substack, A Nomadic Rose.
From Kim, With Love x
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